Social Prescribing Link WorkerNHS

Morecambe Bay Primary Care Collaborative

Kirkby Lonsdale, LA6 2HQ Permanent £15

Posted 15 September 2026 Closing date 29 September 2026

Wennington Rail Station (5.3 miles, direct) Lakeside (Lakeside & Haverthwaite Rly) (15.3 miles, direct) Bus Station Night Std (13.1 miles, direct)

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Western Dales Primary Care Network as a Social Prescribing Link Worker, working directly with patients and helping to make a meaningful difference to their health, wellbeing and everyday lives.

Working across our communities in Sedbergh, Bentham and Kirkby Lonsdale, you will support people to explore what matters most to them, identify the challenges affecting their health and wellbeing, and connect them with the right support, opportunities and services.

Social prescribing is about seeing the whole person, not simply their health condition. You will have the time to listen, build trusted relationships and work alongside patients to identify their goals, build confidence and independence, and help them make positive and sustainable changes in their lives.

You will become part of our established personalised care team, working alongside other Social Prescribing Link Workers, Care Coordinators and Health and Wellbeing Coaches, as well as colleagues across our GP practices and wider community.

This is a varied and rewarding role for someone who enjoys working with people, building relationships and finding practical and creative ways to help. No two days will be the same, and the work you do has the potential to make a genuine difference to people living across the Western Dales.

Main duties of the job

The Social Prescribing Link Worker will work proactively with patients, GP practices, multidisciplinary teams and community organisations to provide personalised, practical and compassionate support. Key responsibilities will include:

Take referrals from clinicians and multi-disciplinary teams, and work closely with other PCN team colleagues to triage those patients and allocate to the most appropriate person
Discuss the persons needs with them, based on guidance from the referrer, and identify a range of options that could assist the person to improve their independence and health and wellbeing
Strengthen community and personal resilience, focusing on what matters to me and taking a holistic approach with each individual case
Co-produce a simple personalised care and support plan to improve health and wellbeing introducing or reconnecting people to community groups and statutory services
Manage and prioritise own caseload, in accordance with the needs
Have a strong awareness and understanding of when it is appropriate or necessary to refer people back to other health professionals/agencies, when the persons needs are beyond the scope of the link worker role e.g. when there is a need requiring a qualified practitioner
Identify new, and work in partnership with voluntary and statutory organisations.

Job description

Duties & Responsibilities

Take referrals from clinicians and multi disciplinary teams, and work closely with other PCN team colleagues to triage those patients and allocate to the most appropriate person
Discuss the persons needs with them, based on guidance from the referrer, and identify a range of options that could assist the person to improve their independence and health and wellbeing
Strengthen community and personal resilience, focusing on what matters to me and taking a holistic approach with each individual case
Co-produce a simple personalised care and support plan to improve health & wellbeing introducing or reconnecting people to community groups and statutory services
Manage and prioritise own caseload, in accordance with the needs
Have a strong awareness and understanding of when it is appropriate or necessary to refer people back to other health professionals and agencies, when the persons needs are beyond the scope of the link worker role e.g. when there is a need requiring a qualified practitioner
Identify new, and work in partnership with voluntary and statutory organisations
Understand the barriers and opportunities for people to self manage their conditions in the community
Have a role in educating clinical and non clinical staff within their PCN multi disciplinary teams on what other services are available within the community and how and when people can access them
Be responsible to undertake continual personal and professional development, attend regular clinical supervision and study days. Take an active part in reviewing and developing the roles and responsibilities
Network with other local Social Prescribing Link Workers and where possible form mutual support
Work sensitively with people, their families and carers to capture key information, enabling tracking of the impact of social prescribing on their health and wellbeing
To promote the development of those working within the PCN team. Actively participate in regular co supervision of peers organise and attend regular team meetings.

Key Tasks:

Promote social prescribing, its role in self management and the wider determinants of health
As part of the PCN multi-disciplinary team, attend relevant MDT Network meetings, providing information and feedback on social prescribing on request
Be proactive in encouraging self referrals and connecting with all local communities, particularly those communities that support groups may find hard to reach
Identify and work with charitable and volunteer organisations, promoting their services to your patients as well as advising practice staff on the support available
Be a friendly source of information about well being and prevention approaches. Help people identify the wider issues that impact on their health and wellbeing, such as debt, poor housing, being unemployed, loneliness and caring responsibilities
Work with the person, their families and carers and consider how they can all be supported through social prescribing
Help people maintain or regain independence through living skills, adaptations, enablement approaches and simple safeguards
Seek advice and support from relevant GPs to discuss people-related concerns (e.g. abuse, domestic violence and support with mental health), escalating the support back to the GP or other suitable health professional if required
Work with the PCN Digital & Transformation Lead, GP Federation, commissioners and local partners to identify unmet needs within the community and gaps in community provision
Where possible, encourage people, their families and carers to provide peer support and to do things together, such as setting up new community groups or volunteering
The SPLW will be expected to keep accurate and up to date records on relevant health and social care systems
The SPLW will gather record and collate data, including case studies, in a prescribed format in order to demonstrate the impact of the service
Undertake and tasks consistent with the level of the post and the scope of the role, ensuring that work is delivered in a timely and effective manner

All staff have an individual responsibility to comply with the organisations policies and practices.

Duties will vary from time to time under the direction of the clinical director and network management leads, in agreement with the post holder, dependent on current and evolving practice workload and staffing levels.

Recruitment Process

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a 30 to 45 minute interview.

Candidates progressing to the next stage will also be invited to take part in a short informal meet and engage exercise, designed to help us understand how they communicate, build rapport and interact with others in a community setting.

Further details about the exercise will be provided to candidates in advance of the second stage.

Please call Abi, PCN Manager on 07825987927 if you would like to chat further about the role or recruitment process

About us

Western Dales Primary Care Network is a collaboration of three practices; Bentham Medical Practice, Lunesdale Surgery and Sedbergh Medical Practice with a combined population upwards of 20,000.

We are looking for a Social Prescribing Link Worker to work within a team of social prescribers, care coordinators and health and well-being coaches, developing relationships and personalised care plans to support patients in reaching their identified goals.

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