Core Terms

Definition: A term used in everyday language in social prescribing by social prescribing practitioners, professionals and people who engage with social prescribing, that specifically relates to and/or describes an essential part of the social prescribing process. Inclusion Criteria:A term that specifically relates to and/or describes an essential part of the social prescribing process. The term is used in communications to improve individual physical, mental and social health and well-being throughout the social prescribing process and/or when improving the wider determinants of health for individuals throughout the social prescribing process. Exclusion Criteria: A term commonly used across health and social care/ statutory/ non-statutory service delivery BUT that does not relate to and/or describe a central and/or essential part of the social prescribing process.


Inclusion Criteria: A term that specifically relates to and/or describes an essential part of the social prescribing process. The term is used in communications to improve individual physical, mental and social health and well-being throughout the social prescribing process and/or when improving the wider determinants of health for individuals throughout the social prescribing process.


Exclusion Criteria: A term commonly used across health and social care/ statutory/ non-statutory service delivery BUT that does not relate to and/or describe a central and/or essential part of the social prescribing process.

Below you will find a list of 36 terms that are used in social prescribing. You can click on a term or select an icon in the mind map and it will take you to the description for that term. You can also use the flowchart to see how the terms sit within the social prescribing pathway. 

The glossary uses all the terms and descriptions from “A glossary of terms for social prescribing” and highlights sector-specific preferences for terms. We have also made a shorter easy-read version.  

Within the description of a term and/or the ‘Alternative Terms’ subsection, where alternative terms have been identified as preferred terms for specific sectors this has been indicated through the use of a superscript key. Terms are displayed in bold black with an accompanying superscript indicator of the sector (health care = HC, social care = SC, community voluntary services and organisations = CVSO). For example, Link worker HC.

How to use the splossaryTM.  

How to use splossaryTM

Social prescribing terms

Mind Map