Health Exchange’s Social Prescribing Team can help you by signposting valuable and available services in your local area; then encouraging and facilitating you to use them. For instance:
Social isolation and Integration
- Do you feel lonely or isolated?
- Just fancy a brew and a natter?
- Would you like to be involved in a new hobby?
- Just need a friendly ear?
Our Social Prescribers can:
- Introduce you to a local coffee morning, lunch club or day care
- Need help getting there? We can help with this too
- How about a new hobby? Or taking up an old one again
- We can refer you to telephone befriending services
General Wellbeing (Physical and Mental)
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of being outdoors to people’s mental and physical health
- Do you want to join a Walking Group?
- The Canals Trust have towpaths that are open to walkers, cyclists and anglers, making it the perfect urban escape.
- Want more access to green spaces?
- Do you have green fingers? Maybe a community allotment would be your cup of tea?
Our Social Prescribers can:
- Introduce you to local Groups and options to get you out and about
Finances, Benefits and Housing
- Struggling Financially?
- Unsure what you could be doing better?
- Not good with budgeting or organising money?
- Do you need help to access benefits for the first time?
- Do you need a benefits review?
- Do you need help with a Housing issue?
Our Social Prescribers can:
- Help you access a financial/benefits specialist support worker
- Help you contact and communicate with your Housing Officer
Technology
Completing forms can be a daunting prospect for many, particularly as most forms are now completed online. Our Social Prescribers can:
- Help you gain access to technology and be more confident using it
- Need help to set up an email?
- Search for a better insurance deal?
- Need help fill out a form?
- We can refer you to services that can help you complete PIP applications, Blue badge scheme, Settlement forms, Universal Credit
Goal Setting
- Do you struggle to set realistic goals?
- Do you feel like you don’t know where to start?
- Do you struggle to stick to goals?
Our Health and Wellbeing Coaches can:
- Help you set goals that are realistic and feel comfortable for you.
Motivation
- Unmotivated?
- Not sure you can achieve what you really want?
- Ready to make change but not sure where to start?
Our Health and Wellbeing Coaches can:
- Help to give you the skills, knowledge and tools that can motivate you to achieve the life that you would like
Diet and Exercise
- Do you feel like your diet isn’t quite right?
- Do you want to do more exercise?
- Do you want to join a class or group?
- Do you want help with nutrition?
Our Health and Wellbeing Coaches can:
- Help you to understand more about your diet, be referred to an exercise class or group, and have exercises tailored to you
Volunteering, Employment and Learning
- Do you have time on your hands and want to ‘do’ something in your community?
- Volunteering can help you access the workforce by giving you real time work experience
- Need help to write a CV?
- Do you need help finding and staying in employment?
- Do you want to learn a new skill?
- Do you want to improve your Maths or English?
- Learn English as a second language?
Our Social Prescribers can:
- Help you through the process of applying for a volunteer placement
- Refer you to a specialist employment key worker
- Refer you into adult education services
We are currently offering this service to many General Practices in Birmingham, Sandwell and the Black Country. Contact us for more information and use our Social Prescribing Directory to find out more.