Social prescribing aims to address the wider determinants of health by supporting patients to access community groups and voluntary organisations running a wide range of activities from benefits advice and housing help to bereavement support, singing and cooking classes and sports clubs.
What does your link worker do?
Social prescribing supports people who lack the confidence, knowledge or motivation to approach other agencies or get involved in community groups on their own. Link workers build relationships with the providers of voluntary, local and community services and maintain their knowledge of the various programmes offered by these organisations in their local area. This helps them co-produce a support plan with patients tailored to the individual’s needs and goals and in line with services and programmes available locally. The link worker will then help the patient to access the agreed support.
Which patients might benefit from social prescribing?
Examples of issues for which your link worker can provide support include:
- Loneliness
- Debt
- Emotional Wellbeing
- Bereavement
- Health Conditions
- Family / Friends
- Employment
- Caring responsibilities
- Housing
- Lifestyle