Social Prescribing
Take control of your own health!
Social Prescribing Wandsworth is an exciting new service delivered by Enable commissioned by NHS Wandsworth Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in partnership with Wandsworth GP Practices, Wandsworth Council and the voluntary and community sector.
What is Social Prescribing?
Social Prescribing supports you to take control of your own health by connecting you to support within the community. It is a new initiative introduced by the NHS England as part of their long term plan to improve personalised care.
Social Prescribing involves meeting with professionally trained Link Workers, who give individual time to focus on ‘what matters to you’ and take a holistic approach to health and wellbeing. This could include supporting with things like managing stress, loneliness, finding social groups, learning new skills, physical activity or getting information on employment, benefits, housing and legal advice.
What does a Link Worker do?
Link Workers are based within GP practices and can spend up to 45 minutes on individual consultations. During consultations, Link Workers will:
- Explore what is important to you and your current wellbeing
- Identify the local activities or services that you might benefit from
- Support and encourage you to start using services that can help them
- Provide ongoing support and motivation through follow up appointments
Social Prescribing is designed to support in ‘non-medical’ ways, providing practical support that can make a real impact on your health and wellbeing.
How does Social Prescribing benefit our service users?
How can I access Social Prescribing?
The following practices take part in Social Prescribing Wandsworth delivered by Enable:
| Balham Health Centre | St Pauls Cottage |
| Battersea Fields Practice | Streatham Park Surgery |
| Battersea Rise Group Practice | The Begg Practice |
| Bedford Hill Family Practice | The Greyswood Practice |
| Bolingbroke Medical Centre | The Haider Practice |
| Bridge Lane Group Practice | The Heathbridge Practice |
| Brocklebank Group Practice | The Mayfield Surgery |
| Chartfield Surgery | The Junction Medical Practice |
| Chatfield Health Care | The Practice Furzedown |
| Clapham Junction Medical Practice | The Roehampton Lane Surgery |
| Falcon Road Medical Practice | Tooting Bec Surgery |
| Lavender Hill Group Practice | Tooting South Medical Centre |
| Open Door Surgery | Trinity Medical Centre |
| Queenstown Road Surgery | Tudor Lodge Health Centre |
If you are registered at a GP practice above and would like support from a social prescribing link worker, please discuss the service with your GP who can make a referral.
Macmillan Community Cancer Link Worker – Wandsworth
In addition to our Link Workers, our Macmillan Community Cancer Link Worker is part of our wider social prescribing team in Wandsworth. They have specialist knowledge, skills and experience relevant to supporting those living with and beyond cancer, including having relationships with key professionals in Primary and Secondary Care, as well as with local and national Voluntary & Community Sector Organisations. This specialist support can be accessed via the Social Prescribing Link Worker at your GP Practice – please ask your practice for more information.
Voluntary and Community Groups
Social Prescribing helps people in Wandsworth access the amazing support that is available within the community. Wandsworth has vibrant voluntary and community sector which hosts a wide variety of services and activities. Social Prescribing aims to support these existing community groups and work collaboratively.
We have put together a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) sheet to help you explain the service model. Click here to view.
If you are a voluntary or community group within wandsworth and would like to get involved in Social Prescribing, please get in touch. If you would like to sign up to receive referrals, please click this link to download the form and email the completed form to waccg.socialprescribing@nhs.net
Does Social Prescribing help?
Emerging evidence shows that Social Prescribing can lead to a range of positive health and wellbeing outcomes, such as improved quality of life and emotional wellbeing. In addition, research shows that social prescribing can reduce the amount of GP appointments and hospital admissions.
Click here to find out more about the benefits of social prescribing.
Social Prescribing Capacity Fund
Please note that this fund is currently not accepting applications.
As part of the Social Prescribing Wandsworth Service, we are now opening a Social Prescribing Capacity Fund.
The Social Prescribing Capacity fund is designed to provide the sector with additional resource to support people referred through social prescribing. It will help local voluntary and community organisations increase capacity within existing services, that are utilised by Social Prescribing Link Workers.
The funding is suitable for organisations who receives social prescribing referrals from Wandsworth Link Workers and who currently have waiting lists.
This information document has further details about the funding. It explains who is eligible, the criteria, how to apply and how of the funding will be allocated.
If you are interested in applying, please complete the Expression of Interest Form. We recommend that organisations read the information document in full before completing the Expression of Interest Form.
There is no deadline to this funding and it will be allocated on a rolling basis throughout the year.
Get in touch
Please contact us for more information on 02039590031 or email waccg.socialprescribing@nhs.net