06/08/2024 NASP Webinar Series: Moving from “What is the matter with you” to “what matters to you” - An introduction to Social Prescribing

PrescQIPP and the National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP) are excited to present a series of seven webinars to raise awareness of social prescribing among pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Registrations are open to subscribers of PrescQIPP, which includes pharmacists and pharmacy technicians across the whole of England, Wales and Northern Ireland and some areas of Scotland.

The webinars will explore how social prescribing, as a core component of personalised care, can help patients to improve their health, wellbeing and social welfare by connecting them to non-clinical support and services within the community. We will consider the relevance of social prescribing at various stages of life; from children and young people, through to older people, as well as look at how it supports patients with specific conditions, such as those living with cardiovascular disease and mental health conditions.

These sessions aim to increase understanding of social prescribing within clinical and community settings, the role of a Social Prescribing Link Worker (SPLW) and what a social prescription looks like across a variety of sectors. We will explore the evidence base as well as consider a cross-sectoral approach to social prescribing, and how we can continue to adopt innovative solutions to improve health outcomes for individuals and communities.

Attendees of the session will leave with an improved understanding of how to connect to local social prescribing initiatives, what part they can play within a social prescribing system, and the benefits it can have for both their practice and for their communities.

Register for the webinars now!

Attendees who complete all seven webinars (whether participating in the live events or having watched the recordings), will be awarded 'Social Prescribing Champion' status as part of the NASP clinical champion programme. There will be the option to opt out if preferred.

This session will set the scene of social prescribing through looking at the policy context and current landscape of provision across England. We will explore the function that social prescribing can provide in both clinical and community settings as well as explain the role of a Social Prescribing Link Worker (SPLW). We will hear from practising link workers as well as explore real-life case studies.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand the concept of social prescribing within the broader context of social determinants of health and health inequalities
• Recognise social prescribing as a proactive initiative that supports the shift towards preventative healthcare models
• Define social prescribing and distinguish it from other health interventions
• Understand the role of the social prescribing link worker

During this session we will look at the current evidence base for social prescribing, in particular, what the evidence tells us about the benefits for individuals and health systems. We will hear about the findings from some of the rapid evidence reviews published by NASP and it’s academic collaborative and share the headlines of the most recent publications. We will explore how data is captured by link workers, and how this is shaping practice.

Learning Outcomes

• Gain and understanding of the key outcome measures used in social prescribing and how these are collected
• Develop an understanding of the Green Social Prescribing Evaluation cross government study
• Consider the challenges and gaps in evidence
• Know where to go to access the latest evidence on social prescribing 

In this session attendees will learn how social prescribing can support people across the life course. We will do a deep dive into a variety of innovations in social prescribing, for example exploring projects set up to support perinatal health, children and young people, through to how social prescribing complements Ageing Well. This session will highlight how social prescribing services can adapt to meet the needs of specific populations. We will also explore how co-production is a vital component when designing social prescribing activities in the community.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand when a referral to a social prescribing scheme may be appropriate for people across the life course
• Be confident in the difference in social prescribing services for children and young people and older adults
• Understand the importance of co-production in social prescribing
• Recognise the importance of social prescribing to be included across the life course as a way of adopting a person-centred approach to people’s health and care pathways

In these sessions we will look at the relevance of social prescribing for major conditions and explore case studies, and the evidence base for social prescribing for the following conditions. 

• Cancer
• CVD
• MSK
• Mental Ill Health
• Dementia
• CRD

Learning Outcomes

• Understand how social prescribing can be incorporated into a variety of pathways
• Critically explore what more can be done to integrate social prescribing in the treatment for people living with any of the major conditions
• Be able to define “proactive social prescribing” and understand how it can support population health management

Session 1: 4th December 2024

Session 2: 7th January 2025

In this session we will explore what is meant by a “whole system approach” to social prescribing. We will analyse what infrastructure is needed for social prescribing to thrive at a local and system level. By the end of the session, participants will understand the importance of a cross-sectoral approach to social. We will explore how Social Prescribing Link Workers develop supportive relationships with local and diverse organisations including the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector, and other statutory services outside of the NHS, like job centres and housing teams, to help reduce the widening gap in health inequalities.

Learning Outcomes

• Define the pillars of social prescribing, and be able to identify what constitutes a social prescription
• Understand the role of the voluntary sector in local social prescribing delivery
• Understand the importance of community based interventions on health
• Be able to differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate referrals in social prescribing

In this session we will look at the synergies between social prescribing and pharmacy practice across a variety of settings, exploring how collaboration between practitioners can support the health and wellbeing of the communities. We will identify case studies that provide examples of social prescribing within pharmacy settings, and seek to understand how this might be adopted further, as well as provide some insight into how to connect to your local social prescribing service.

Learning objectives

• Understand how pharmacists and pharmacy technicians can support patients by the use of social prescribing
• Understand how social prescribing compliments the Healthy Living Pharmacy agenda
• Reflect on best practice and innovations to better understand the role of pharmacy within a social prescribing eco-system

If you would like to commission NASP to provide a similar training package for your organisation then please contact [email protected].