The 18th of March is Social Prescribing Day and we are celebrating with the social prescribing network.
This year the focus is on celebrating how communities came together during the COVID 19 pandemic to set up new community initiatives. During the pandemic, Inspirative Arts moved online to bring new creative groups to the community, we also did our first pantomime and Christmas Grotto, which helped raise money to help sustain our emergency fund to support vulnerable people who need to access our service. If you want to catch up on our activities you can head over to our Youtube Channel.
Social Prescribing is a means of enabling GPs and other frontline healthcare professionals to refer patients to a link worker – to provide them with a face to face conversation during which they can learn about the possibilities and design their own personalised solutions, i.e. ‘co-produce’ their ‘social prescription’- so that people with social, emotional or practical needs are empowered to find solutions which will improve their health and wellbeing, often using services provided by the voluntary and community sector. It is an innovative and growing movement, with the potential to reduce the financial burden on the NHS and particularly on primary care.
The social prescribing network initiative is aimed at those who have long-term conditions, need mental health support or are lonely or isolated. You can be referred or refer yourself, more information can be found as well on the NHS website.
The Social Prescribing Network consists of health professionals, researchers, academics, social prescribing practitioners, representatives from the community and voluntary sector, commissioners and funders, patients and citizens. We are working together to share knowledge and best practice, to support social prescribing at local and national levels and to inform good quality research and evaluation. Over the past year, we have worked with many different organisations to launch International Social Prescribing Day and The Social Prescribing Network Awards.
Sarah Buxton, our Drama therapist and Clinical Supervisor has been reflecting on how social prescribing has helped clients access our services.
How has social prescribing has helped Inspirative Arts clients?
It offers support with mental health, trauma, wellbeing maintenance, skills building, development. This is a relationship we hope to continue to build
What do we hope social prescribing will look like in the future?
We definitely want to make community partnerships and pathways with social prescribers so they can refer people onto appropriate services to meet their needs. We want to be known and understood.
What clients may be prescribed for?
If you are interested in forming a partnership or would like to make a referral then please get in touch.
Referral forms and our contact details you may find on our page here.
