Looking for support with things that affect your health and wellbeing? A Social Prescribing Link Worker can connect you with local groups, activities and services that can support your practical, social and emotional wellbeing.
Our social prescribing link workers are embedded within 4 of Calderdale’s Primary Care Networks (PCNs), working closely with GP practices to provide personalised, holistic support and empowering people to take control of their health and wellbeing.
What is Social Prescribing?
Sometimes we need more than medicine to feel well. Our social prescribing link workers help people focus on what really matters to them and connect them with the right support in their community. They can link you to:
- Local groups and activities
- Practical advice and services
- Emotional and wellbeing support
Link workers usually work with people for up to 12 sessions (either over the telephone or in person) over several months, depending on their need and what support is required.
How it works
Our link workers support people in Calderdale who are:
- Referred by a healthcare professional or other support services such as social care, or
- Met at a community event and identified for support, or
- People who self-refer by contacting their GP Practice.
Together, you will:
- Explore what’s important to you and your wellbeing
- Discover local services and activities that may help
- Get encouragement and support to take the next steps
What difference can it make?
People often find they can:
- Improve their health, wellbeing, and independence.
- Boost their mental health and resilience
- Live more independently at home
- Build new social connections and reduce loneliness
Social prescribing is about you
It’s about finding the right mix of support, activities, and connections to help you live well.
Examples of some of the concerns people face are social isolation, mental health, bereavement, benefits and physical health. Popular onward referrals include to a GP, occupational therapy, counselling services and talking therapies. Signposting to other services include voluntary services, bereavement support, community anchors, benefit advisors and mental health services.
Social prescribing stories
From Isolation to Connection: Mrs A’s Journey with Social Prescribing
Mrs A was struggling with loneliness and grief following the loss of her husband. She had withdrawn from social activities and felt she had never received the mental health support she needed. Living alone and facing balance issues, she lacked the confidence to leave the house and no longer felt safe in her own home.
With support from Millie, a PGPA Social Prescribing Link Worker, Mrs A was referred to Calderdale NHS Talking Therapies and placed on the waiting list for face-to-face sessions. While she waited, she met with a Mental Health Practitioner for interim support. To help her reconnect socially and build confidence, she was signposted to a local seated exercise class and accompanied to her first session.
Additional referrals were made for occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and a falls alarm to support her safety and independence at home. She was also invited to a drop-in event for International Older Persons Day, where she connected with local services
including the falls team and Age UK, who supported her Blue Badge reapplication.
She now feels more confident, regularly attends the exercise class, and is engaging with ongoing mental health support. Mrs A told her GP that the input from Mille as a Social Prescribing Link Worker has been incredibly helpful during this difficult time.
Read more case studies:
What people using social prescribing services have to say:
“Very good. They have experience and knowledge to advise, and know the location well and type of service I seek and what they think suitable for me.”
“Brilliant service. From my experience nothing to improve on”
“I love it, for me it has been invaluable.”
Resources
Download our Social Prescribing Flyer
Download our Social Prescribing Poster