Social Prescribing Day: spotlight on Lambeth’s dedicated social prescribing link workers

Social Prescribing Day, celebrated annually on 19 March, is a day dedicated to raising awareness about the transformative impact of social prescribing on health and wellbeing. In Lambeth, social prescribing is a crucial element of community health, embedding social prescribers into GP practices and using their networking expertise to reach into specialist health and care services and provide holistic care.

To understand more about the vital role of social prescribers, we interviewed three local, dedicated professionals: Judith and Sylvia, who specialise in supporting Lambeth’s Latin Community, and Jack an Ageing Well Link Worker who works for Age UK.

Social prescribers connect patients with the local community and help them to navigate our health and care system. They help patients with problems that affect their wellbeing which can be wide-ranging – including housing, benefits, debts, social isolation, employment support, access to transport, support from adult social care and more. They work for Primary Care Networks (PCNs) – giving support to patients across clusters of two or more GP practices.

Josepha Reynolds, Director for the Neighbourhood and Wellbeing Delivery Alliance said: “On Social Prescribing Day, it’s important celebrate the incredible work of social prescribing link workers and local support projects and services that provide community-based solutions. By connecting people to activities like yoga, walking, and gardening, social prescribers help manage chronic pain, depression, and other health issues in ways that traditional medical treatments often cannot. Their dedication and impact are vital to the health and wellbeing of Lambeth residents.”

Meet Judith

“I’m from Nicaragua – a country with many problems. I remember the war as a child, and experienced a number of big, natural disasters. But this meant that I grew up with a strong sense of community and so find this kind of work fulfilling, although it can be challenging!

“I’ve worked in my job for nearly three years. I love social prescribing because you get to work with people from any age group. Our service is in high demand. Like me, every single one of my colleagues has a waiting list – and we all see hundreds of people every year.

“We provide personalised care, because each person may have different priorities. But the main reasons for referrals are usually housing, to get support with benefits or for help with social isolation.

“We have a large Spanish speaking community in Lambeth. The main problem for them is around access to support because of the language barrier. So I run the Latin Connection, a Whatsapp support group for the Latin community, with Sylvia, another social prescriber who also speaks Spanish.

“In Streatham PCN we’re currently planning a series of workshops to help patients with the self-management of chronic pain. This comes up a lot for social prescribers across Lambeth – because addressing common health problems is a part of our community development role, and because so many people in Lambeth are living with chronic pain.

“For me, I celebrate with my patients when they feel happy. That sense of ‘yes we did it’ is what motivates me!”

Meet Silvia

“I’m Spanish, and I’ve been working as a social prescribing link worker for nearly two years. I was motivated to pursue this role because I saw a huge need for personalised care, especially for people who do not speak English and struggling with mental health challenges.

“I see patients face-to-face, supporting them with a wide range of needs, such as housing issues, financial difficulties, mental health challenges, and more. Every individual has a unique story, and I work to connect them with the right resources and support systems to improve their well-being.

“I was given the opportunity to set up a community project, and in response, I launched a coffee morning to support the Spanish and Portuguese communities. This provides a safe space where people can seek help, connect with others, and feel less isolated. It has been incredibly rewarding to see the positive impact. Hearing people say things like ‘this group helps me manage my depression because I can speak my language and make new friends,’ reinforces the importance of our work. Knowing we are improving lives in such meaningful ways is deeply fulfilling.

“Last week, I coordinated an event for Stockwellbeing PCN to raise awareness about cancer screening. Over 80 women attended our International Women’s Day event, where I translated flyers into 16 different languages to reach those who do not speak English. The event provided vital information on bowel, cervical, and breast cancer screening, alongside opportunities for attendees to connect with a women’s confidence coach, enjoy food, and engage in activities.

“I truly love my role as a social prescriber and work in my PCN. It’s incredibly rewarding to witness positive outcomes, big or small. I want to make sure people’s stories have a happy ending—or at the very least, that they can see a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Meet Jack

“I’ve been employed as an ageing well link worker for Age UK for four months. My focus so far has been on working with the Fiveways PCN (which covers five GP surgeries across Oval, Stockwell, Brixton and Camberwell) to organise a series of outreach events for the clinicians in the team to offer ageing well advice and promote local resources. The events link people up with Age UK services, and can help with non-medical issues they may have – from housing, to befriending, to offering lifestyle advice around physical activity, nutrition, sleep for example. I use my contacts in Age UK and wider community to refer people to other services to help people stay healthy independent as they age. We’re hoping to expand the project across Lambeth, but have started in Fiveways PCN to address the health inequalities in that area.

“No two days are the same – yesterday I referred an elderly lady who was feeling anxious to a crochet club around the corner to increase her social activity, which she seemed quite excited about. And at a recent Age UK event I was able to have in-depth chats to signpost people to relevant services that can help them. Be that to get help from a monthly foot care clinic, our Handyfix team for support around the home, befriending opportunities, sharing our Mysocial calendar of clubs, IT classes, etc. I really enjoyed showing people the various ways we can help.

“I’m motivated to do this work as I want to have an impact on a wide community and to put into practice my interest in health and wellbeing. I enjoy seeing the difference we make on people’s quality of life – and knowing that I’m contributing to a happier, healthier community.”

Why this is important to Lambeth Together

As part of our five-year Health and Care Plan, we value the role of social prescribing as a means to support people in Lambeth with the ‘wider determinants of health’. These include a range of social, economic, and environmental factors that influence people’s health and wellbeing (such as income, education, employment, housing, social connection) which play a significant role in determining health outcomes.

Get suppport

To self-refer for community prescribing support, visit MYcommunity – Connect Lambeth

Call 0333 360 3700 or email mycommunity@ageuklambeth.org