Cumbria Council for Voluntary Service (Cumbria CVS) are working hard to support social prescribing in Cumbria, hosting events to bring together health coaches, social prescribers and VCSE organisations, supporting greater connectivity and capacity in the region and helping to build the engagement and integration of the VCSE sector with the NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB).
VONNE are proud to be enabling investment into the role of Sarah Penn, Health Partnerships Support Officer at Cumbria CVS as part of our Healthy Communities and Social Prescribing Infrastructure Investment Programme. This programme is funded by the North East and North Cumbria ICB and supports thirteen organisations to improve the social prescribing offer in their localities.
Sarah is well placed to reflect on the strengths and challenges of the social prescribing landscape in Cumbria. She explains that there is a lot of good work going on but that the picture is not consistent region-wide and the work that’s making a difference to people’s lives is far from secure in the long term. The social prescribing service in Cumbria is being delivered across a wide geographical area, incorporating two councils and multiple Primary Care Networks (PCNs) and there are many different roles in social prescribing delivery, with practitioners often working alone in isolated communities.
Sarah explains: “This can make the landscape seem rather complicated. Roles in local councils and the ICB have also recently changed which has led to further uncertainty.
“That isn’t the greatest obstacle though. The primary challenge is the inconsistency of funding reaching the VCSE sector, which means that there can be a shortage of activities for social prescribers to refer people onto, especially in more deprived areas.”
Sarah is part of Cumbria CVS’s Health Partnerships team and they use their resources to address some of the challenges and help build social prescribing capacity in Cumbria. They have set out to build on what’s already happening, asking those working in social prescribing and the VCSE sector what is needed in terms of support. As a result, they have set up a timetable of regular events. The Link and Think events focus on a different topic each time, the first covered bereavement and the second covered persistent pain. These events have received good feedback and have led to new projects and partnerships.
The Connect the Connector events bring together those working within social prescribing roles along with VCSE staff to support the development of a mutually supportive community of practice. Later this year, Cumbria CVS will also go on to host a young people’s social prescribing community of practice event for those working with young people.
Julie Clayton, CEO of Eden Valley Hospice, said of the Link and Think event: “As an event it was effective – because it was subject specific people were able to get into focused conversations quickly and this felt like everyone went away having made useful and specific connections and with new information and actions.”
Furthermore, at a strategic level, Cumbria CVS have recently taken over chairing the North Cumbria Steering Group, previously part of the ICB, providing an opportunity to represent Cumbria and influence decision making at a regional level.
Sarah’s commitment to improving the social prescribing offer and supporting the VCSE sector comes from both her professional background, as a children’s nurse and in maternal mental health, and her personal experience. She experienced significant challenges with mental ill health following the birth of her child. With support from The Happy Mum’s Foundation she found hope and the aspiration to recover and began volunteering to help others who have been through similar things. This has clearly led to a passionate belief in the power of social prescribing and the VCSE sector to give meaningful and compassionate support, ultimately changing lives.
You can find out more about Cumbria CVS’s health and wellbeing work on their website, and if you’re interested in their social prescribing project work you can contact Sarah via email on sarah.penn@cumbriacvs.org.uk.
If you would like to know more about VONNE’s Healthy Communities and Social Prescribing programme you can access the webpage here and join the Healthy Communities and Social Prescribing Network to receive regular news and information.