Social Prescribing

Social prescribing link workers within the Torridge Primary Care Network play a key role in delivering social prescribing by giving people time, focusing on ‘what matters to me’ and taking a holistic approach to people’s health and wellbeing in order to connect them to appropriate community groups and services.

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Social prescribing link workers play a pivotal role by developing trusting relationships and providing personalised support. As a result, their work:

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• strengthens community resilience

• reduces health inequalities by addressing the wider determinants of health, such as debt, poor housing and physical inactivity

• increases people’s active involvement with their local communities
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Social prescribing link workers also support existing community groups to be accessible and sustainable, and help people to start new groups, working collaboratively with all local partners.

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Sometimes, different names are used to describe the link worker role. These include community connector, wellbeing advisor, community navigator and health advisor, depending on local preference.