1. Margaret Hurley Social Prescribing Development Lead - VAST
Utilising local community assets to build a social prescribing programme
Margaret Hurley
Social Prescribing Development Lead - VAST
Welcome to the Workshop – introduce self and ask for brief introductions from all participants.
VCS Hub is a project of

2. Commissioned by CCGs as a pilot in 2015 and extended for 2017/18
Commissioned by CCGs as a pilot in 2015 and extended for 2017/ A Single Point of Contact into the voluntary sector covering a large area Northern Staffordshire including Stoke on Trent. Open referral process – adults aged 18+ no upward age limit and not condition specific. Offering support for a wide range of psycho-social needs.
VAST is a voluntary sector infrastructure organization – providing support for the sector – training/back office/funding applications etc
Feedback from Health in particular is that a single access point into the sector would be of value
VCS Hub is a project of

3. Asset based approaches can:
Enhance health, wellbeing and resilience
reduce long-term pressures on higher-cost health, care and support services
enable people to participate in and benefit from community resources and activities
Clearly this is closely aligned to the aims of Social Prescribing
Why a focus on Asset Based Approaches? - they can…..
the holistic view of what can be achieved rather than trying to fix a ‘problem’
lot of psycho-social support needs can be adequately supported in the community
More ‘buy in’ when people have the opportunity to participate
Our SP projects are clearly aligned to an asset based approach - Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership a good example - focus on a broader set of outcomes - Care Act 2014 and Five Year Forward View – both about ‘empowerment’

4. What do you see as a community asset?
From your experiences in your areas and within your projects - examples. These may be very different in each area. Examples in Stoke are pubs turned into community venues/libraries turned into Wellbeing Centres – attached to GP practices. One area started a community venture up following the closure of their Children’s Centre. It is fast becoming a Hub for all sorts of needs – young/elderly/learning/health and wellbeing. In this case a particular person is the Community Asset
Parks – a variety of exercise routines to suit all abiliities
VCS Hub is a project of

5. Of these community assets which ones can support your social prescribing offer?
Some are of more value than others - which have particularly worked well for you?
PPGs/Libraries/local support groups etc
Local support group providing social group activity – branched out to offer gardening to elderly people. Built up a face to face befriending service – these grew out of identified from people already engaged.
VCS Hub is a project of

6. Asset based approaches can:
Enhance health, wellbeing and resilience
reduce long-term pressures on higher-cost health, care and support services
enable people to participate in and benefit from community resources and activities.
To develop an asset-based approach, areas could:
reframe the narrative from needs to assets
build a dynamic picture of personal and community assets
connect people to each other and to wider community assets
grow and mobilise community assets
monitor impact and learn from evidence.
Very much about what people can do or what places can offer rather than what is missing/where there are gaps/what people are unable to do
Framing the picture can have very positive outcomes
Enable connections to be made between all participants - LA to vol sector. Health to community groups
Grow & mobilise – work in progress - some develop naturally – some need more support/help and guidance
Monitoring and reporting an important element to get right and learn from – opportunity to review and change focus if needed

7. How we applied this locally
Community mapping
Relationship building etc
In depth mapping exercise across the patch – linked with Community Development workers/visited support services – defined the offer clearly in each area. Developed links with Fire Service/Social Housing/Local Businesses – GP practices…. Some areas have used Google Mapping – visual impact
Constant communication across all participants – LA/Health/voluntary and community sector groups – attend community events/take part in team meetings etc.
VCS Hub is a project of

8. Our successes and Challenges
Successes: Integration into Primary Care (53 surgeries using VCS Hub). Also, close working ties with Adult Social Care – have access to their CareFirst database and work with them one day each week. Co-location has proved very successful.
Challenges: Building further staffing resource into the service – will recruit volunteers to support the project – challenge to ensure that volunteers have the skill mix to support delivery of an excellent service.
Successes: co-location with different social care teams and with different health teams – provides a broader perspective
Strong working relationships – across sectors
Finding what makes a difference
Not just a link and a referral to support services – comprehensive understanding of what the community could potentially offer and for the community to understand the SP Service – VCSE/LA/Health Teams
Access to social care client database – enhances working relationship and ease of working
Embedded into Care Navigation within 53 GP practices
Taking part in new pilot - elderly care pathway
Challenges:
Expanding the service – building partnerships with all interested parties – a variety of ways of delivering an SP Service - not always linked together
Being able to influence growth and the mobilisation of community assets
VCS Hub is a project of

9. What have been the successes and challenges in your areas?
VCS Hub is a project of