This Social Prescribing Day, Emma Crofts, a Social Prescribing Link Worker at Hucclecote Surgery shares what it’s like to carry out the role she’s been doing for four years and how it enables her to link people with vital help and support in their communities
My morning starts with checking my appointment screen to see how many people I am going to be working with. It’s a mixture of follow-up telephone calls, consultations at the surgery, home visits and community visits. I’m glad I wore my trainers because after a quick cup of tea it’s a check in with any fellow employees who cross my path, as I am also Health and Wellbeing Champion for the staff at the practice where I work.
I’m currently working with a patient who told me they are concerned about hoarding at home. They asked for information about support services, and I shared the details of the Gloucester Hoarding Support as well as services who could help clear in a sensitive way, when the patient is ready. I also suggested a visit from the Fire Service Safe and Well Team to check fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. We discussed whether talking therapies through the NHS ‘Let’s Talk’ service would be beneficial.
Back at the surgery, I see my next patient who is juggling the demands of returning to work, being a parent and paying for childcare. They have no family to support locally and are struggling to find time for themselves. I am able to share information about Home-Start, a local charity which supports families with children under the age of 4 at home with a trained volunteer, as well as group support for mental health. I supply details of local baby and toddler groups, so they can connect with other parents. Home-Start will also check that they are receiving the correct benefits, which may make a difference.
Between my home visits and consultations at the surgery, I will work my way through my telephone list, making follow-up calls to people and checking in with the various services I work alongside to see how any referrals I have made are coming along.
After lunch, I am meeting one of my patients at a wonderful local community garden. They have a long-term health condition that has prevented them from employment and impacted on their mental health and as a result have become isolated. They told me they love being outside in nature, and missed talking to fellow dog walkers when they were more mobile. They felt anxious about attending the garden independently, so I am going along as a familiar face to introduce them to the facilitators and help them settle in. With any luck, they will be become a regular volunteer, and find a sense of purpose and belonging that will help to improve their mental health and wellbeing.
My next consultation at the surgery is with an older patient who lives independently at home but is worried that if they had a bad fall no one would know. We discuss falls pendants and key safes, and I suggested having a conversation with their neighbours about keeping an eye out for each other. We also talked about a local seated and standing exercise class, aimed at older people to maintain their strength, build their balance, and reduce the risk of falls. They’re not sure about going on their own, so we arrange to meet at the class next week.
My final telephone call of the day is to a patient who has concerns about their finances and the benefits they are receiving, and I supply them with the details of the drop-in sessions at Citizens Advice. They feel confident they can go on their own, so we arrange a catch up the following week to see how it goes. I check my appointment screen for the following day, say goodbye to my team, and head home for the evening after a fulfilling day.
