The power of singing in health and social care - singing on prescription

Singing Mamas CIC have been funded by Arts Council England to pilot a NEW digital programme of Singing Mamas On Prescription across Cheshire and Merseyside to address geographical exclusion. This work will sit alongside the existing face to face singing programme in the Liverpool City Region, funded through Improving Me - NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s women’s health and maternity programme. 

This means Singing Mamas can start to extend their hugely successful social prescribing activity, supported through the NHS voluntary sector grants programme, which was designed to respond to a perinatal mental health crisis, amplified by COVID. And build more relationships with GP surgeries and Primary Care Networks and their Social Prescribing Teams across the region.

Rachel Waite has been developing and delivering Singing Mamas On Prescription programmes in the Liverpool City Region for over 5 years. Funding for face-to-face work has been very time-limited and the stop/start nature of the funding has made developing long-term relationships with healthcare professionals and communities complicated. We believe that by developing a universal and evergreen digital offer we can have an ongoing presence across Cheshire & Merseyside and reach more women and birthing people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to engage with the programme.   

Singing Mamas CIC also  received funding from Improving Me, for a year long Community Of Practice project with One Knowsley , this reflects a commitment by the NHS to work in partnership with public sector and voluntary sector colleagues in their communities. It also underlines Improving Me and the NHS’ commitment to innovate to address a maternal mental health crisis drawing on non-clinical , creative health interventions to promote health creation and new treatment and management opportunities to aid recovery. 
 ‘At Home With Singing Mamas’ will:

• Increase the number of women and birthing people accessing singing for perinatal mental health across Cheshire & Merseyside
• Increase social prescribing referrals to Singing Mamas across Cheshire & Merseyside
• Increase participants  confidence in singing/music making and boost self esteem
• But above all else improve the wellbeing of everyone who takes part 

Inclusivity is always at the forefront of our minds as Singing Mamas grows . We recognise that digital access is only part of a solution and as the programme evolves we will look to address other barriers through new collaborations and partnerships.

WHAT?

We have created six 10 minute videos which will be accessible through the Singing Mamas Website which will be available to participants on a weekly basis over 6 weeks.  

There are lullabies, soothing songs, and uplifting lyrics which are taught by 3 Singing Mamas Leaders with mums joining in.

WHO?

This programme has been developed by an advisory panel made up of GPs, midwives, social prescribers, and mums with lived experience.  We have also had consultations with Ruth Oshikanlu who is a multiple award-winning nurse, midwife and health visitor… a nurse entrepreneur, consultant, leader and parenting expert; and Jo Ward from the Social Prescribing Network national steering group who is also NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s creative health and social prescribing lead adviser

We’ve also included an interview with Dr Rosie Perkins from the Royal College of Music who is the leading expert in singing for perinatal wellbeing, who explains the benefits of singing.

HOW?

Health Professionals will be invited to a launch event at the World Museum, and a live on-line launch to inform referrals and then receive a link that they can send to mums in order to sign up. Singing Mamas is also undertaking outreach to visit healthcare professionals so do get in touch to arrange a visit if you can’t make either of the launch dates.

This process will be supported by a range of FREE information packs and leaflets which health professionals can access by  contacting the team

Email: [email protected] or call: 07747446048

WHEN?

This new pilot programme will be running across Cheshire & Merseyside launching from July until December 2023 when we will evaluate activity and plan next steps.