Over the last year, there has been a huge increase in the need for social support The pandemic has further exacerbated the health inequalities gap among various communities and the health service has been under pressure to cope with the demands of the virus and the vaccination program alongside the regular clinical services.
Alongside this, the pandemic also continues to impact the mental health of the public as many struggle with the isolation, anxiety and uncertainty.
Most issues causing mental health problems are social focussed and therefore require non-clinical treatments, such as those provided through social prescriptions. This is why social prescribing can have such a big impact on reducing the pressures faced by GPs and the health service as a whole, by providing non-clinical and holistic treatments as an alternative but still effective form of support and management.
ADAPTING SERVICES DURING THE PANDEMIC
Many social prescribing programs and services have had to adapt and grow in order to continue to provide their services throughout the pandemic. Social prescriptions have traditionally been provided in person prior to the outbreak of Covid-19, however, due to the social distancing and travel restrictions in place over the past year, providers have had to adopt a digital first approach to providing their services.
DIGITAL TOOLS
Digital tools have become essential in the connection to and delivery of social prescribing services. By referring clients online or over the phone, social prescribing has been able to operate successfully while following the guidelines in place. Elemental has been helping organisations make this transition and has noted the increase in need for the platform over the past year.
- Elemental’s social prescribing platform is also helping remote social prescribers to connect to receive referrals from GPs, manage and refer clients without the need to be in an office or face-to-face for wellbeing assessments.
- Wellbeing assessments can be carried out over the phone, with the ability to input data directly into the platform. Deirdre Ruane, Social Prescribing Coordinator of the South Dublin County Partnership, said that “Just having all the services mapped in one place is invaluable to me at this time. I also love the tasks bar as it shapes my day when I go through all the tasks I need to do.”
- Measurement tools are also essential in better understanding the success of a social prescribing program. Elemental has recently announced an innovative new partnership with Meaningful Measures, enabling MYCaW to be used as a measurement tool with clients. The MYCaW framework provides a holistic approach to assessing the health of an individual. Through these measurements, providers can better assess the effectiveness of their programs and gain an insight into the what impact their services are having.
- Measurement tools are also essential in better understanding the success of a social prescribing program. Elemental has recently announced an innovative new partnership with Meaningful Measures, enabling MYCaW to be used as a measurement tool with clients. The MYCaW framework provides a holistic approach to assessing the health of an individual. Through these measurements, providers can better assess the effectiveness of their programs and gain an insight into the what impact their services are having.
DEIRDRE RUANE, SOCIAL PRESCRIBING COORDINATOR OF THE SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY PARTNERSHIP
“I use the MYCaW tool mostly to assess a baseline of where the person is health wise. The person also lists their 2 major concerns( part of this tool) which is affecting them most. This is invaluable as the person decides what they want to work with in their lives and that in turn also helps me know what services to signpost them to. The person can see the progress they have made.”
- There is also access to a comprehensive directory of services that social prescribers can view remotely and determine the best services and support available in the client’s area..
- Service providers in VCSE organisations can also remotely pick up referrals, track attendance and outcomes to help populate client case progress and service reports.
- Link Workers and social prescribers also have access to case management reports, and can drill down via a range of demographic filters.oProgramme Managers and Commissioners can also view a range of reports to assess the progress and effectiveness of their programmes and services.
ELEMENTAL’S SELF REFER
Many have also made use of Elemental’s Self Refer feature to further increase the effectiveness of programmes in reaching those in need at the right time. The self-refer tool has the benefit of further reducing the administration time for social prescribing services while also empowering individuals to take control of their own health and refer themselves for support.
Self Refer enables communities to connect with Link Workers who can help them access the support they need. This means that communities can now benefit from interactions with Link Workers, avoiding the need to go to a GP for a referral to social prescribing.
Care Merseyside have made use of Self-Refer, adding the self referral form directly to their website via a Social Prescribing tab, making it easier than ever to get access to social prescribing services. The Old Library Trust have added the link to their form directly to the home page of their website, providing as few steps as possible to those seeking help.
If you would like to know more about what digital tools Elemental can provide to help enhance the effectiveness and remote collaboration of your social prescribing program with, get in touch and we will be happy to show you.
