You may have heard the term community link worker, or maybe it has been suggested that you be referred to one, but you’re unsure what that entails. Here we will discuss the role of a community link worker and how they can benefit their clients in the local community.
What is a community link worker?
Community link workers are practitioners that provide non-medical support with personal, social, emotional and financial issues. These include low mood, anxiety and stress, social isolation, money and poverty issues, and bereavement. They also work to address health inequalities created by deprivation, protected characteristics, geography and demographics.
The overarching aims of a community link worker are to support people to live well through strengthening connections between community resources and primary care. A community link worker can help reduce demand on primary care while diverting people to the appropriate support within the community.
They have a comprehensive knowledge of both the challenges and support needs of the people they serve as well as the resources that are available in their community.
What is the role of a community link worker?
A Community Link Worker has lots of knowledge about what is available in the local community and the services that are offered throughout the area. They can spend time with service users, help them decide some of the changes they’d like to make, provide direction on how to get there and signpost to local community services.
Typical tasks of a community link worker:
- To meet with new clients and have an initial discovery conversation in order to deeply understand their personal goals and current needs.
- To be able to understand the life challenges the client may be experiencing that could be holding them back.
- In partnership with the client, to develop a support plan using the SMART goals framework.
- To provide information and signpost clients to a range of activities and resources in their local area that will support them in achieving their goals.
- To have regular check-ins with the clients to discuss their progress, outcomes, achievements or any barriers. This enables clients to adapt or change goals if needed while being fully supported and celebrating wins along the way.
- To provide a plan for clients to leave the service when outcomes have been achieved and the clients are ready for the next stage of their healing journey.
Bridge
Bridge is proud to offer a service which is completely tailored to the individual. We provide one-to-one support for members of the community with a mental health and well being issue.
It is important to us here at Bridge, to promote the active participation of the client in their recovery. We encourage and support them to apply the six ways to wellbeing.
This includes:
- Being active – do some physical activity you enjoy.
- Continuous learning – try something new, set yourself a new challenge.
- Give – do something nice for someone. Link your happiness to the wider community.
- Social connection – connect with people around you.
- Taking notice, being present – be aware of the world around you.
- Caring for the planet – look after your community and the world.
We work in partnership with a varied network of professionals, clinical, non-clinical and voluntary sector agencies. These include community groups, GPs, health professionals, primary care, community mental health teams and local authority housing teams, to name a few.
If you’d like to discuss this or any other service we offer contact us here.
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