Nominated by Steffie Vial, Carolyn McBain and Farah Ahmed, Social Prescribers and Sajid Patel, Social Prescribing Link Worker, NHS FedNet
The Waltham Forest team of Social Prescribers and Link Workers joined forces with the 7 PCNs to develop a programme of support for patients and residents at the beginning of lockdown. This created many challenges where the team learned to adapt quickly by creating a virtual team space, working remotely to train, induct and support each other. They contacted thousands of patients and residents in the borough by offering a telephone-based support service to shielded and isolated individuals, connecting them to access local community based and wellbeing support services. They continue to support patients and residents to identify and work towards achieving their own goals, focusing on mental, emotional and physical wellbeing:
- Offering practical and emotional support when people experience loss, bereavement and unemployment.
- Referring them to financial advice services regarding welfare, benefits, debt, and income support.
- Combatting social isolation by connecting patients and residents to local mutual aid groups, reducing barriers and building networks of support.
This was all done online and the team worked to share good practice as well as support each other through the pandemic. They managed to have a social distanced meeting and finally all met in the flesh and as you can see from the picture, they are a happy and enthusiastic as well as diverse team who take pride in the work they do.
Their mission is to identify and marry up the issues and linkup with the services available by referring patients and residents to many services like financial advice, welfare, benefits, debt, income support, housing, voluntary sector, sports and activities in combatting social isolation by connecting patients and residents to local mutual aid groups, reducing barriers and building networks of support
A team of highly skilled, experienced and empathic individuals. The team has been proactive in working with clinicians, commissioners, local charitable and statutory organisations to provide all the support and advice the public needed during the Covid-19 crisis.
