Social prescribing link workers
We are lucky to have two social prescribing link workers (PCN Care Coordinators) who are employed to work here at our surgery.
Helen and Victoria help patients find ways to improve their health and wellbeing, whether you are feeling isolated, lonely, or experiencing stress. They are here to listen to you, and to put you in touch with the people and activities that might help you to feel better. They can help you find information and guidance on what local resources there are. They can also put you in touch with others with similar interests or help you find local services, legal advice, or debt counselling.
Patients can be referred to the St Albans & District Foodbank by our PCN Care Coordinators. Once referred, patients will have access to the 9 Foodbank Distribution Centres in and around St Albans, as well as ongoing support from our Social Prescribers and the teams at the Foodbank Distribution Centres.
“We provide emergency food for people in crisis. We help working people as well as those on benefits, from a wide range of backgrounds. When people visit the Foodbank they are given three days’ worth of food, providing them with three meals a day plus some essential non-food items such as cleaning products and toiletries.
When people come to us for help we try to get to the root cause of the ‘crisis’ and direct them to where they can obtain help to resolve the problems they are facing.”
St. Albans and District Foodbank
Please note, the St Albans Community Pantry, which offers rescued surplus food and community meals/ after school clubs in venues across St Albans, is open to all, with no referral needed.
Volunteer social prescribers
Social prescribing can help you to have more control over your own health and find ways to improve how you feel in a way that suits you.
In 2018, Parkbury House Surgery started its own programme of social prescribing (SP), which involved training volunteers. Since then, the programme has expanded, and now has a team of nine volunteers, with more attending our training sessions. The volunteer social prescribing team have seen over 110 patients.
The practice can refer patients to SP if they suffer from:
- social isolation;
- low mood;
- mild depression;
- anxiety;
- addictions;
- long term conditions;
- physical inactivity;
And the SP programme refers patients on to community support programmes which can include:
- social clubs;
- physical activities;
- arts and crafts;
- counselling;
- peer support groups for those with long-term conditions;
- advice and guidance;
- volunteering groups.
Social prescribing addresses the individual needs of a person using a holistic approach to health. Social prescription is an alternative support which empowers people to take greater control over their own health and wellbeing. Patients experience many health benefits, such as better social connections and improved physical and mental wellbeing.
Through SP, we connect patients to a variety of local, trusted, community-led organisations and services for non-medical support. This helps people to make healthy choices, strengthen their resilience, and stay connected to their community. Additionally, SP enables community organisations to respond to the identified needs within the community they serve.
Parkbury House has also started our own ‘therapy’ garden based at our Sandridge practice. Work will be ongoing in the garden throughout the year.
The process
- A GP or Primary Health Care professional makes a referral to a social prescriber based in the surgery.
- The social prescriber and the patient meet 1-1 to discuss individual support needs.
- The patient is supported to engage in suitable community-based activities and services.
- The social prescriber can provide on-going support during the patient’s journey to improved health and wellbeing.
