Social Prescribers – Learning to Advise Course

Introduction

Are you looking to up-skill and develop your knowledge base and experience in social prescribing and be able to better support patients with social welfare issues? We have an exciting career development opportunity of free training that will provide you with a nationally certificated course on social welfare issues and a nationally recognised qualification.

The training programme for social prescribing link workers

Learning to Advise course

The course is certificated by Advice UK and covers the issues that most affect social prescribing clients such as: Welfare Benefits, Housing, Debt, Arrears such as utilities, Council Tax, Immigration and Employment rights etc. The course consists of 12 half and full day training sessions running between Sept 25 to Feb 26, with a mix of on-line and in person learning.

Benefits of the course:

• More effective support for patients, through better understanding of the issues and options
• Reducing demand on GP and Nurse time, more effective clinical consultations
• The course will help you develop more collaborative relationships with local advice providers
• Having in house expertise within the social prescribing team and wider General Practice team, on welfare benefits matters as a resource to colleagues
• The course opens a career pathway to an enhanced social prescribing role with a specialism in social welfare advice

Study time: 12 sessions (half & full days, on-line & in person), approx. 2 days a month, between Sept and Feb 2026

Optional, follow-on training after the Learning to Advise course

NVQ in Advice & Guidance and training placement

January – September 2026

An optional follow-on after the Learning to Advise course is to study an NVQ in Advice and Guidance (Level 3) qualification through a mix of on-line portfolio building workshops and a training placement with a social welfare advice provider in your borough.

This follow-on training and placement allows you to develop your practical skills, working with clients and giving them social welfare advice through a supervised training placement.

The NVQ Level 3 in Advice and Guidance qualification is nationally recognised and accredited by City and Guilds.

Study time: January – September 2026. 1 day a week training placement with a local social welfare advice provider for 6 -9 months. On-line tutorials and portfolio building workshops, (approx. 8 x 1hr sessions) and portfolio building (self study).

Any questions and queries?

If you are considering applying and would like to discuss the opportunity, please don’t hesitate to contact us and we will be delighted to arrange a call, please contact: Dan Hopewell, Director of Knowledge and Innovation, Bromley by Bow Insights: Dan Hopewell dan.hopewell@nhs.net

Training is delivered and sponsored by

The training programme is delivered by the Bromley by Bow Insights and Island Advice Centre a highly experienced community based advice provider that has delivered this training programme for over 15 years.

The programme is sponsored and funded by the North East London Health and Care Partnership and supported by Transformation Partners for Health and Care.