Every month, we compile a list of resources for people working in social prescribing. See below for our February list!
This is part of our monthly social prescribing newsletter. You can get it (and much more) by signing up to the London Social Prescribing Network.
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Resources
VCSE Inclusion Health Audit Tool
This online tool created by VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance will help your organisation to audit it’s engagement with Inclusion Health groups. These are the groups identified as experiencing the worst health inequalities in the UK.
The tool consists of five sections and takes around 15 minutes to complete. Once you have completed the audit tool, you will be provided with a unique and tailored guide which will help your organisation to embed action on tackling health inequalities into its everyday activities.
NHS framework updates
This month, three important frameworks have been published: NHS England’s Priorities and Operational Planning Guidance, the government’s mandate to the NHS and the Neighbourhood Health Guidelines.
The documents emphasise the need to tackle health inequalities and embed the Core20PLUS5 approach to achieve equitable access, excellent experience, and optimal outcomes for all.
Animation to help boost social prescribing
A new animation resource is available here to help increase referrals for social prescribers across primary care. The animation can be shown on digital screens in waiting rooms or as part of your multi-disciplinary team meetings to explain your role more fully. The full toolkit with translated versions and downloadable poster/flyer has been produced by North East and Yorkshire NHS and can be found here.
New Property Rental Discrimination clinic
New Rental Discrimination clinic is a partnership between King’s Legal Clinic (KLC) and Black Equity Organisation (BEO).
The clinic will involve students working alongside members of BEO’s legal team and KLC’s supervising solicitors to advise clients who have been prevented from viewing or renting a property because they are in receipt of DWP benefits, are a disabled person or have children. The clinic will be a nationwide virtual clinic advising and supporting clients from across England and Wales.
If you, or anyone you know has faced rental discrimination get in touch by email: rentaldiscriminationclinic@blackequityorg.com
New changes to The Procurement Act
The Procurement Act changes are reflected in the latest guidance in February for any VCS that is a contracted supplier with the public sector. The short guide for suppliers aims to remove barriers for smaller businesses and VCSEs so they can compete for more contracts, make it easier to find and bid for contracts through a new central digital platform.
A pdf guide to the changes is available here.
More information is available here on the government website.
Brand-new We Are Undefeatable app
A brand-new app We Are Undefeatable, co-designed with award winning health tech provider, Good Boost is now available! The app is a brand-new offering for people with long term health conditions, supporting them to become more physically active. The app provides tailored programmes that can be accessed anywhere, anytime, and are suitable for people with a range of health conditions, no matter where they are in their journey.
The app can be downloaded free via Google Play and the App Store – for a limited time, until 31st March 2025.
Read more about the campaign, with FAQs and handy links to download the app here.
Winter booklet
This winter resource from Age UK could be useful for your clients during the colder months.
Warm spaces
Mental health support
The UK has become one of the first countries to offer 24-hour mental health support over the phone. People in a mental health crisis can now call 111 at any time of the day to talk to a mental health professional. They can then organise mental health assessments, dispatch crisis teams and signpost users to available local help.
Free gas safety checks
Cadent is offering free gas safety checks worth £120 for eligible customers. If you are a homeowner who is on the Priority Services Register and you haven’t had a check in the last 12 months, you qualify for this service.
Health inequalities
The Race Equity Maturity Index is the first evidence-based tool designed to help health and care organisations track, measure, and enhance their commitment to race equity.
Check In and Chat Service – Available for Referrals
The Check in and Chat service, by NHS and Care Volunteer Responders, is open for referrals and self-referrals.
The free service offers friendly phone calls from volunteers, providing companionship and reassurance to those who may be isolated or in need of connection. You can contact them in the following ways:
- Online Referrals Visit nhscarevolunteerresponders.org and fill in the referral form
- Contact the Support Team on 0808 196 3382
- Let people know that they can self-refer into the programme by calling the helpline on 0808 196 3646
Why we get vaccinated campaign
Why we get vaccinated is a community engagement communications campaign, developed in partnership with underserved communities and health agencies across London. The aim of the campaign is to support and facilitate an ongoing conversation to support improved understanding of the need for lifelong immunisations and behaviour change. You can find all the different campaign assets like animated and static social media items to videos and CANVA templates on the campaign website at https://www.hackneydesignstudio.com/store.
