Social Prescribing Outcome Principles

Description: Social prescribing outcome principles describe the level and type of outcomes associated with social prescribing.

Individual: The individual is empowered to improve their own health and wellbeing through better connections to their community and/or family. Improved quality of life and wellbeing outcomes to individuals with happier, more connected and resilient communities, and a diversity of choice in prescription provision. Improved wellbeing may also come through increased family support to engage with social prescribing.

Community: Better awareness of community assets to enable people to engage and support collaborative working across organisations/sectors. Clear criteria for the social prescribing practitioner job role and skill set from outset.

Systems/strategic: Reduce inappropriate direction to services by improving knowledge and pathways to suitable community assets (pooling resources). Systemic change, including system level leadership to frontline social prescription services. Return on investment forms part sustainable funding. Structured processes for evaluation.

Long term outcomes: 1) Improved population mental wellbeing and reduction in overall prevalence and inequalities within mental ill health; 2) Improved population physical wellbeing and reduction in overall prevalence and inequalities within physical ill health; 3) Improved population social wellbeing and reduction in overall prevalence and inequalities within poor social wellbeing, loneliness and isolation; 4) A system impact on the wider determinants of health; Improved community wellbeing.

Connected Terms: Action planning, asset-based approach, asset mapping, community assets, co-production, referrals, social prescribing, social prescribing approaches, social prescribing models, social prescribing pathway, social prescribing practitioner, wellbeing, statutory services.