Accessible Text Alternative for the Navigator Link Worker Model
This page is an accessible text alternative for a diagram depicting 'The Navigator Link Worker Model' for social prescribing. A flow chart depicts actions in the process of social prescribing.
Main referral sources
- Primary care clinicians
- self-referral
- or other social prescribing services
The link worker receives a referral for a service user.
Alternatively, the link worker may initiate a conversation with a potential service user by telephone if they have been targeted rather than referred.
An assessment is complete in person
Often this is at home but may also take place in a primary health care setting (ie a general practitioner’s surgery or a community pharmacy), or in a social prescribing service setting.
The link worker and the service user (together with their family or carer if this is appropriate) co-produce a support plan.
In particular, they think about which Voluntary and Community Sector groups/ activities the user might be referred to. Several of the services reviewed often refer service users into other social prescribing services, depending on their needs and interests. For some organisations tools such as ‘Top 3 Goals’ or outcomes stars are used to guide support planning and to provide a baseline with which to compare service user progress.
In some cases link workers or volunteers accompany service users to their prescribed activity.
This depends on the service user’s needs and usually only occurs for the first activity.
In most cases there is ongoing contact between the link worker and service user.
This may take place in person or by telephone depending on the service user’s level of need and may take place at the service users home or In a different setting. The length of support depends on the service user’s needs, the general principle being to limit link workers support where it is necessary and to emphasise independence, self-management and linking into Voluntary and Community Sector groups groups / activities.
For some services data is then collected
This is to measure outcomes and or gather feedback on the service from the service user and/or friends and family. It may happen at the end of the intervention or at some point afterwards.
