HealthJobsUK

Job overview

Do you want to be instrumental in developing pathways and services to transform the way that care is delivered locally? Are you interested in improving the health of our local population? If your answer is yes to any of these questions, then we are looking for you.

Dudley Integrated Health and Care NHS Trust (DIHC) has developed and integrated primary care with community-based services within the Dudley healthcare system since 2020 with its core aim being community where possible and hospital when necessary.  Our purpose is to improve the health and wellbeing of our local population in Dudley. We are currently working with organisations within the health care sector in Dudley and the Black Country System to look at the best way to continue to deliver the services to our patients. As such the services within the organisation may transfer to other organisations over the course of the next 12 months.

Main duties of the job

The Primary Care Network (PCN) Listening & Guidance Service utilises Social Prescribing Link Worker as trained listeners but it is not a religious service. The service is ‘generic’ and is offered freely to patients of any belief and none.  SPLW must be able to demonstrate willingness to support patients from all faith communities and to operate within a framework of supervision similar to other talking therapies.

Patients experiencing loss often present to GP practices complaining of low mood. Many of these patients end up on antidepressants, even though their low mood is a reaction to an event, thus inappropriately medicalising a normal response to life’s normal ups and downs. Many will ask ‘spiritual’ questions and seek ‘spiritual’ solutions alongside consulting us: for example, the question “Why did this happen to me?” is not looking for a medical answer but an answer that gives meaning to life’s events.

Working for our organisation

DIHC is committed to embracing diversity and we recognise the need to ensure our workforce is representative of the communities we serve to enable us to achieve our purpose and commitments. 

We recognise that we are under-represented in a number of areas, and therefore want to positively encourage applications from individuals from black, Asian or other ethnically diverse groups, people with disabilities and people from the LGBT community. 

We are embedding values based and inclusive recruitment practices to ensure that all applicants, from any backgrounds, have an equal chance of success in achieving a role with us. 

Flexible working options can also be discussed in more detail with the Recruiting Manager for the post, or line manager once in post as part of our Flexible Working Policy. Please be advised that requests will be considered based upon the service structure and service needs once in post.