Pioneer a Lancashire 14 Social Prescribing Model
VCFSE Sector Manifesto for Lancashire 14 (PRIORITY 6)
6.1 Promote Social Prescribing: Increase understanding of the benefits of social prescribing across the VCFSE and public sectors.
6.2 Build a transparent, familiar Lancashire Social Prescribing (SP) System: This needs to be more than just investment in link workers and should be delivered in collaboration with networks resourced and able to share their experiences. We ask that the NHS. Department for Health and Social Care, local health, council and other public sector partners commit to and promote the following Minimum Model VCFSE Social Prescribing System, based on these 9 principles and proposals:
- Build a clear, transparent open SP system, which local partners/agencies can support and refer into and support by taking referrals.
- Referral routes to be agreed locally and based on an integrated approach.
- In order to support referrals to VCFSE groups, a small grant pot of minimum £1 per capita pa is available to every neighbourhood (ie £50k in a healthneighbourhood with a population of 50,000 people)
- Hosting fee for local VCFSE organisations is topped up to £10k per link worker so that organisations receive a more adequate contribution for their time, commitment, networks and expertise.
- An adequately resourced local VCFSE infrastructure organisation and volunteer centre are linked to the local SP system. Two important elements of an effective local SP system (or community) are: *volunteer brokerage & volunteer opportunities *VCFSE community development and support
- National investment in link workers linked into social care, SP is not just for GP’s.
- National public sector agencies and government departments commit to ‘building into’ local SP systems eg DWP, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), arts Council, DEFRA, etc.
- Most importantly, PCNs commit to building into local VCFSE systems and assets as part of developing an integrated (with VCFSE sector) health neighbourhood approach.
- Additional roles in Primary Care Reimbursement Scheme have a larger allocation in order to allow for VCFSE hosting. Current model is disincentive to joined up working with VCFSE sector and encourages isolated Primary Care Network (PCN) working. Develop an integrated community development.
- Build more relationships between social prescribing teams and volunteer programme coordinators.