Description
The Croydon Social Prescribing programme is built on three basic principles engagement, opportunities and support, finding the best ways of engaging with the patients and the wider Croydon community, developing an array of local based opportunities proven to assist in their health self-management and supporting them through the transition of long term behavioural change.
These can be direct referrals to the programmes from GP’s or self-referrals from any organization or individual.
The Programme has been established to:
• Look at long-term behavioural change of patients
• Change patient dependency on clinical interventions
• Help capacity build local providers and local community hubs including churches, community organizations and centres
• To increase traffic flow of the community to these community hubs via GP practices • Develop patient self-referral to more community activities
• Connect GP/health practitioners with local community hubs
• Improve the patient experience at practices and increase learning around Shared Decision Making
• Develop more holistic community interventions
• Ensure a multi-agency/ multi-disciplinary approach working to build on and co-ordinate the range of work already developed in the borough
• Develop local community hubs which are led by the community / for the community / owned by the community. They become one stop shops for community development.
Each hub and the overall programme looks to offer some of the following:
• Heath interventions both clinical and non –clinical
• Healthy lifestyle and fitness classes
• Practical programmes, gardening, sewing, art, bingo and classes
• Education and vocational training
• Mentoring
• Financial and debt advice
• Exercise and health management
• Refreshments through tea or coffee clubs Provide opportunities to engage and support the Croydon community led by the people, for the people! The Social prescribing Community Engagement team is around to help support and coordinate opportunities.
Cost
Mostly free - some activities incur a small charge of maximum £3 per person per class.
