We work with the Seven Hills Primary Care Network in providing a social prescribing Link Worker service across five local surgeries (Clover Darnall, Clover North, Clover Highgate, Tinsley Medical Centre and Handsworth Medical Practice), as well as two more in the city centre – Mulberry and Clover City practices. This video gives an overview of what you can expect from Link Workers:
We have two people providing one full-time Link Worker role. Thanks to Waqas and Eram sharing the role, this means we can provide support across more of the year, as well as being able to offer support in Urdu or Arabic, where necessary. In the financial year 2023-24, between the two of them, Waqas and Eram took 581 referrals, almost all of them from the Primary Care Network. This led to them having 1,471 points of contact with the people referred. As Link Workers, they have supported people to access and find out about a range of different things in Darnall and Tinsley, but also across the city, such as:
- Physical activity sessions
- Services for support to eat healthily
- Activities to improve mood and help feel more positive
- Find out work or training opportunities
- Activities to help meet new people and make friends
- Help with finding out what is happening in the local area.
A number of the Link Worker referrals were then referred on to our Health & Wellbeing team, who were able to work with people for a number of sessions on a one to one basis, either face to face or over the phone, to understand what their wants and needs are, and help to turn that into a plan. After the initial appointment, our staff will keep in contact, to see how the person is doing and if there is anything else they may need support with.
We have had some really positive results through the use of social prescribing. A lot of clients feel that their success is due to being able to make changes gradually, without time pressures and taking into account their own specific circumstances and needs. They also appreciate that the Heath & Wellbeing Worker has one to one time for them, and can offer a flexible service, offering different appointment times to fit in with the realities of life.
If you are registered with one of the practices we work with, you can ask your GP to refer you by asking for a referral to Darnall Well Being. Or you can self-refer by calling our office (0114 249 6315).