Setting up the SPLW role

If you are recruiting or hosting an , the programme sets out the expectations that make the role succeed. These hold whether you are a primary care team, a hospital, a community organisation, a local authority or another employer.

What good employers do

Embed the within the team — they are a member, not an attachment.
Identify a first point of contact in each practice or workplace they cover.
Appoint a named clinical supervisor for the (usually a doctor or senior clinician).
Provide monthly access to clinical supervision with a relevant health professional.
Ensure access to electronic and paper-based records, administrative support, and training and .
Support attendance at peer support networks — locally, regionally, or through national chapters.
Fund mandatory and statutory training, and protected time for .

Direct employment vs hosting

You have a choice. can be:

Directly employed by the primary care team, hospital or other lead organisation, or
Sub-contracted to a host organisation — typically a community-sector organisation embedded in the area.

Both are valid. The expectations on supervision and embedding are the same in either case. The trade-offs:

	Direct employment	Hosted through community organisation
integration	Often easier — is part of the team's HR, IT, comms	Needs deliberate effort to bring into the team
Community connections	must build them	Host already has relationships and trust
HR / pastoral	Employer's responsibility	Shared with host
Funding flow	Funding routes to the employer directly	Funding routes to host, often with a contribution to hosting costs

There's no universally right answer — it depends on the strengths of your local community sector and your team's capacity.

Funding

Funding mechanisms for vary by country and region — direct salary reimbursement, dedicated workforce funds, commissioned services, philanthropic backing, or a mix. Whatever the route, protected time and funding are non-negotiable.

The minimum is the floor, not the ceiling

Following the programme expectations is the minimum. Good practice goes beyond — generous , well-attended peer networks, a deliberate strategy for community development. Recruitment is the easy bit. Retention is what shows whether the role is set up to succeed.