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Social Prescribing

Social Prescribing is about enabling and supporting people to become more involved in community life, to improve their health and well-being which may lead to a change in behaviour and way of living. It is not a new concept, it may be known by a different name such as care navigation, community connectors, and local area coordination.

Recognising that people’s health and wellbeing are determined mostly by a range of social, economic and environmental factors, social prescribing seeks to address people’s needs in a holistic way. It also aims to support individuals to take greater control of their own health.

Social Prescribing connector schemes that are able to offer healthy life style support, prevention and low level community and social interventions, have been active in Lincolnshire for a number of years, whether that’s through Lincolnshire County Council’s commissioned services, such as  Wellbeing Lincs, or through people accessing voluntary and third sector community organisations.

In 2019 NHSE/I started to fund Social Prescribing Link workers through the emerging Primary Care Networks and the Community Mental Health programme in Lincolnshire.

Social Prescribing enables GPs and other health and care professionals to link the people they see with someone who will take the time to explore what matters to them’. Social Prescribing Link Workers ask the person what’s important to them, and support them to access non-medical and local community, voluntary and other support services.​​​​​​

Social Prescribing Lincolnshire is a group of social prescribing service providers that includes Voluntary Centre Services (VCS), Lincolnshire Community and Voluntary Service (LCVS) and Primary Care Networks that employ social prescribing link workers, with support from Lincolnshire Voluntary Engagement Team CIC (LVET).

These organisations have come together to develop a shared approach for Lincolnshire, which will streamline processes and bring consistency in how Social Prescribing is delivered.

Please click on the sections below for more information.

Aims & Objectives

Lincolnshire’s ambition is to have a co-produced, digitally enabled social prescribing offer at the heart of Primary Care Networks and communities that will support local populations. It will have a virtual offer and will join the various commissioned and non-regulatory services together, and integrate volunteering within a funding envelope that will enable local community services (VCSE) to thrive and flourish – meeting the requirements of local populations.

How will we get there?

Through collaborative commissioning and partnership working with PCNs, LCC, District Councils, ICB, VCSE.

  1. Easy access for all local agencies.
  2. Workforce Development:
    Development of career pathways for Social Prescribing Link workers, Health Coaches, Care Coordinators, Peer support workers, Volunteers.
    Access to suitable accredited support and training for workforce.
    Competency framework and development for SP roles / community connectors / peer support workers.
  3. What matters to you? Co-produced simple plans or summary personalised care and support plans.
  4. Support for community groups.
  5. Digital offer for PCN’s and the VCSE which includes the Directory of Services through Connect to Support Lincolnshire, the Wellbeing platform and a new Customer Relationship management system which will connect PCN’s and the Social prescribing providers.
  6. Developing a volunteering model which includes a digital offer.

Achievements to date

Over 10,000 people supported between 2019-2023.

1,134 vulnerable people identified by GPs benefited from 'check in and support' calls during Covid-19 national lockdowns.

Vulnerable people supported with food supplies, prescriptions, patient transport, social and community activity and emotional wellbeing.Coproduction of the Wellbeing digital platform which has been invaluable through the last 12 months, enabling people to track their own mood and wellbeing whilst being able to connect in with a link worker when needed as been a lifeline for some people.

Supporting Our Workforce

Find out more about Lincolnshire support for Social Prescribing Link Workers, click here

The National Academy for Social Prescribing works to create partnerships, across the arts, health, sports, leisure, and the natural environment, alongside other aspects of our lives, to promote health and wellbeing at a national and local level.

They will champion social prescribing and the work of local communities in connecting people for wellbeing.

The website has a range of resources for Link workers, local areas and communities to use to support the development of social prescribing and connecting communities.

Home | National Academy for Social Prescribing (socialprescribingacademy.org.uk)

How to refer

GP surgeries can make referrals directly from their clinical system by connecting it to Social RX Connect.

If you are not based within a GP surgery, you can make a referral into Social Prescribing by clicking here.

For South Lincolnshire Rural PCN area, please direct referrals to the PCN.

 

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