At its most basic, a ‘social prescription’ offers the kind of help that doesn’t come in a tube or a bottle. The idea behind social prescribing is to help you to have more control over your own health and find ways to improve how you feel in a way that suits you.
A Social Prescribing Link Worker will listen, explore 'what matters to you', support and work with you to create a personal plan highlighting your needs.
Your Social Prescriber can provide a short-term service to support, activities, information and signposting within the local community by linking in with voluntary community sector organisations and other agencies allowing you to enjoy healthy lifestyle changes.
Social Prescribing helps people:
To change their lifestyle by linking people into community support and resources (including online), by signposting or referring. This can include:
- Lifestyle support to help improve your health. i.e., weight loss/ stop smoking/more exercise.
- Services and agencies to help stay as independent as possible.
- Support groups to help you better manage a physical or mental health condition.
- Support to volunteer, training find work.
- Support to services to help claim benefits, budget, or deal with debts.
- Support with housing issues
- Support for persons experiencing loneliness / loss.
- Community groups to gain new networks and develop friendships.
18+,
Not in a care home/palliative care / terminally ill,
No severe/complex and enduring mental health problems in crisis and in need of secondary mental health support,
Not in severe crisis,
Unable to support where the need is clinical - medications/controlling their conditions