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Spring 2024 Newsletter
South Southwark Social Prescribing Spring Newsletter
Our Social Prescribing Link Workers support anyone registered to a South Southwark GP.
Over several sessions, we help identify what matters to the individual and develop a plan with them to support them to make positive life changes.
We will connect the individual to activities, services, social groups, and advice in and around Southwark.
In this Winter edition of the social prescribing newsletter:
- What has our team been up to?
- Case study by Lamley Amoako-Atta
- Interview with Terry-King Emmanuel, Housing Specialist SPLW
- Patient voices
- Changes to legacy benefits
"Today’s accomplishments were yesterday’s impossibilities."
Robert H. Schuller
What has our team been up to?
Our team has been doing lots of outreach in the community over the past few months, as well as networking with the voluntary and community sector. Here are a few highlights:
It was Social Prescribing day in March, and our team celebrated our achievements over the past year – of particular pride, is the 3000+ patients we supported in our Social Prescribing service!
Catriona attended Spring community hub’s coffee morning, which is a monthly event where residents are welcome to get advice from different specialists and socialise.
Some of our team attended an event at LOVO women’s centre for international women’s day. There were women’s health and wellbeing sessions, inspirational talks, pamper sessions, and craft workshops.
Lamley attended an event at Kingswood Estate and spoke to lots of residents about support available to them in their local community.
Polly and Emma attended a health promotion event at Walworth Golden Oldies and offered support and guidance to a number of attendees.
Catriona did some outreach at a health promotion event at Goose Green Centre which is within St John’s Church in East Dulwich. Residents were grateful to have their vital 5 health checks as well as learning more about social prescribing.
Case study
Lamley Amoako-Atta tells us about a service user she supported, showcasing the power of social prescribing.
I recently had the privilege of supporting a service user who was seeking a unique and uplifting experience as a means of coping with devastating bereavements. Intrigued by a television advertisement featuring alpacas, she expressed a desire to visit London Alpacas, an organisation offering alpaca-related activities. Recognizing the potential positive impact, I supported her by
connecting her with the organisation and assisted with travel arrangements on her behalf.
London Alpacas went above and beyond by reserving a spot specifically for her visit. Their kind gesture ensured that she would have a guaranteed opportunity to engage with the alpacas and fully enjoy the experience.
Given that she did not possess an email address, London Alpaca, kindly agreed to send the photos of her visit to her social prescriber. This thoughtful gesture exemplifies the person-centred approach that social prescribing embodies, ensuring that the service user’s needs and preferences are at the forefront of our care.
The experience exceeded all expectations, and the service user thoroughly enjoyed her time at London Alpaca. The joy it brought her was so profound that she expressed a desire to return in the future. This outcome exemplifies the transformative power of engaging in activities that align with an individual's interests and passions, highlighting the effectiveness of social prescribing in enhancing overall well-being.
Terry-King Emmanuel
Housing Specialist Social Prescribing Link Worker (HSPLW)
Terry tells us a bit more about his role as HSPLW and the work that he is doing within the PCN to support service users.
What is a housing specialist social prescribing link worker and what kind of issues can you support with?
- I provide specialist support and advice around housing to colleagues, wider audiences within the PCN and support the upskilling of staff.
How long have you been in this role?
- I started officially 1st November 2023.
What do you enjoy about being in your role?
- “Home is Everything”. Why treat people and send them back into the houses that make them sick? Helping and educating people about different options to solve their housing problems is invaluable.
Can people refer housing cases directly to you?
- We have found the social prescribing team remains best placed to provide one to one housing support to patients. My role focuses on providing more specialist support to staff members when a more complex housing issue arises. There are circumstances where I pick up more difficult housing cases that benefit from my expertise.
Do you have links within Southwark council?
- The purpose of my role is to work collaboratively with the Local authority, Social Housing Associations, and private sector to improve and maintain strong relationships with the personnel and ensure residents can access suitable accommodation. I also support in being a voice for patients and the PCN to help communicate common trends that we are seeing in housing.
Could you give an example of a housing case you have supported with?
- I have several cases of asylum seekers living in very poor conditions and was able to write the home office or call on their behalf to change the state of their accommodation thereby improving their mental wellbeing.
What’s one fun fact about you?
- I love roller skating and many of my clients recognise me when I pass them in my roller blades and they say “hello Mr King”
Patient voices
This video of Spencer speaking about his experience of social prescribing shows the importance of personalised care, and how social prescribing helped him "function again in society".
Changes to legacy benefits
Universal Credit is gradually replacing six benefits, known as legacy benefits. Individuals claiming these will eventually be moved to Universal Credit and get a single amount that will support with the costs of everyday living, housing, bringing up children, caring or illness and disability.
The benefits being replaced are:
- Housing Benefit
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
More information on movving to Universal Credit from other benefits
Early conversations are important regarding these changes and support is available in Southwark via Back On Track Service and Citizens Advice Southwark who have a face to face drop in service
Published: May 20, 2024