Meet the Team

Social Prescribing is a non-medical approach to improve people’s overall health and wellbeing.

Social Prescribers support individuals through a holistic, person-centred approach, to access services that are important for that individual. Such as community groups and statutory services which might be run by the council or a local charity, activities and advice services such as housing, financial hardship, isolation and loneliness, bereavement, substance misuse, employment, carers’ support and the management of their physical health.

They connect people to community groups for practical and emotional support. For example, signposting people who have been diagnosed with dementia to local dementia support groups.

Care co-ordinators help to co-ordinate and navigate care across the health and care system, helping people make the right connections, with the right teams at the right time. They can support people to become more active in their own health and care and are skilled in assessing people’s changing needs. Care co-ordinators are effective in bringing together multidisciplinary teams to support people’s complex health and care needs. We have Several Care Coordinators who focus on support people registered with GPS Healthcare to Live Well. These include;

A Cancer Care Coordinator

A Womans Health Care Coordinator

A Long Term Conditions Care Coordinator

A Care Homes and Frailty Care Coordinator

A Safeguarding Care Coordinator

Health and Wellbeing Coaching support people to take pro-active steps to improve the way they manage their physical and mental health conditions, based on what matters to them. They support patients in identifying, setting and achieving their health goals and encouraging proactive prevention of new and existing illnesses.

This approach is based on using strong communication and negotiation skills and supports personal choice and positive risk taking. Some of the things they can help with include; managing weight, introducing healthy habits and managing low mood and/or anxiety. 

Health and Wellbeing Coaches are expected to adhere to a code of ethics and conduct in line with the NHS England and NHS Improvement Health coaching Implementation and Quality Summary Guide.

What does the role involve?

Health and Wellbeing Coaches holistically support patients’ wider health and well-being, public health, and contribute to the reduction of health inequalities. This is done by:

Health and Wellbeing Coaches usually carry a caseload of patients who it is deemed would most benefit from health coaching. The aim is to work with patients to identify their goals and support them in managing their own health and wellbeing and live independently.

What benefit does this role bring to primary care?

This role will play an increasingly important role with Primary Health Care teams, supporting patients to make positive choices that will enable them to live healthier lives and therefore relieving the burden of ill-health within the practice population. They work closely as part of the team, and in particular with social prescribing linkworkers.

For more information on health and wellbeing coaches please click here.