-OUR PROJECTS-

Social
Prescribing
in A&E and Acute care

PROJECT MISSION

Social prescribing takes a holistic approach to health and social care by working in a person-centred manner to encourage individuals to take control of their own health and wellbeing. Social Prescribing in A&E and Acute Care transitions the principles of Social Prescribing into the sphere of A&E and Acute Care, supporting high-intensity users (HIU) of these services to address non-clinical needs by connecting them to sources of help and support within local communities.

The pilot aims to ensure that patients have appropriate avenues to alternative support, rather than returning to the Royal Surrey County Hospital (RSCH) for non-clinical reasons. The pilot will support individuals with their non-clinical needs by connecting them to sources of help and support within local communities. It takes a holistic ‘whole person’ approach to health and social care asking, ‘what matters to you?’ to create a shared plan to support people in taking control of their health and wellbeing.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

ONE-TO-ONE SUPPORT

The project supports high-intensity patients (HIU) (6+ Emergency Department visits per year or 2+ social care referrals within a short period of time) to address non-clinical needs by connecting them to sources of help and support within local communities.

ONE ROUTE INTO THE COMMUNITY

The pilot is aimed at those users who would benefit from a broader range of community support, connecting them with a range of services and organisations in their local area and enabling them to access a variety of services. The pilot provides one direct link into the variety of community services available. Our Social Prescribing Link Workers will work with the PoP, using their vast knowledge of the community environment to link a PoP to services they need.

USER-FOCUSED SUPPPORT

Our Social Prescribing Link Worker (SPLW) will work with an individual during a series of appointments to identify health and wellbeing needs, identify what support is needed, and discuss the various support streams available to them. The SPLW can offer face-to-face, virtual or telephone appointments - it depends on what will make the HIU most comfortable, and therefore likely to engage with the service. Our support is led by the service user, with the question, ‘what matters to you?’ to support the individual to take control of their health and wellbeing.

REDUCING SYSTEMIC PRESSURES

The pilot aims to free up capacity within the Royal Surrey Foundation Trust Emergency Department, and other hospital departments, and the associated Social Care Team. The pilot will work with non-urgent, non-clinical users at RSCH, allowing clinicians and teams at RSCH to focus on their role, whilst a Social Prescribing Link Worker can support with the broader holistic and community support, in linking into community support.

WHO RUNS
THE PILOT?

The Social Prescribing in A&E and Acute Care Service is hosted by Voluntary Action South West Surrey (VASWS), which has also hosted the Guildford and Waverley Social Prescribing Service since 2019, and is additionally hosting the Social Prescribing in Probation pilot. The Social Prescribing Service has supported the communities of Guildford and Waverley, by addressing the impacts on the wider determinants of health, and linking individuals into appropriate community support. The Guildford and Waverley Service operates on a Primary Care Network (PCN) level, working in East Guildford, East Waverley and West of Waverley. For more information on our PCN Service, click here.

Voluntary Action South West Surrey is the Council for Voluntary Service for Guildford and Waverley. Our membership, made up of voluntary and community groups, is in excess of 600 organisations. We run a Volunteer Centre which provides a volunteer recruitment service to over 400 organisations, as well as residents in Guildford and Waverley who can find out about volunteering roles and about the services provided by the voluntary sector.

Having an overview of the voluntary activity in our area means we can see where the gaps are and can help identify where groups could work together. Because we work with voluntary organisations, local authorities, local health services and individuals, and because we have run community projects and facilitated others in setting up new community groups, we are in a unique position of having experience of what services local people need, what is already being provided and where the gaps are.

The Social Prescribing in A&E and Acute Care Pilot is run in conjunction with the Royal Surrey Foundational Trust, and Surrey County Council, who are funding the 18-month pilot.