What is social prescribing?
Social prescribing is a means by which GP’s, Nurses and other health and care professionals can refer people to a range of local, non-clinical services to support an individual’s good health and overall wellbeing.
Social Prescribing seeks to address people’s needs in a holistic way and by connecting people to that support within the local community. Social prescribing encourages people to be better informed, to understand more about their health, and enabling them to be more proactive in shaping their own personal wellbeing.
Social Prescribing begins with a conversation in a non-judgmental way to discover “What matters to you”. It can then
- Help you work out what you need to improve your health and wellbeing.
- Support you to make practical and realistic plans to change things for the better.
- Help navigate more traditional health and social care services when needed.
Some of the issues may include signposting and support for:
- Accessing help with transport, mobility and accessibility.
- Accessing advice around money, debt, benefits and housing,
- Signposting for managing forms and correspondence
- Making meaningful social connections.
- Connecting with mental health and psychological support services and social services.
- Maintaining healthy lifestyles, activities and exercise.
- Finding and maintaining employment and meaningful activities.
- Getting help with activities of daily living and assistive technology
- Getting hep with any family or caring responsibilities you may have.
- Helping you to access community groups and activities.
Ali McCarthy is the Social Prescriber based here at St Mary’s Surgery. She can be contacted through Reception or by asking your GP or other health professional for a referral.
Ali offers support with the following structure:
- Telephone appointments will be offered as a first choice. Face to face appointments, if preferred, can be arranged in compliance with all Covid precautions. The venue can be discussed and mutually agreed.
- Sessions may last around 45 minutes, allowing time to explore the issues that are impacting your health and wellbeing
- It may be mutually decided that two or more sessions would be beneficial. These will be discussed on an individual basis.
- Work in a holistic, person-centred way to find support options that are meaningful to you.