Call for Collaboration in Social Prescribing Work to Support Communities, Autumn 2023

MVA are currently working on an important social prescribing initiative designed to help improve in the health and well-being of local community, and are calling on the voluntary, community, social enterprise and faith sector to get involved.

What is Social Prescribing?

Social Prescribing often involves organisations like local charities, health care services and social care services referring people to a Social Prescribing Link worker.

Usually this would happen when it is found that a person’s health and wellbeing could be improved not just through medical care, but also through changing their social activities and relationships.

A Social Prescribing Link worker would engage with a person who is referred to them to find the best solution to improve their health and wellbeing. These Link workers will then work with that individual to figure out the best path forward to improve their health and wellbeing.

It could be through getting in contact with a local group to take part in their activities, or it could be found that volunteering may help that individual improve their health and wellbeing.

A Local Infrastructure Organisations (LIOs), like MVA, work to help communities meet their needs and achieve their ambitions. Part of their work is to support local charities and voluntary groups in their region, helping them to succeed and grow whilst they deliver important products and services within community. As a result, because of this work it can be said LIOs have good knowledge of not just the local voluntary sector, but also the individuals and the communities that live in that area:

So, when Primary Care Networks (PCNs) and LIOs work in partnership to deliver social prescribing programmes, everyone benefits.

MVA is currently engaged in just such work. Mark Wicker is the newly appointed Project Manager to oversee the implementation of a digital social prescribing platform and directory of services which is called JOY.

The platform is designed to connect those who need to make referrals such social prescribing link workers with the services of the local area.

Mark is currently reaching out to all those who wish to list their organisation and activities on ‘JOY Marketplace’ to get in touch with him so the onboarding process can begin.

If you would like to hear more about JOY, please email Mark at markw@mva.org.uk or call him on 07983 405956 and he will be happy to take your call.