What good records look like

What good records look like

The framework expects SPLWsSPLW— Social Prescribing Link WorkerA role that supports people to access community-based services, groups and activities to meet practical, social and emotional needs that affect their health and wellbeing. Used internationally; equivalents in some countries include 'link worker', 'community connector' or 'health navigator'. to maintain accurate and timely records of their work — and to understand that records protect both the SPLWSPLW— Social Prescribing Link WorkerA role that supports people to access community-based services, groups and activities to meet practical, social and emotional needs that affect their health and wellbeing. Used internationally; equivalents in some countries include 'link worker', 'community connector' or 'health navigator'. and the people they work with.

What "good" looks like

• Factual. What was said, what was agreed, in plain language.
• Person-centred. Capture what matters to the person in their own words where possible.
• Concise. Records are not verbatim transcripts. Aim for "useful to the next person who reads this".
• Timely. Same-day or next-day, not "I'll catch up at the end of the week".
• Tells the story once. A good record means the person doesn't have to repeat themselves with the next professional.
• Apportioned. Personal reflection (the "how it felt for me") goes in your reflection journal, not the patient record.

What to record from a session

• Date, duration, format (face-to-face / phone / home visit).
• Who was present.
• The person's stated goals and what matters to them.
• Issues raised and significant disclosures.
• Decisions made and actions agreed (by whom, by when).
• Any safeguarding concerns and onward action.
• Any escalation to other professionals.
• Plan for next contact.

What not to record

• Speculation about diagnoses.
• Judgemental language about the person, their family or other professionals.
• Identifying information that doesn't need to be there.
• Your own emotional response (that goes in the reflection tool).

The story-once principle

The framework explicitly asks SPLWsSPLW— Social Prescribing Link WorkerA role that supports people to access community-based services, groups and activities to meet practical, social and emotional needs that affect their health and wellbeing. Used internationally; equivalents in some countries include 'link worker', 'community connector' or 'health navigator'. to understand the benefit of people telling their story once and to apply this to record-sharing with other agencies and professionals. Where information sharing is appropriate (with consent and within IG rules), share enough that the person doesn't have to retell.

IT and admin

Use the system your employer uses. If your record system makes good record-keeping hard (poor templates, slow login, no offline access), raise it. SPLWSPLW— Social Prescribing Link WorkerA role that supports people to access community-based services, groups and activities to meet practical, social and emotional needs that affect their health and wellbeing. Used internationally; equivalents in some countries include 'link worker', 'community connector' or 'health navigator'. work can be very mobile — the system needs to keep up.