Social Prescribing: a non-clinical service to enhance health and well-being

What is Social Prescribing?

Social prescribing is a new service designed to support people with a wide range of social, emotional or practical needs with the focus on improving mental health and physical well-being. We recognise that people’s health and well-being is affected by a wide range of social, economic and environmental factors and so we take a holistic approach and aim to support people take greater control of their own health and well-being.

Social Prescribing Link Workers (SPLWs) provide time to talk and explore what matters to a person. They link people to a wide range of non-clinical activities which are typically provided by voluntary and community sector organisations. Some examples can be seen in the section below. SPLWs work with local partners to support community groups to be accessible, sustainable and where appropriate help people start new groups.

Patient Facing Resources | General Practice Alliance

Social prescribing works for a wide range of patients, including persons:

  • with one or more long-term conditions
  • who need support with their mental health
  • who are lonely or isolated
  • who have complex social needs which affect their well-being
  • who are carers
  • who are frequently attending either primary or secondary health care.

This service is currently only for people over 18.

Click here to see the full leaflet about the Social Prescribing Service that we provide.

A Social Prescribing Link Worker (SPLW) will give you time to talk and to explore what matters to you. We will look at a range of factors that might be impacting upon your health and well-being and together identify what you want to focus on. We will use the Well-being Star* to identify any changes you want to make and explore what steps you want to take. Together we will develop a simple action plan based on your existing strengths, needs and preferences and identify any support you might require.

We can connect you to community groups and agencies for practical and emotional support that you feel would improve your health and well-being. Being part of a group can provide a sense of belonging, help you feel part of a wider community as well offering opportunities to give time others. For some people there could be openings for volunteering which might in turn assist with employment. Friendships arising from being part of a community group can provide peer support which can reduce loneliness and anxiety. Connecting to community groups can help you to find a new sense of purpose, enjoying activities you might not otherwise have tried before, such as arts, cultural activities, walking, running, gardening, singing and making connections to the outdoors.

‘Being connected to community groups through social prescribing could enable you to be more physically active and improve your mental health, helping you to stay well for longer and lessen the impact of long-term conditions.’ NHS 2019 (Social Prescribing and Community-based Support: Summary Guide

https://www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/social-prescribing/

Follow this link to the NHS website which contains a video and some case studies.

https://www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/social-prescribing/

You can access a social prescribing link worker if you are registered with a GP practice. You can be referred by a clinician, GP, Nurse, HCA, pharmacist or anyone who works in your medical practice.

You can also self-refer by speaking to the receptionist at your medical practice.

Our service is free from the NHS and there is no fixed time frame for the support we can offer you.

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