Description: Social prescribingHC is an umbrella term that describes a person-centred approach to connecting people to local community assets. It can help empower individuals to recognise their own needs, strengths, and personal assets and to connect with their own communities for support with their personal health and wellbeing. Social prescribing may provide a continuum of support, play a preventative role, or form part of a ‘step-down’ model of support.
Despite using the term ‘prescribing’ the Welsh model of social prescribing moves away from a medicalised approach, instead proposing social prescribing, adopting a ‘no wrong door’ approach where the sources of referral are cross-sectoral and not limited to healthcare / primary care. A core principle of social prescribing is that it requires the collaborative interaction of multiple organisations across sectors.
Within Wales, there are different social prescribing models but most social prescribing interventions use a social prescribing practitioner-based model. The social prescribing practitioner, or someone who undertakes social prescribing as part of their role, will help people identify their social, mental, physical and economic needs through a what matters conversation. They will then support the individual to co-produce a bespoke action plan and access community assets which could be beneficial to their health and wellbeing. The individual might then be supported to attend the socially prescribed activity. There are a whole host of terms that fall under the umbrella of social prescribing many of which are often used interchangeably.
The term individual is the preferred term used to describe a social prescribing beneficiary i.e., the person who engages with the social prescribing process. Other commonly used terms include service user, patient, client, and citizen.
The term social prescription might also be used to describe the act of referral in social prescribing. For example, an individual might receive a social prescription from a social prescribing practitioner for a nature-based activity.
Alternative Terms: community-based referral, community-based support, community linking scheme, connection / community connectionCVSO, community navigationCVSO, community referral, compassionate communities, connector scheme, connector services, linking schemes, linking service, link worker schemes, non-clinical intervention, non-clinical referral, non-clinical support, non-medical intervention, non-medical prescribing, non-medical referral, non-medical support, non-medical support in the community, non-pharmaceutical intervention, socially prescribed activity, social prescribing scheme, social prescribing service, social prescribing system, supported referral, social referral programmes
Connected Terms: Asset-based approach, asset mapping, community assets, Community & Voluntary Sector Organisations, community support hubs, co-production, creative referral, digital social prescribing, holistic, person-centred approach, referral, signposting & active signposting, social prescribing models, social prescribing pathway, social prescribing practitioner, statutory services, wellbeing, what matters conversation.
Please tell us your preferred term of use
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