Agenda item - Presentation - Social Prescribing

Presentation, Brighton and Hove CCG on Social Prescribing.

23.1    The Board received a presentation from Brighton and Hove CCG in respect of social prescribing by use of a slide presentation.

23.2    The Senior Partnerships Manager and Lead on Social Prescribing in Brighton and Hove CCG, Katy Chipping and the Managing Director of Brighton and Hove CCG, Lola Banjoko gave a brief update and explained that social prescribing formed an intrinsic and developing element of the system and was designed to enable people to take control of and facilitate decisions about their own care and had evolved across Sussex since 2004 and the Social Prescribing Service was now well established in partnership with providers and the community and voluntary sector through the Together Co city-wide social prescribing service.

23.3    Social Prescribing enabled GP’s nurses and other professionals to refer people with a wide range of social emotional or practical needs to a social prescribing link worker who provided:

          Time and space to work with individuals on what mattered to them;

          Provided connections to Community Groups and agencies for practical and emotional support such as volunteering, arts activities, group learning, gardening and befriending, cookery, healthy eating advice and sports;

          Provided a holistic approach which empowered people to take control over their own health and wellbeing and provided the opportunity for personalised care and shared decision making.

23.4    Social prescribing could also help to strengthen community and personal resilience by contributing to restoration and recovery of services, reducing the demand for GP services and reducing health inequalities by addressing the wider determinants of health, such as debt, housing and physical inactivity and targeting particular groups/individuals such as those living in areas of deprivation and with particular characteristics. Those who could benefit included those who had mid or long-term mental health problems and those who had complex social needs which affected their wellbeing and those who were lonely or socially isolated and those with multiple long-term conditions who frequently attended either primary or secondary health care,

23.5    An anonymised case study was cited which made reference to a client who had felt suicidal following eviction from his home. As part of his support package the client’s GP had referred him to Together Co Social Prescribing where he had been supported by staff to find the people and places that could help him to get back on his feet.

23.6    Councillor Fowler referred to those who might call their GP surgery and who were suffering with suicidal tendencies and whether it was problematic for those individuals to access services. It was explained that receptionists received training to deal with this. There had been demands both in demand and the number of referrals during the pandemic, but notwithstanding those challenges there had been no problems in accessing services.

23.7    In answer to questions by Councillor Appich it was explained that self-referrals could be made via an individual’s Ward Councillor, their GP or via Community Hubs

23.8    Jo Martindale of the Community Voluntary Sector welcomed the presentation but stressed that it was important that all clinicians were up to speed on making referrals in this way, it was also good to know that the strategy was under continual development. Involvement and utilisation of the knowledge of voluntary sector partners was welcomed although it needed to be recognised that would have an impact on them. It was also essential that there was consistency in delivery.

23.9    RESOLVED – That the content of the presentation be received and noted.