About the Social Prescribing – Learning for Link Workers programme
Social prescribing enables all primary care staff and local agencies to refer people to a link worker. Link workers give people time and focus on what matters to the person as identified through shared decision making or personalised care and support planning. They connect people to community groups and agencies for practical and emotional support. They collaborate with local partners to support community groups to be accessible and sustainable and help people to start new groups.
The NHS Long Term Plan commits to embedding social prescribing link workers within every primary care network (PCN) as part of a wider shift towards universal personalised care. The aim is for at least 900,000 people to be referred to social prescribing schemes by 2023/24.
Course information
This elearning resource has been developed for social prescribing link workers and includes the core elements and skills required to do the job and deliver social prescribing as part of a PCN multi-disciplinary team. Please allow 6-8 hours to complete all of the sessions:
- Introduction to the social prescribing link worker role
- Developing personalised care and support plans with people
- Developing partnerships
- Introducing people to community groups and VCSE organisations
- Safeguarding vulnerable people
- Keeping records and measuring impact
- Supporting people with their mental health through social prescribing
- Social welfare, legal support and money guidance
- Social prescribing for children and young people
- Supervision
- Social prescribing and the Armed Forces Community
- Culturally responsive practice
More information
Social prescribing is part of a commitment to personalised care. Personalised care means all people have choice and control over the way their care is planned and delivered, based on ‘what matters to me’ and individual strengths and diverse needs. This happens within a system that makes the most of the expertise, capacity and potential of people, families and communities in creating better health access, outcomes and experiences. Personalised care takes a whole system approach, integrating services around the person. It is an all age model, from maternity and childhood through to end of life, encompassing both mental and physical health support. It can contribute to reducing inequalities in access and outcomes for all.
Social prescribing is one of 6 key components of the NHS Comprehensive Model for Personalised Care. Alongside shared decision making, personalised care and support planning, supported self-management, personal heath budgets and broader choice within the NHS, social prescribing enables people to be more involved in their care. Social prescribing should be delivered as part of a broader shift to personalise care in PCNs and local areas. For further information, please visit: https://www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/
Gain CPD points and continue your personalised care learning experience.
This programme forms part of the Personalised Care Institute’s library of personalised care training for all health and care professions. If you would like to obtain a certificate and CPD points for your ongoing CPD records, and learn a lot more about personalised care, then please visit the Personalised Care Institute website to register and access.
With thanks to Healthy London Partnership
Meet the team
Sessions 1-6
• Dr Marie Anne Essam – GP and Social Prescribing Lead, Herts Valley CCG
• Kate Green – Integrated Plus Social Prescribing Manager, Dudley CVS
• Jason Griffiths – Integrated Plus Link Officer, Dudley CVS
• Terry Gee – Integrated Plus Link Officer, Dudley CVS
• Sue Bloomer – Integrated Plus Link Officer, Dudley CVS
• Keeley Jones – Integrated Plus Link Officer, Dudley CVS
• Georgia Pearsall – Integrated Plus Link Officer, Dudley CVS
• Bev Taylor – Senior Lead, Personalised Care (Social Prescribing), NHS England and NHS Improvement
• Gilli Simmons – Senior Manager, Personalised Care (Social Prescribing), NHS England and NHS Improvement
Session 7
• Katharine Lonsdale – Connect 5 Trainer
• Julie Lowe – Manager, Personalised Care (Social Prescribing), NHS England and NHS Improvement
Session 8
• Vincent Willson – Chief Officer, Citizens Advice Teignbridge, Devon
• Pallavi Kaushal – Senior Manager, Social Prescribing, NHS England and NHS Improvement
