19 Jul Integrated Social Prescribing Programme awarded Highly Commended at Local Government Chronicle Awards
In June, Lou Woolcock, Social Prescribing Community Development Officer for North Shropshire, based here at Qube, had the privilege of heading to the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards ceremony to find out whether the Shropshire Council Integrated Social Prescribing Programme were successful in their nominated Public Health Category.
The Integrated Social Prescribing Programme works across Shropshire Council, NHS and the community and voluntary sector to deliver social prescriptions to the public across the whole county. Qube develops and delivers the community engagement aspect of this programme and has been pivotal in setting up social prescribing in Shropshire.
Working closely with valued partners in the voluntary and community sector, the programme connects people to services or activities in their community. In the last year, referrals to the service have increased 104%, and people have been supported by over 60 local organisations.
Although the Integrated Social Prescribing Programme didn’t win the overall category, it was awarded a highly commended, recognising the value and impact it has in the lives of people around Shropshire.
Lou said about being invited to the awards; “I feel so privileged to have been invited as part of the award process. Being in front of a panel of judges to present the brilliant work that goes on in Shropshire was an amazing experience and one that I won’t forget. Despite not winning the category, being awarded a highly commended really made me feel proud to be involved in such a fantastic community project. The whole evening was an incredible opportunity and it was great to hear about so many impactful projects and programmes all around the UK.”
About the Integrated Social Prescribing Programme
The Integrated Shropshire Social Prescribing Programme is delivering our local vision for people to live their best life. The fully integrated Social Prescribing programme helps thousands of people each year take charge of their own health and well-being and improve their lives.
As a population with hidden inequalities and 66% of the population living a rurally; reaching people in need can be tricky but is vital for improving population health.
Working in partnership across health, care and the voluntary and community sector, our social prescribing programme is a non-medical approach designed to help people with a wide range of social, emotional, physical or practical needs, including caring, long-term conditions, lifestyle (smoking or weight), mental health, loneliness and isolation.
It uses a person-centred, preventative approach where people have the space to talk one-to-one with a Healthy Lives Advisor and come up with a plan of action together, to help resolve health and wellbeing concerns and help put the person back in charge of their life. Building on the successful adult programme, Shropshire has now developed a Children and Young Person offer. This involves creating coproduced Personal Care and Support Plans, developed with young people, to find a way to capture what is most important to the young people.
If you would like to know more about Social Prescribing in Shropshire please contact Lou: l.woolcock@qube-oca.org.uk