Nominator Ryan Nicholls explains that social prescribing services across East Riding stepped up on 15 March to support the emergency response to the pandemic, covering over 1000 square miles with 12 community hub sites. The team played an integral role in ensuring more than 9,500 residents between 15 March and July 2020 had direct support and access to medication, food, support for loneliness, isolation and vulnerability in addition to access to a befriender when things got tough, as well as supporting a healthy lifestyle while shielding. All referrals were individual contacted and came via the community link worker service for triage and assessment, introducing virtual face to face contact through our new upstreaming platform, telephone, email and SMS. Working in partnership with HEY Smile Foundation, Humberside Fire and Rescue and the local authority, we delivered an outstanding social prescription. The team retained all pre-existing social prescribing support and intervention alongside the emergency community response.
