Social Prescribing

[Marketplacevirgin]

Is anyone here a social prescriber?

It sounds interesting as a job but I'm not sure if people are nurses or other health professionals before they go into it.

@Marketplacevirgin you certainly don't need medical or nursing background. I'm wracking my brains to remember what our first social prescriber's background was but she was fabulous (GP surgery)

Think she came from a care background. She went on to work with a mental health charity. It was a fabulous role and she was brilliant at it... during COVID she got food supplies delivered to the vulnerable and aside from that she used to help with benefits and phoning places for people she had a huge source of agencies at her finger tips. I'm about to phone the social prescriber at my dad's practice to see if they can get him any social things to do so hope this works.

I retired just as our new social prescriber started so can't comment on her.

Sorry doesn't give you a lot about what's needed but definitely not medical/nursing

Social care, social work, public health, or previously health visiting or nursing - but the very best I've worked with are from third sector and voluntary background who are very used to working in communities.

It really is a broad church as the funding for them is short term pepperpot, so a range of backgrounds for a range of roles depending on the skill set.

I work for a charity, I'm not a social prescriber but have regular dealings with them. IME they don't need a medical background, more that they need good knowledge of all services available, statutory and third sector which might help someone. They are essentially a signposting service and bad ones can just refer people on to other services without having real knowledge or how useful they might be or checking if it's a suitable referral to make.

I think ones which get more involved as previous poster suggested are maybe more unusual but as she said, worth their weight in gold.

Thanks all for your replies.

I have worked in vol sec and currently work with disabled people.
Since @Musicaltheatremum replied I've been searching for jobs and have found a vacancy reasonably near me which I do meet the person specification for at first glance.

I'm really unhappy in my current job and feel that SP may be a good fit. I feel excited about it - first time in a long time I have felt excited about work related things.

Thanks again.

Good luck @Marketplacevirgin !

I’m a Lead Social Prescriber. There are four of us in our Team, three of us come of VCSE backgrounds.

We do much more than signposting and every referral is different, it can be challenging but it’s interesting and rewarding.

We get referrals from GP’s, Mental health services, DWP, Adult Social Care, pharmacists, housing associations, etc, etc.

Have a look at the National Academy for Social Prescibing to find out more about our role.