Issue - meetings

This report provides a background of Social Prescribing, and an update on the delivery of the service in the Borough.

Following consideration, it was resolved:

(1)      To Note the update report and endorse the continuation of the Social Prescribing service;

(2)      To Agree to the Head of Operational Services, in consultation with the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Committee, to entering into appropriate contracts for the delivery of Social Prescribing services by the Council to relevant Primary Care Networks.

The Committee received a report providing a background on Social Prescribing, and an update on the delivery of the service by the Council.

The following matters were considered:

a)            Council’s involvement in social prescribing. Officers informed the Committee that the Council was well positioned to be involved in Social Prescribing due to its local knowledge and links to existing services/resources. The social prescribing model would be self funding, and offered the potential of additional revenue generation through increased take up of council services. The service promoted the Council’s Corporate Priority of ‘Supporting our Community’ by tackling social isolation and helping residents to build social networks.

b)            Future updates on service. The Committee noted that updates on the operation of the service would be provided to Members in the future, and could be included in the Committee’s Forward Plan as appropriate. Data from the service would be used to inform future updates to the Council’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy, an item of business which was included elsewhere on the agenda for this meeting.

c)            Take-up of service. The Committee was informed that take-up of the service by GPs would take time to build. Officers were continuing to provide promotional material to GP surgeries and were in dialogue with GP’s to build awareness of the service’s benefits.

Following consideration, it was resolved:

(1)      To note the update report and endorse the continuation of the Social Prescribing service;

(2)      To agree to the Head of Operational Services, in consultation with the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Committee, to entering into appropriate contracts for the delivery of Social Prescribing services by the Council to relevant Primary Care Networks.