An introduction to Social Prescribing from Charlie Ferdinando
Charlie Ferdinando is Health and Wellbeing Team Leader for Southmead Development Trust. SDT work in partnership with community groups, other charities, organisations and businesses to raise funds and manage projects and services which increase opportunities, reduce isolation, and promote wellbeing.
If you’ve seen the #HopeOnFilm Social Prescribing film and want to find out more, this is the place! If not, have a watch via the link below; it is a great window into the heart of social prescribing and you get to hear from people for whom it has had a significant impact as well as from me about the bigger picture.
Also this blog from Colette Brown, who has been living and breathing social prescribing for the last 4 years, gives you a brilliant and engaging overview.
WHAT IS SOCIAL PRESCRIBING?
Social Prescribing is a service where GP’s (and others) can refer people who are having challenges around isolation and loneliness, debt, housing, low-level depression, exercise to name a few. They see a Social Prescribing Link Worker for up to 6 1-to-1 sessions to listen, find out want that person wants to focus on and work together to form an action plan; it is a therapeutic space to help build confidence, address barriers and widen perspective.
Social Prescribing is increasingly becoming known due to recent funding from NHS England for Link Workers for every GP practice in the country. This is exciting because it shows that the health sector is putting their money where their mouth is when funding more preventative work – helping to stop the fires, rather than just working hard to put them out.
There are some challenges of course. See this blog about the unsustainability of Social Prescribing which shows some of the nitty gritty of how it has been commissioned and some of the changes that I feel are needed.
HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED PERSONALLY?
It might be that you’d like to get involved in volunteering or working in this area. If so then the following organisations are good ones to talk to: Southmead Development Trust, for North Bristol, Wellspring Healthy Living Centre, for Inner City and East and Knowle West Healthy Living Centre and BS3Community for the South.
HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED AS A CHURCH?
Firstly as I mention in the film, it is important to continue to provide welcoming and inclusive spaces for people to come to.
If you’re feeling more proactive then get in touch with your local Social Prescribing Link Worker through the organisations above or through your GP to build a connection with them, invite them to see what you do and see how you can work together.
Also Christian Action Bristol have funded a database of church activities across the city. Check out this article on ‘How to get your activities on the Social Prescribing database?’
#HopeOnFilm is a 5 part series of short films highlighting key social action issues in Bristol.