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Social Prescribing – Banstead
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Social Prescribing connects people to activities, groups and services in their community to meet the practical, social and emotional needs that affect their health and wellbeing.
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What is Social Prescribing?
Many things affect your health and wellbeing. GPs tell us that a lot of people visit them, feeling lonely and isolated. Or they might be stressed out by work, money and housing problems. Sometimes it’s the stress of managing long-term conditions.
How can Social Prescribing help YOU?
- It starts with a conversation. It might be one you’ve just had with your doctor, or with another person in the practice team. They will refer you to a Social Prescribing Link Worker.
- Your Social Prescribing Link Worker is there to listen to you, and put you in touch with the people and activities that might help to make you feel better.
- Your Link Worker might introduce you to a community group, a new activity or a local club.
- They might also help you find information and guidance, such as inside knowledge on your situation or what local resources are available to you.
- Your appointments will be offered face-to-face, via telephone or online.
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Who Is Social Prescribing For?
At the moment, we only offer Social Prescribing in Banstead.
Our Social Prescribing service is available to:
- All adults aged 18+ years.
- People who are registered with a GP in Banstead at the following surgeries: Tattenham Health Centre, Heathcote Medical Centre, Nork Clinic, Longcroft Clinic, Tadworth Medical Centre.
- People who need support around emotional wellbeing, social isolation and loneliness, finding employment or volunteering, building/maintaining a healthy lifestyle, welfare advice, or carers support.
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How Social Prescribing Could Help
Studies show that people accessing social prescribing services feel better faster than those treated with medicine alone. Some of the benefits of social prescribing include:
- Helping you to have more control over your own health by finding ways to improve how you feel in a way that focuses on what matters to you.
- Receiving guidance from a knowledgeable person who has ‘insider’ information about what your community offers to help you access activities, groups and information that can benefit your wellbeing.
- Strengthening community and personal resilience and reducing health inequalities by addressing the wider issues of health such as debt, poor housing and physical inactivity.
- Supporting people with long-term conditions, those who are lonely and isolated or have complex social needs which affect their wellbeing.
- Offering personalised support to individuals, their families and carers.
- Fostering trusting relationships by giving you the time and a holistic person-centred approach, based on your priorities and wider determinants of your health.
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How to Access the Service
If you are 18+ and registered with a GP in Banstead, you can access Social Prescribing in two ways. You can either:
- Contact your GP, practice nurse, or any healthcare professional you are working with in Banstead, who can make a referral on your behalf.
- Or request to access the service yourself by making a self-referral.
How to make a self-referral
Three options are available to request the service, please choose one of them:
- Download our self-referral form. Then email it to socialprescribing@maryfrancestrust.org.uk or post it to us: Social Prescribing, Mary Frances Trust, 23 The Crescent, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 8DY.
- Or email socialprescribing@maryfrancestrust.org.uk and ask for an electronic referral form to be sent to you.
- Or call 01372 375 400 and ask for a referral form to be posted to you.
Please note that we only offer Social Prescribing in Banstead. There are other social prescribing services available throughout Surrey, delivered by other organisations. Contact your GP surgery to find out more.
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