Social Prescribing Case Study

Our social prescribing team received a referral from a GP for a patient who was grieving from the recent passing of their mother. The patient had also recently received a letter from their landlord notifying them that they must leave their property. Furthermore, the patient has a number of long-term and chronic health conditions to navigate.

Bereaved and emotionally overwhelmed, the patient was struggling to manage their affairs. They had received no offer of support in finding new housing. 

Our social prescribers explored options with the patient. Once priorities were identified, our team made referrals for the patient to a number of partners, including; St Joseph’s Hospice Bereavement Service, Citizens Advice Islington, Hilldrop Community Centre, and Get Back On Track.

What outcomes were achieved?

• Advocating to the landlord resulted in the patient being granted additional time to find a new property that met their medical needs.
• The patient was supported in filling out an application for sheltered housing to move closer to their support network.
• Citizen’s Advice Islington completed a benefit entitlement and eventually an enhanced rate of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) was awarded to the patient. 
• The patient was offered 12 weeks of emotional support through Islington Bereavement Service to support grieving the loss of their mother.
• Together with the GP and Get Back On Track, the patient was supported to make an informed decision about returning to work.
• The patient was linked into Hilldrop Community Centre’s online social activities which the patient has since begun attending in person.

What we have learned from this case

This patient benefited from a gentle approach where their issues were broken down into practical steps and prioritised. A mixture of emotional and practical support enabled the patient to take greater control of their issues and granted them the much-needed headspace to grieve and move forward.