Social Prescribing & Voluntary Sector Pathways

Directories

There are a wide range of directories covering Birmingham City listed via the link below:

Search Directories

 

If you know of any local directories not listed here, please let us know: [email protected]

How Directories Can Be Used

Directories can be used by citizens, organisations and frontline community workers for referrals, along with professionals within other sectors.

If you would like your organisation to be listed in any of these directories, please contact the directory provider directly, as BVSC do not manage all these directories.

Several service providers are now working towards making it easier to publish, find and use community services data through using the Open Referral UK open data standard.

As this standard is adopted by service providers, there are likely to be changes over time to directories, how they can be accessed, how they work together, and how they can be used.

Definitions

  • What are Directories?

Directories list and provide information on different activities, groups, services and support provided to citizens, organisations and communities by Voluntary, Community, Faith, Social Enterprise (VCFSE) and public and private sector organisations.

  • What is Social Prescribing?

Social Prescribing is connecting people to activities, groups and support that improve health and wellbeing.

Many things that affect our health and wellbeing cannot be treated by doctors or medicine alone and may in fact not need a clinical intervention.  For example, people who experience loneliness, debt, or stress due to financial pressures or poor housing, can be supported through other ways.

Social prescribing connects people to non-medical support to address these issues and other unmet needs.  This is also known as wider determinants of health.

This could involve a Social Prescribing Link Worker or an equivalent role:

  • Helping someone who is isolated join a befriending group, an art class or a community gardening project, based on what works for them.
  • Connecting someone struggling with financial stress to a service that helps with managing debt or claiming benefits.
  • Supporting someone with dementia to join a dementia choir, enabling them to maintain a sense of social connection.
  • Working with someone with high blood pressure to take up a form of exercise that they’re comfortable with.

Social prescribing can help change the circumstances that can contribute to making people unwell. It can empower people to manage existing health problems, to get the right benefits or get back into employment. It can help people to connect and to grow in confidence.

Social Prescribing is:

  • Practical and emotional support
  • Helping people live the best lives they can
  • Taking pressure off the NHS
  • Tackling health inequalities
  • The glue that links voluntary organisations with people who need their help
  • Backed by research

Social prescribed activities often, though not always, fall into four main categories:

  • Advice & Information
  • Arts & Heritage
  • Natural Environment
  • Physical Activity

(Source and for further information: NASP, 2023)

  •  What are Voluntary Sector Pathways?

In addition to Social Prescribing, and for reasons wider than health, citizens and organisations are referred to Voluntary, Community, Faith & Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector organisations for support by VCFSE, public and private sector partners through ‘Voluntary Sector Pathways’.

This could involve a frontline community worker or volunteer:

  • Supporting a young person with a record of anti-social behaviour to engage in diversionary activities by linking them with a local youth club
  • Helping an older person with low confidence gain digital skills through joining a course at their community centre
  • Connecting a refugee to legal advice from a migrant support group, to overcome language barriers

Several organisations have set up formal referral processes, known as ‘Voluntary Sector Pathways’, including using Directories (see further above), whilst other organisations are more informally relationship based.

Case Studies

There are several case studies of how social prescribing has benefited individuals and organisations:

If your organisation has examples of how social prescribing has benefited people and organisations, which we can be shared, please contact: [email protected]

Birmingham Social Prescribing Link Workers

Since January 2019, in the Long Term Plan, the NHS committed to employing Social Prescribing Link Workers (SPLW).

The Link Workers role involves taking time to identify with an individual what matters to them and then, in a person-centred way, connects invidiuals to practical and emotional community support from Voluntary, Community, Faith & Social Enterprise sector organisations, which can empower and improve health and wellbeing.

Several different organisations host Social Prescribing Link Workers across Birmingham City, including:

        Contact: Charlotte Rowley [email protected] 07976622807 OR

        Lucy Davis [email protected] 07841067646

If your organisation hosts Social Prescribing Link Workers, and would like to appear here, please contact: [email protected]

Social Prescribing in the Midlands

A live map of Social Prescribing services across the Midlands is available here.

This is to help providers to find their local Social Prescribing service, be able to know who their link workers are and the best way for providers to be in touch.

The map is split into Integrated Care System (ICS) geographical footprints. Our ICS area is Birmingham & Solihull.

For further information on using the map or to add services to the map contact the NASP Regional Lead: [email protected]

Birmingham & Solihull Providers Collaborative Meeting

NASP Midlands Learning Together Programme hosts the Birmingham & Solihull Providers Collaborative Meeting. This is primarily for VCFSE providers of services to come together alongside Social Prescribing Link Workers and others to share best practice and collaborate.

Note: This is not a formal Provider Collaborative structure as part of NHSE/I guidance within Integrated Care Systems, but is the name of the group.

Please contact the NASP Regional Lead for more information: [email protected]

NASP Midlands Learning Together Programme

The NASP Midlands Learning Together Programme is a FREE online regional programme as part of NASP’s Thriving Communities national programme, which aims to support community health and wellbeing groups sustain their work for Social Prescribing.

Thriving Communities is a national support programme for VCFSE groups, supporting communities in England, working alongside social prescribing link workers.

The Learning Together programme will help you understand the developments of Social Prescribing and how your work is part of Social Prescribing.  You will have the chance to create partnerships with fellow community groups and other professionals across the health and local authority system to sustain your work in the long term.

By joining this programme, you will receive opportunities to access NASP’s resource of information, webinars, create useful connections to support your work and time to think with others in small group settings.

Click here for more information on the NASP Midlands Learning Together Programme. 

Or please contact the NASP Regional Lead: [email protected]

National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP)

The National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP) is a national charity established in 2019. Their goal is to ensure social prescribing thrives across the whole country.

They:

  • support the grassroots groups and national charities who offer socially prescribed activities
  • connect the health system to the incredible work that’s happening in communities
  • help medical professionals, including Social Prescribing Link Workers and students
  • work with leading researchers to build more evidence for social prescribing
  • develop effective new approaches to common problems
  • champion social prescribing across the world

NASP offers a wide range of resources to support Social Prescribing.

For more information visit: https://socialprescribingacademy.org.uk/

Voluntary Sector Pathways in Birmingham

There are different Voluntary Sector Pathways in Birmingham for providing wide ranging Information, Advice and Guidance.

Examples include:

BVSC Meetings

28 April 2021

Information

Recording

Resources

           Speakers:

  • Ricky Bhandal, Public Health Service Lead (Communities), Wider Determinants, Birmingham City Council
  • Joseph Merriman, Public Health, Birmingham City Council 
  • Sarah Paine, Midlands Regional Lead, Thriving Communities - National Academy for Social Prescribing
  • Elizabeth Goodchild, Strategic Partnership Manager, BVSC

Events

National Social Prescribing Day is an annual celebration of social prescribing, recognising link workers, local community groups and regional and national organisations which support people’s health and wellbeing.

In 2023 it takes place on 9 March.

Further details of Directories: Social Prescribing and Voluntary Sector Pathways events taking place throughout the year will be added to our BVSC events pages.

For More Information:

Published:

Updated:

Author: Muhammed Bashir

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