As today is Social Prescribing Day, I wanted to take this opportunity to improve awareness of this forward thinking approach that empowers people to improve their own health and wellbeing.
In 2019, NHS published their ‘Long Term Plan’, which outlined that at least 900,000 people across UK would benefit from social prescribing. By working with Primary Care Networks and GP Surgeries, we have played our part in Salford! Since December 2018, Wellbeing Matters has received over 8,000 referrals into the programme and we have made over 9,500 referrals out into community groups, activities and services.
As a programme, we are growing and the future of social prescribing in Salford looks bright.
Not everybody knows exactly what it is…
Social prescribing is an approach that links people from health care settings, often GP Surgeries, into activities, groups and services in their community with the aim of finding sustainable solutions to improving wellbeing. The approach is ‘person centred’ and focuses on what matters to that individual to empower them to take control of their own health and wellbeing.
So how does it work?
In Salford, we do social prescribing a little differently (but with the same principles). A referral is made to one of our amazing Community Connectors. They will then support individuals for up to 10 sessions with the aim of connecting them with local community provision. If you want to learn more, you can read about how Wellbeing Matters works on our website; Wellbeing Matters (salfordcvs.co.uk)
Also see our Social Prescribing Day page with short films that bring it to life.
Does it work?
There is no doubt that the social prescribing approach is receiving increased interest from policy, practice and academia as an additional option available. At a time when around 20% of people at GP Surgeries are presenting with social issues, it is clear to see how this can present a capacity issue for NHS. Combine these statistics with the backlog after Covid-19, an ageing population and increased demands on services; it is clear to see how social prescribing can offer a potential solution to elevating some of this pressure.
The VCSE sector…
Social prescribing works on the basis of ‘what matters to you’ and so what matters to one person can be different to what matters to another. That is why it is important for us to have a range of destinations to refer people into. From walking groups, to knit and natter groups. From support groups to woodcarving. From walking football, to coffee mornings. As long as activities are safe, inclusive and enable people to connect with their community then the activity can be a great social prescribing destination.
Given the above, it is clear to see how the VCSE sector plays a crucial role in enabling social prescribing to happen effectively, but the benefits are bidirectional. Key benefits for groups and activities are;
- Increase in attendance through efficient referral pathways.
- Really targeting people in the heart of the community that need it the most
- Widening your reach to new groups of people that would not otherwise have the opportunities to access certain provision such as sport, arts etc.
- Identifying and reducing barriers to ensure equality and diversity in your offer
- Demonstrating a commitment to improving health and wellbeing for everyone
- Access to Wellbeing Matters Development Workers that will provide capacity-building support with matters such as funding, governance, policies, volunteering and much more.
- Opportunities to network with the wider VCSE sector.
- Training opportunities for your organisation including staff and volunteers.
How do I get involved?
If you are a person who is thinking ‘I think I could benefit from this’, you can call your local GP and ask them to make a referral into social prescribing.
If you are one of our amazing VCSE organisations, you can contact Salford CVS office, they will connect you with your local Wellbeing Matters Development Officers who will reach out to you and tell you more. Alternatively, we are hosting two drop in sessions where you can find out more. Come and visit us at The Angel Centre on Wednesday 15th March 10AM-12PM or at Make Space Walkden on Thursday 16th March 1PM-3PM.
