Agenda item

(To receive a report on behalf of the Lincolnshire Sustainable Transformation Partnership,(STP) which advises the Board on the outcomes of the Social Prescribing 'proof concept' work funded by the Health and Wellbeing Grant Fund and the Better Care Fund between 2017 and 2019.  The report also provides an update on the delivery of services since 2019 and the future ambitions for the Social Prescribing Service.  Sarah Stringer, Transformation Manager, East Locality, Kirsteen Redmile, STP Lead Change Manager Personalisation and Dr Sunil Hindocha, Clinical Director of Marina Primary Care Network, (PCN) and Chair of the Lincolnshire PCN Alliance will be in attendance for this item)

The Chairman welcome to the meeting Sarah Stringer, Transformation Manager, East Locality, Kirsteen Redmile, STP Lead Change Manager Personalisation and Dr Sunil Hindocha, Clinical Director of Marina Primary Care Network, (PCN) and Chair of the Lincolnshire PCN Alliance.

Dr Sunil Hindocha introduced the item and advised the Board that since the Health and Wellbeing Board had first awarded £369,016 'proof of concept' funding for social prescribing, significant progress had been made in the strategic ambition as outlined in the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy (JHWS) and in the NHS Long Term Plan to create an embedded Social Prescribing service.  Details relating to the local model were shown on pages 63 and 64 of the report.

Appendix A to the report provided the Board with an update report on the service from April to September 2020.

It was reported that in the first two quarters of 2020, the countywide service had received over 700 new referrals to the existing caseload of 660 referrals at the start of April 2020.  It was highlighted that there had been an increase in the number of referrals from LPFT during lockdown.  The Board noted that the Link Worker Team had carried out almost 24,000 support activities during the first half of the year, ranging from telephone calls, liaison with services etc.

The Board was also advised that contact was also being made through the new Vitrucare video call platform.  The platform enabled the link workers the opportunity to link and support participants virtually.  A screen shot of a platform and the variety of tiles available to a social prescribing participant was detailed on page 70 of the report pack.

It was reported that there needed to be a firm commitment to social prescribing across the county, not just at Primary Care Network (PCN) level.  It was highlighted that in order to develop a single offer, contract security and stability would need to be reached to allow both staff and the model time to embed and mature.  It was highlighted that there would also need to be the opportunity to share resources both at an operational and strategic level.

The Board noted that social prescribing was now embedded in the NHS offer, as it formed part of the NHS's ten high impact action.

During discussion, the Board raised the following points:

·       That there needed to be a joined up approach to avoid overlap and duplication across the county;

·       Some members welcomed the report presented and expressed their thanks to the presenters; and

·       The need to ensure that there was a central point from which participants could be directed from.

RESOLVED

1.     That the progress made in social prescribing from both the original proof of concept and new funding streams, and to sign off completion of the proof of concept project be noted.

2.    That the ambitions for the services/new national expectations against the current risks and mitigations as detailed in the report be received.

3.    That the Board reviews what further support and influence the Board can provide across all organisations to further commit funding in order to mitigate short-term risks, as the Social Prescribing Link worker model grows in maturity, but also to review how as a system Lincolnshire supports community development initiatives to ensure there are services and activities available for Social Prescribing to refer to (particularly in light of the impact of Covid-19).

4.     That future responsibility be delegated to the Personalisation Board to monitor further updates on this service and agree the Personalisation Board will in turn report by exception back to the Health and Wellbeing Board as required.