Integrated Care Partnerships have supported the development of a number of social prescribing services over recent years and social prescribing is increasingly seen as an important way to provide a more person centred and effective approach to improving an individual’s health and wellbeing.
Following a [wpfilebase tag=fileurl id=4608 linktext=’regional workshop in 2019′ /] work has continued to help grow social prescribing across the province.
The Health and Social Care Board and Public Health Agency are partners in a European funded project, VIGOUR, which is focussed on the scale up and spread of integrated care initiatives, which, for Northern Ireland, is focussed on the development of social prescribing.
As part of the scale up and spread of social prescribing the following has taken place:
- A Project ECHO Network community of practice for social prescribing link workers has been underway for two years. Evaluations of the network have highlighted its benefit in sharing learning and good practice.
- The All Ireland Social Prescribing Network, established in 2018, has been supported to develop its aims and objectives and to deliver an important role in connecting stakeholders and sharing learning. The Network has developed its first newsletter and anyone who like to join the network should email allirelandsocialprescribingnetwork@hscni.net
- A Regional Social Prescribing Development Board has been established, co-chaired by Paul Cavanagh, HSCB Director of Planning and Commissioning, and Joanne Morgan, an experienced leader in the community and voluntary sector.
It is intended that the Board will provide a space for senior leaders from across government departments, health and social care and the community and voluntary sector, to work together, with input from stakeholders and experts, to agree a collective vision for the role of social prescribing in Northern Ireland and work to embed that vision in relevant strategy and policy.