Article Figures & Data
Figures
- Figure 1. Whether responders were thinking about leaving their role as a link worker (in past 6 months and next 6 months)
Tables
Predictor variable Odds ratio 95% CI P value Gender 0.44 Male reference Female 0.77 0.39 to 1.51 Age, years 0.39 21–30 reference 31–40 0.79 0.32 to 1.91 41–50 0.58 0.26 to 1.29 51–60 0.49 0.23 to 1.07 >60 0.61 0.22 to 1.65 Role 0.13 Primary care network (PCN) reference Voluntary community service 0.83 0.51 to 1.35 Local authority 1.17 0.28 to 4.93 Other 0.20 0.05 to 0.78 How long have you been link worker? 0.008 1–6 months reference 7–12 months 1.78 0.68 to 4.63 13–36 months 3.60 1.64 to 7.91 >36 months 2.22 0.99 to 4.96 Do you regard role as job or vocation? 0.001 Job reference Vocation 0.31 0.15 to 0.64 Part of peer support group 0.008 No reference Yes 0.50 0.30 to 0.84 Time to connect with voluntary community sector 0.008 Up to 1 hour a week reference Two hours/half a day a week 0.51 0.27 to 0.94 One day a week or more 0.33 0.17 to 0.67 Time in working week to undertake training <0.001 Disagree reference Neutral 0.36 0.14 to 0.97 Agree 0.18 0.09 to 0.38 Receives supervision about patient cases 0.02 Never reference Every 2–6 months 0.63 0.27 to 1.51 Every 4–6 weeks 0.38 0.18 to 0.82 At least once a fortnight 0.28 0.11 to 0.69 Receives supervision about own wellbeing 0.001 Never reference Every 2–6 months 0.28 0.11 to 0.71 Every 4–6 weeks 0.19 0.08 to 0.45 At least once a fortnight 0.15 0.05 to 0.44 Occupational self-efficacy (per 10-unit decrease ) 1.91 1.24 to 2.93 0.003 Job discrepancy (per 30-unit increase ) 6.86 3.91 to 12.0 <0.001 Totals range from 290–314.
Predictor Odds ratio 95% CI P value Gender 0.26 Male reference Female 0.64 0.30 to 1.39 Age, years 0.19 21–30 reference 31–40 1.64 0.64 to 4.21 41–50 0.75 0.31 to 1.82 51–60 0.67 0.28 to 1.60 >60 0.8 0.26 to 2.47 Role 0.65 Primary care network (PCN) reference Voluntary community service 0.88 0.51 to 1.54 Local authority 1.32 0.30 to 5.77 Other 0.39 0.08 to 1.94 How long have you been link worker? 0.01 1–6 months reference 7–12 months 2.52 0.77 to 8.21 13–36 months 3.84 1.41 to 10.4 >36 months 1.68 0.59 to 4.78 Do you regard role as job or vocation? 0.002 Job reference Vocation 0.35 0.17 to 0.69 Part of peer support group 0.03 No reference Yes 0.52 0.29 to 0.92 Time to connect with voluntary community sector <0.001 Up to 1 hour a week reference Two hours/half a day a week 0.27 0.14 to 0.54 One day a week or more 0.24 0.11 to 0.52 Time in working week to undertake training 0.004 Disagree reference Neutral 0.82 0.32 to 2.10 Agree 0.36 0.18 to 0.69 Receives supervision about patient cases 0.04 Never reference Every 2–6 months 1.31 0.53 to 3.27 Every 4–6 weeks 0.49 0.21 to 1.13 At least once a fortnight 0.77 0.29 to 2.08 Receives supervision about own wellbeing 0.02 Never reference Every 2–6 months 0.85 0.36 to 2.02 Every 4–6 weeks 0.44 0.19 to 1.01 At least once a fortnight 0.25 0.08 to 0.77 Occupational self-efficacy (per 10-unit decrease ) 1.24 0.82 to 2.06 0.27 Job discrepancy (per 30-unit increase ) 4.86 2.70 to 8.72 <0.001 Totals range from 228–247.
Broad concept Components Supporting data Working conditions Setting: having a room to see patients in, better IT systems to record patient contacts and to reduce administration burden
Support: from managers, including supervision, from peers, receiving appropriate training, emotional wellbeing checks
Salary
Security: permanent or longer contracts, carer progression opportunities, having enough staff to safely support patients and to have manageable workloads
‘Higher pay, more training encouraged, more time together as a team as remote lone working can be tough …’ (Responder 22)
‘Stability of the post. 5 to 7 years contract so I can concentrate on the role more and less about whether I will have a job and have to apply for a new one.’ (Responder 42)
‘I think an increase in pay … would make us feel more valued, even though we don’t do it for the money. Having said that, some of the benefits my organisation has offered (eg, carers leave, wellbeing days) have definitely helped me to stay as I feel like my organisation cares about my wellbeing …’ (Responder 46)
‘By being employed by organisations that don’t actually manage us, there is a very disjointed style of support and I do not feel I have a relationship with anyone senior.’ (Responder 62)
‘I know a brilliant social prescriber who left to take another job because it was more money. Would suggest after 6 months of service, when we have developed that local knowledge, that pay should go up.’ (Responder 102)
‘Peer support is vital when we spend so much time lone working.’ (Responder 153)Understanding of the role Clarity around the role so people, including managers, know what it entails, to help with appropriate referrals
Recognition as a profession to feel respected and valued by the wider primary care team, and more connected to a practice; might include the ability to acquire a recognised qualification
‘Medical colleagues using the service for referrals that are ready for change. These roles can be used for putting "heartsink" patients to, after causing anxiety for the referee.’ (Responder 60)
‘… a manager who knows what you are doing, appreciation of complex referrals, less focus on stats, feeling more of a priority, feeling valued.’ (Responder 78)
‘A proper training programme that gives a recognised qualification that is mandatory for the role ...’ (Responder 154)
‘Being valued and understood by other roles. As we are "community" rather than clinical the view from one practice manager was that all we did was go to knitting groups and drink coffee, which is far from the true day-to-day job.’ (Responder 269)Autonomy Being able to work in a person-centred way, including where patients are seen
Having time to work with patients, to make connections with the VCSE sector, for relevant training, less form filling
‘So often I have spoken with other people in same/similar roles and surprised how constrained they are. Box-ticking is what seems to happen; the personalised care approach with a holistic modality is not always understood by services...’ (Responder 16)
‘Less form-filling and more patient-focused time …’ (Responder 104)
‘… a manageable workload so you have time to make community connections or discuss tricky cases with colleagues before acting.’ (Responder 120)
‘… provide proper holistic support rather than the 15 minutes time slots allocated ... which I fight against every day.’ (Responder 125)
‘Being allowed to trust their instincts, being allowed to attend more training and community events, being trusted to manage my own workload.’ (Responder 322)VCSE = voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations
Supplementary Data
- Tier_10.3399BJGPO.2024.0128_supp.docx -
Supplementary material is not copyedited or typeset, and is published as supplied by the author(s). The author(s) retain(s) responsibility for its accuracy.
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Factors associated with link workers considering leaving their role: a cross-sectional survey
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