Social Prescribing

Our Social Prescribing service works with GP Practices in the North and Central areas of Islington. GPs can refer their patients to the Service and one of our Social Prescribing Link Workers will arrange a time to talk to the patient to find out what matters to them. They will use their skills and knowledge to work with the patient to contact services and create opportunities to improve their wellbeing.

Social prescribing can help with things that can’t be fixed by doctors and medication alone. Our Link Workers can put people in touch with the people and activities that may help them to feel better.

Our Social Prescribing service can help with the following issues:

• Overcoming Loneliness
• Health & wellbeing
• Debt & financial hardship
• Housing problems
• Work, skills & training
• Parenting & families

Ken Kanu, Director at Help on Your Doorstep, says:

“We’ve known for a long time that improving health and wellbeing requires more than medical interventions. It is about taking a holistic approach so that people are supported with the day to day challenges in their lives such as money, housing, relationships and work or unemployment. Our new Social Prescribing Link Worker service is a fantastic partnership. It brings together health care professionals who can support people with their physical health, and our Link Workers who can help people address the social issues that are affecting their wellbeing so people can live healthier happier lives.”

Our Social Prescribing Service is working with the following GP Practices in Islington

1. The Rise Group
2. Stroud Green Medical Practice
3. Hanley Primary Care Centre
4. Archway Primary Care Centre
5. The Village Practice
6. The Beaumont Practice
7. St. John's Way Medical Centre
8. The Andover Medical Centre
9. The Northern Medical Centre
10. Family Practice
11. Partnership Primary Care Centre
12. Junction Medical Practice/Dr. Ko & Partner
13. Goodinge Group Practice
14. New North Health Centre
15. St. Peter's Street Medical Centre
16. River Place Group Practice
17. Elizabeth Avenue Group Practice
18. The Miller Practice

GPs at these Practices will refer patients to our Social Prescribing Service if they meet the following criteria

• One or more long term health conditions
• Need support with their mental health
• Are lonely or isolated
• Have complex social needs which affect their wellbeing (e.g. exacerbating issues relating to debt, financial hardship, housing, risk of homelessness, welfare benefits – entitlements and DWP assessments)
• Frequent attenders to A&E/GPs.

How does Social Prescribing work? A case study

Deborah would regularly visited her GP due to feelings of depression, chronic pain and osteoarthritis. By accessing Help on Your Doorstep’s service she was able to identify goals which she felt would help improve her wellbeing and build meaningful connections in her local community.

Deborah was passionate about poetry. Being creative was very therapeutic to her and she had previously shared her writing at spoken word events in Islington, but was unable to create new poems as she experienced pain when writing or typing due to arthritis and carpel tunnel syndrome.

Deborah was supported by her Link Worker to access funding through Cloudesley for voice recognition software which enabled her to use her laptop. This allowed Deborah to continue to be creative and she was also referred to The Claremont Project’s Creative Writing group which she attends once a week.

Deborah now feels stronger connections to her community which has helped to alleviate symptoms of depression. She also reports fewer visits to her GP and with support from her fellow attendees at Claremont she has regained her confidence and is sharing her poetry again.  

*The Social Prescribing Link Worker Service is funded by the North and Central 2 Primary Care Networks in Islington.

For more information about the service you can email [email protected]