Orchestras and UK health and wellbeing
Sarah Derbyshire MBE from Orchestras Live; Fiona Harvey from Association of British Orchestras and Matthew Swann from City of London Sinfonia give and update on how the UK’s professional orchestras are playing an increasingly active role in this country’s health wellbeing and social care sectors. It might come as a surprise to learn that the UK’s professional orchestras are playing an increasingly active role in this country’s health, wellbeing [...]
Building inclusive communities
As the first trustees of NASP, we launched our first strategy just three months ago, with the following opening line: “We want people to be able to live the best life they can. A life that is defined by them. Not one that is limited by the place in which they live, who they are, or the resources available to them.” Social prescribing presents a major opportunity to break down [...]
The real value of care: a reflection for Carers’ Week 2020
Bev Taylor, from NHS England’s Personalised Care team, has played a major role in gaining mainstream support for social prescribing across the NHS in England. Here she reflects on what she learnt from the unsung heroes in her life, who taught her what caring really means. When I started working on social prescribing at NHS England, nearly five years ago, I’d just lost my dad and my mum-in-law, [...]
Never Waste a Crisis
Tim Anfilogoff, Head of Community Resilience for Herts Valleys CCG gives his reflections on Social Prescribing and Covid-19 in West Hertfordshire. In 2014, Herts Valleys CCG, in partnership with Herts County Council, commissioned four voluntary organisations to provide six community navigators. This service was built on HertsHelp which is a county-wide single point of access for expert triage to 12,000 entries on the community database. The navigators [...]
Making people’s days
Alistair Clarke, MBE FRSA is chair of Social Enterprise Solutions writes about what it's like working in a social prescribing project during COVID 19. “I can’t use a computer. My husband could, but he died last November.” I’m on the phone to a woman in Blackpool in her 70s and I’m working on a social prescribing project in partnership with a number of GPs’ surgeries. I’m checking on [...]
The proven power of reading
Karen Napier, CEO of The Reading Agency, explains how the national charity’s Reading Well programme is tackling life's big challenges through the proven power of reading. Recent research from our World Book Night campaign shows that reading is proving more important than ever as the nation adjusts to life in lockdown. Nearly 1 in 3 people surveyed last month told us they are reading more in social isolation [...]
Coronavirus (Covid19) pandemic validates the role of Social Prescribing Link Workers
This blog from Christiana Melam, CEO of the National Association of Link Workers sets out a compelling argument for recognising the role of social prescribing link workers in responding to the COVID pandemic. If you are interested in finding out more about the organisation and how they support link workers join @nalwuk #LinkWorkerChat on 5th May, 6-7pm to learn more or contribute to discussions. Coronavirus (Covid19) pandemic validates the [...]
How Advicenow can help you help others
Amanda Finlay CBE, Chair of Law for Life, which runs Advicenow has written a helpful blog which provides a summary of lots of useful resources. This information may be particularly helpful for social prescribing link workers during the COVID period. Firstly I want to say thank you! As an older person staying at home in the coronavirus crisis, I want to thank all the social prescribing link workers [...]
Music for people living with dementia in the Covid-19 lockdown
Grace Meadows, Senior Music Therapist and Programme Director, and Phil Hope, Senior Associate at Music for Dementia have written a blog to show how Music is a big part of Social Prescribing and how Music for Dementia 2020 is helping during COVID-19. 850,000 people living with dementia and their carers are inevitably experiencing increased anxiety at being unable to spend time with relatives and loved ones at this time. [...]
Time to Come Together
Nicola Gitsham, Head of Social Prescribing for NHS England and Improvement has given us some useful tips and resources to share with Link Workers in her new role within in NHS England and Improvement Last week saw my official first day as Head of Social Prescribing at NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE). I’ve been informally leading the work since Christmas, but I was looking forward to a [...]
Practicing Distance, Seeking Connection
James Sanderson, CEO of National Academy of Social Prescibing. In difficult times, we all need the ability to talk, to connect, to feel reassured that we are not alone. Many of us will have strong support networks available to us and positive family relationships. But others will lack these connections for a myriad of reasons. We know that the impact of this can be devastating, and that people [...]
Launching our vision, a social revolution in wellbeing
In their second blog, Prof Helen Stokes-Lampard and James Sanderson discuss NASP's strategic plan, A Social Revolution in Wellbeing We believe that being able to connect and strengthen relationships between people and their communities is perhaps more important than ever right now. People have a myriad of individual gifts that can sometimes go unnoticed by services if the focus is purely on what’s wrong. And, whilst some people have [...]
Signposting the way ahead for social prescribing
In her first blog for NASP, Prof Helen Stokes-Lampard takes a quick look back - and signposts the way ahead for social prescribing. We have a bold ambition. We want to enable people to live the best life they possibly can by supporting them to connect with their community in a meaningful way. It has been a very busy few months for all of us at NASP, as we [...]
For More Information
Find out more about social prescribing with NHS England at www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/social-prescribing
Contact the National Academy for Social Prescribing at enquiries@socialprescribingacademy.org.uk
