Social prescribing for children and young people - National Academy for Social Prescribing

Helping children and young people’s physical and mental health through social prescribing

Social prescribing has enormous potential to support children and young people’s health and wellbeing.

An estimated one in five children and young people have a probable mental health problem [1], but the specialist services designed to support them often have long waiting times and high thresholds for treatment.

Social prescribing is part of the solution. This might be taking part in activities that benefit their health and wellbeing, or finding expert support with education, employment, housing or debt.

Social prescribing is a way of tackling the problems affecting young people’s mental health head-on, addressing the root causes, and helping children and young people to live the best lives they can. It can also help young people get support for physical health problems, including diabetes or obesity.

[1] An estimated one in five children and young people aged 8-25 had a “probable mental disorder” in 2023 [NHS Digital]

A white and black woman sit on grey chairs. The black woman holds a tablet and comforts the white women by placing her hand on their shoulder.

How does social prescribing for children and young people work?

There are different models for how social prescribing works in practice, but typically, a young person is identified as requiring support by a health professional or someone at their school or in their community. They could then be referred to a Social Prescribing Link Worker (sometimes known as a social prescriber), who gets to know them and helps them develop a personalised plan to improve their health and wellbeing.

This often involves being connected to activities or services in their community – ranging from sports sessions to creative activities to support with housing, education or employment. The support young people receive is based on what matters to them, and their individual needs and circumstances.

What is the evidence for children and young people’s social prescribing?

While social prescribing has historically been more focused on adults, there is growing evidence for its impact specifically on children and young people. Our evidence review suggested that social prescribing can:

Benefit personal and mental wellbeing and reduce lonelines
Provide a favourable return on investment

More recent research from Barnardo’s shows positive outcomes for young people participating in their LINK Cumbria social prescribing service, and suggests a benefit to the Government and wider economy of around £1.80 for every £1 invested.

We are supporting a range of academic research projects that will grow this evidence base. These include University College London’s Wellbeing While Waiting project, which focuses on social prescribing support for young people on mental health waiting lists; the INACT programme, which focuses on social prescribing in schools; and the University of Exeter’s Choices project, which looks at other pathways. 

Find out more about the evidence by watching our webinar

How do I get involved in social prescribing for children and young people?

There a range of resources to support the implementation of social prescribing for children and young people.These include:

Children and Young People’s Social Prescribing Toolkit, developed by Streetgames and NHS England
Children and young people’s social prescribing: good practice guide, developed by the National Children’s Bureau
Social Prescribing Link Workers for young people: a Guide to Support Primary Care Networks, developed by NASP
You can also join the Social Prescribing Youth Network
UCL’s Social Biobehavioural Research Group have also produced a Social Prescribing Guide for CAMHS practitioners, based on their research.

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What is the future for social prescribing for children and young people?

Connected to Thrive is our vision for the future of social prescribing for children and young people.

The vision is based on extensive consultation with youth and mental health organisations, NHS leaders, Link Workers, researchers and experts, as well as young people themselves.

It sets out an ambitious plan for the future, in which far more children, young people and families would receive tailored, community-based support for the social factors affecting their mental health – from loneliness to family problems to homelessness or addiction.

The report’s recommendations include:

Embedding children and young people’s social prescribing in national strategies and partnerships. This would include establishing a national Children and Young People’s Social Prescribing partnership

Growing the workforce. Specialist Children and Young People’s Social Prescribing Link Workers should be available in every area, working closely with NHS primary care and mental health teams, as well as with charities, youth and community groups and schools. Link Workers would also be available to support children in hospitals and their families

Supporting the development of high-quality programmes and systems through training and standards. This would include establishing a new Learning Collaborative, and introducing a training programme for a wide range of professionals who work with children and young people in taking a “social prescribing approach”

Investing in “social prescriptions” – tailored, community-based activities and services designed to support children and young people’s mental health, free at the point of access