Understanding the effectiveness and mechanisms of a social prescribing service: a mixed method analysis.

BACKGROUND: Evidence of the effectiveness of social prescribing is inconclusive causing commissioning challenges. This research focusses on a social prescribing scheme in Northern England which deploys 'Wellbeing Coordinators' who offer support to individuals, providing advice on local groups and services in their community. The research sought to understand the outcomes of the service and, in addition, the processes which supported delivery. METHODS: Quantitative data was gathered from service users at the point they entered the service and also at the point they exited. Qualitative interviews were also undertaken with service users to gather further understanding of the service and any positive or negative outcomes achieved. In addition, a focus group discussion was also conducted with members of social prescribing staff to ascertain their perspectives of the service both from an operational and strategic perspective. RESULTS: In total, 342 participants provided complete wellbeing data at baseline and post stage and 26 semi-structured qualitative interviews were carried out. Improvements in participants' well-being, and perceived levels of health and social connectedness as well as reductions in anxiety was demonstrated. In many cases, the social prescribing service had enabled individuals to have a more positive and optimistic view of their life often through offering opportunities to engage in a range of hobbies and activities in the local community. The data on reductions in future access to primary care was inconclusive. Some evidence was found to show that men may have greater benefit from social prescribing than women. Some of the processes which increased the likelihood of success on the social prescribing scheme included the sustained and flexible relationship between the service user and the Wellbeing Coordinator and a strong and vibrant voluntary and community sector. CONCLUSIONS: Social prescribing has the potential to address the health and social needs of individuals and communities. This research has shown a range of positive outcomes as a result of service users engaging with the service. Social prescribing should be conceptualised as one way to support primary care and tackle unmet needs.

Assessing the perioperative communication needs of a patient with learning disabilities: An holistic case study approach.

Patients should be at the heart of everything we do. The aim should always be to achieve healthcare outcomes by involving patients fully in their own care, with decisions made in partnership with clinicians, rather than by clinicians alone: 'no decision about me, without me' (DH 2012). This article details a plan of care for an 18 year old male patient with a moderate level of learning disability who was scheduled for a tonsillectomy at a local NHS trust hospital. It focuses on the management of the patient's anxiety, nausea and pain. In accordance with the Health and Care Professions Council's code of confidentiality (HCPC 2014) the location and individual names of places and people concerned will not be disclosed. The patient presented at the pre-assessment appointment as having a learning disability consistent with a diagnosis of being on the autistic spectrum. More specifically, he had cognitive impairment which affected his ability to understand complex information. This, combined with a reduced ability to cope independently, formed the rationale for the attendance of a carer throughout his perioperative journey. According to the National Autistic Society (NAS) there are approximately 700,000 people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the UK ie more than 1 in 100. Autism is a part of daily life for 2.8 million people (NAS nd).

Attitudes towards lesbians and gay men and support for lesbian and gay human rights among psychology students.

A questionnaire comprising two scales, the short form of the Attitudes Towards Lesbians and Gay Men Scale (ATLG-S; Herek, 1984) and the newly devised Support for Lesbian and Gay Human Rights Scale (SLGHR) were administered to 226 students taking undergraduate psychology courses at universities in the United Kingdom, to assess their attitudes towards lesbians and gay men, and their level of support for lesbian and gay human rights. The results indicated that whilst only a small percentage of respondents expressed negative attitudes towards lesbians and gay men on the ATLG-S, the sample as a whole did not overwhelmingly support lesbian and gay human rights. The lack of support for lesbian and gay human rights is discussed in relation to its implications for psychology students as future practitioners and policymakers.