• Professor Dame Hazel Genn – Vice-Provost International & Advancement, University College London
• Michelle Pilling – Senior Lead, Social Prescribing, NHS England and NHS Improvement
• Fiona Ellis – Sector Skills Strategic Learning Lead, Money & Pensions Service
• Michaela Kirsop-Holdford – Head of Sector Skills and Development, Money & Pensions Service
• Special thanks to Social Prescribing Link Worker Focus group
Session 9
• Michelle Pilling – Senior Lead, Social Prescribing, NHS England and NHS Improvement
• Liza Jarvis – South West Integrated Personalised Care, NHS England and NHS Improvement
• Jules Ford – Senior Lead, Social Prescribing, NHS England and NHS Improvement
Session 10
• Dr Nicola Williams – Associate, TPC Health
• Dr Andrew McDowell – Director, TPC Health
• Michelle Pilling – Senior Lead, Social Prescribing, NHS England and NHS Improvement
• Alison Green – Personalised Care Manager, Social Prescribing, NHS England and NHS Improvement
Session 11
• Dr Lori Boul – NHS England and NHS Improvement Armed Forces Health Team
• Michelle Pilling – Senior Lead, Social Prescribing, NHS England and NHS Improvement
• Liza Jarvis – South West Integrated Personalised Care, NHS England and NHS Improvement
• Special thanks to the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust
Session 12
• Michelle Pilling – Senior Lead, Social Prescribing, NHS England and NHS Improvement
• Alison Green – Personalised Care Manager, Social Prescribing, NHS England and NHS Improvement
• Keeley Jones – Integrated Plus Project Manager, Dudley Council for Voluntary Service
• Dr Hina Shahid – GP and Chair of the Muslim doctors association
• Gay Palmer – Social Prescribing Link Worker Team Lead, South Southwark Primary Care Network
• Shahan Lais – Social Prescribing Link Worker, Burnley, Pendle & Rossendale Council for Voluntary Service
• Johhanne Fewell – Senior Manager, Personalised Care (SSM)
• Aiesha Turner – Senior Social Prescribing Link Worker, Integrated Plus
• Gemma Freer – Senior Social Prescribing Link Worker, Integrated Plus
• Jason Griffiths – Senior Social Prescribing Link Worker, Integrated Plus
Meet the elfh team
Andi Blackmore
Programme Manager, HEE elearning for healthcare
Chris Wood
Project Manager, HEE elearning for healthcare
Paul Kelly
Learning Designer, HEE elearning for healthcare
Rashmi Chavda
Graphic Designer, HEE elearning for healthcare
Victoria Ward
Learning Designer, HEE elearning for healthcare
Alice Denham
Learning Designer, HEE elearning for healthcare
Charlotte Howell
Learning Designer, HEE elearning for healthcare
Naomi knight
Graphic Designer, HEE elearning for healthcare
Lou Garrahan
Stakeholder Officer, HEE elearning for healthcare
How to access
In order to access the Social Prescribing programme, you will need an elfh account. If you do not have one, then you can register by selecting the Register button below.
To view the Social Prescribing programme, select the View button below. If you already have an account with elfh, you will also be able to login and enrol on the programme from the View button.
Not an NHS organisation?
If you are not an NHS health or care organisation and therefore do not qualify for free access elfh Hub, you may be able to access the service by creating an OpenAthens account.
To check whether or not you qualify for free access via OpenAthens, you can view the eligibility criteria and register on the ‘OpenAthens’ portal.
Registering large numbers of users
If you are a HR, IT or Practice Manager and would like to register and enrol large numbers of staff within your organisation for access onto the Social Prescribing programme, please contact elfh directly.
Organisations wishing to use their own LMS
For HR departments wanting to know more about gaining access to courses using an existing Learning Management System please contact elfh directly to express interest.
NHS healthcare staff in England
The Social Prescribing programme is also available to NHS healthcare staff via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). Accessing this elearning via ESR means that your completions will transfer with you throughout your NHS career.
You can check whether or not you qualify for free access by clicking on the ‘Register’ button above.
More information
Please select the following link for more information on how to use the elfh Hub.
Further details are available here.