Integrated Digital Smoking Cessation App Launch
The SmokeFree app for London launched formally on 1 January. Registering with the app enables those who smoke to access support from advisors 24/7 and their choice of NRT/vapes.
Stop Smoking London has also developed a Smokefree App Borough Marketing Comms Toolkit to provide resources, assets and tips for boroughs to use to promote locally. Please link in with your local tobacco leads to coordinate local promotion efforts. Download Comms Toolkit.
Free workshop on filmmaking
The Saltways, a specialist filmmaking agency for charities are running free workshops for non-profits on different aspects of filmmaking including how to create effective content using your phone. Check out the free workshops on their website here.
Reports
Health and Social Care in the Community new paper
Read the new paper Prescribing Paradigms: Understanding General Practitioner Inclinations Towards Medical and Social Prescribing from the special advancing understanding of Social Prescribing issue.
Creating a Neighbourhood Health Service: The role of churches and faith groups in social prescribing
This report has been produced in collaboration with Theos and Church Works details how faith groups can be part of the solution to the healthcare crisis in this country-offering networks, resources and holistic solutions to people and social prescribers. A link is available to the webinar recording.
Institute of Health Equity report
Institute of Health Equity’s Building for Health Equity: The Role of The Property Sector in Improving Health report presents key insights exploring the crucial intersection of housing and health crises.
The recording is available here.
Call for Papers: Social Prescribing in the Journal of Integrated Care
Researchers, practitioners, and advocates are invited to contribute to this special issue on Social Prescribing led by IFIC (International Foundation for Integrated Care). Find out more here.
Social Prescribing: Using Integrated Approaches to Support Community Wellbeing in Rural and Urban Areas
Deadline: 30th April, 2025
Resilience in Motion: Do it Now report
Do it Now Now (DiNN) is a pioneering organisation dedicated to empowering Black-led charities, social enterprises, and grassroots organisations across the UK. Do it Now conducted in-depth interviews, data analysis, and collaborative workshops with Black-led organisations to ensure the report reflects lived experiences and actionable solutions. This approach not only captures the nuance of systemic barriers but also amplifies the strategies that are proving most effective. Read here for more details about the latest research and report: Resilience in Motion.
Social prescribing fund
The National Academy for Social Prescribing has published a new report, Envisaging a Social Prescribing Fund, which makes the case for a new fund to support community activities, groups and services that benefit people’s health and wellbeing.
Health service cost
This new report from the National Academy for Social Prescribing shows impact of social prescribing on health service use and cost.
Social Prescribing and Acute Services
Social prescribing has expanded into many primary care settings, but what about in acute services? This paper on conceptualising social prescribing in urgent and emergency care explores the topic more.
The future of primary care
A new report setting out the views of the public on the future of primary care services in London has been published.
Tackling health inequalities
Read the newly-published Innovation for Healthcare Inequalities Programme (InHIP) impact and learning report. Over 12 months, InHIP supported local teams across the country to tackle healthcare inequalities. This was achieved through improving patient access to proven innovations in underserved populations across the Core20PLUS5 clinical areas of priority.
Access to NHS services for Jewish communities
Supported by NHS England, and in collaboration with Intent Health, the NHS Race and Health Observatory (NHS RHO) has produced a new report with co-produced resources to improve health communications for Jewish communities. The report offers several recommendations for improving engagement and communications.
New research: Gypsy, Roma and Traveller ethnicity data project
Understanding Patient Data recently published the final outputs from the project looking at experiences and perspectives of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities on collection and use of ethnicity data in health services.
Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) – Tackling inequalities in care for people with learning disabilities and autistic people
People with learning disabilities and autistic people continue to experience unacceptably poor health outcomes in comparison to the rest of the population, leading to lower life expectancy and a higher number of avoidable deaths. This guidance aims to close the gap in skills and knowledge across the adult health and social care workforce.
