A successful arts-based pilot project run across the London Boroughs of Southwark and Merton has shown the significant need for cross-sector working to support social prescribing. The workforce development programme, delivered to three professional groups involved in social prescribing of arts and culture, included GPs, link workers, and artists.
Performing Medicine scoped, designed and delivered the unique arts-based workforce training programme which provided a much-needed opportunity for cross-sector learning.
Project evaluation demonstrated the significant need for nationwide interprofessional training of this kind in order to support the growing social prescribing movement and to facilitate future access to a rich array of arts and cultural social prescribing offers.
Carly Annable-Coop, programme manager at Performing Medicine said, “The need for social prescribing has increased considerably in recent years, with awareness heightened significantly during the pandemic. Connecting the different professional groups involved is therefore imperative, and our pilot workforce training programme with Southwark and Merton has demonstrated how arts-based training successfully supports this complex, cross-sector workforce; helping to develop the practical skills to build a rich inter-professional community who understand each other’s contexts and how to communicate effectively with each other and the people who are referred to them.”
A funding extension has been secured from the Greater London Authority and Performing Medicine would like to extend the opportunity for collaboration on a social prescribing workforce development programme to other London authorities; please do contact our team to express your interest on 020 7749 0555.
Performing Medicine (www.performingmedicine.com), an initiative founded by charity Clod Ensemble, provides art-based training programmes to support mental health and wellbeing. Follow on Twitter @PerformingMed1