Recent organisational changes prompted a review of the NHS Social Work Service to ensure it continues to meet current priorities, operates effectively, and collaborates well with commissioned services. This review looked at the service’s structure, roles, responsibilities, activity, demand, and patient needs. As a result, the service will withdraw from Urgent Care and ICRAS and instead realign with District Nursing Teams in the community.

The NHS Social Work Service places social workers within District Nursing multidisciplinary teams to better address the social factors affecting people’s health and wellbeing. This closer alignment aims to meet significant unmet social care needs in deprived communities and supports the NHS Long Term Plan and Trusts vision for integrated, preventative care. The approach is intended to improve outcomes for patients, staff, and the wider health and care system.

  • Undertake an assessment of need and strengths to identify social determinants of health impacting on the service user and Carers
  • To promote patient and carer self-efficacy through a strengths-based assets approach. 
  • Appropriate discharge of NHS duties toward Carers with a family member in receipt of Care within the District Nursing Service.
  • Develop a Social Prescription to meet those identified needs
  • Interventions will be coordinated by multiple providers across social care, health care, and the voluntary, community, faith, and enterprise sectors.
  • To provide information and guidance in relation to legal frameworks and statutory duties to support and improve people’s health and wellbeing journey.

  • Reduced reliance on District Nursing services to meet social care needs
  • Reduced use of Commissioned Services where appropriate: Reduced or delayed need for hospital admissions, formal interventions, long-term care, commissioned service support, and readmissions.
  • Referrals to appropriate commissioned services identified in a timely manner.
  • Improved patient experience: Patients receive care that reflects their choices and ensures dignity and respect and improves overall wellbeing. Patients are more engaged in planning their care and support and experience more choice and control over how their needs are met
  • Strengthened community links: The service aims to strengthen community connections by increasing awareness, promoting self‑management, and encouraging the use of local organisations. It also focuses on boosting engagement with voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise groups to better support people’s needs.

A one‑off Personal Health Budget (PHB) provides practical, personalised support based on what matters to the individual. It is used when a small, timely intervention could significantly improve someone’s recovery, independence, or wellbeing, and when other support options aren’t suitable. The budget isn’t given to the person directly; instead, the Trust purchases the agreed item or support on their behalf (a notional budget). This ensures decisions are fair, person‑centred, well‑documented, and applied consistently and safely across services.