Introducing a social prescribing link worker to your practice

NHS England has released guidance to help practices introduce social prescribing across networks. Here’s a quick summary of some key steps they advise practices need to take.

Appoint a first point of contact or ‘social prescribing champion’

Each Network member GP practice must identify a first point of contact for general advice and support for the social prescribing link worker. They should help the link worker to develop effective working arrangements with all staff. This role could become a designated ‘social prescribing champion’ within each member practice. 

Appoint a GP supervisor 

The Network must appoint a GP supervisor (if different to the first point of contact) to provide direct supervision of the link worker – they will line manage them on a day-to-day basis. They should meet regularly with the link worker and discuss any issues or concerns – including patient-related concerns (for example, abuse, domestic violence, or other safeguarding issues) and refer individuals back to other health professionals as appropriate.

NB A GP supervisor will still need to be appointed where the link worker is employed by a partner agency.  The supervisor should in this case involve the partner organisation in regular progress updates. 

Provide ‘clinical’ or non-managerial supervision

The social prescribing link worker should also have regular access to clinical or non-managerial supervision both with their GP supervisor and other relevant health professionals within the Network. This ‘clinical’ or non-managerial supervision will enable the link worker to manage the emotional impact of their work and be guided by clinicians on dealing effectively with patient risk factors. 

Arrange cover for lone link workers    

The GP supervisor should work with Network staff to arrange cover for when an individual link worker is absent, to avoid a backlog of referrals and ‘reputational damage’, where patients are left waiting too long. 

Enable wider support from local area

The Network should make sure the social prescribing link worker can connect with other link workers in the local area and across the STP area and facilitate link worker learning across their areas, including encouraging reflective practice and ‘action learning sets’. 

NHS England will facilitate online learning for social prescribing link workers across England, including an online community of practice for social prescribing link workers. This can be accessed by emailing [email protected] and asking to be invited to the online social prescribing platform. 

There is a wider PCN online platform, which link workers may also wish to join. For more information, email [email protected]. This online community is set up to support all staff in PCNs.    

Keep track of patients with coding

All link workers should have access to the GP information system used within the Network. To track the number of people benefiting from social prescribing, the following SNOMED codes should be used as flags for activity:

871691000000100 – Social prescribing offered (finding) 

871711000000103 – Social prescribing declined (situation)

871731000000106 – Referral to social prescribing service (procedure)

These codes should be used by GPs and other staff making referrals to the social prescribing link worker.  For more details see GP contract technical guidance.