Bailiwick Social Prescribing (BSP) have plenty to celebrate this month with the first of their Breakfast Social Pop-Ups, referral expansion to the Healthcare Group practice and Healthy Minds’ free community-based mental health service, as well as National Link worker day coming up on 8th October.
The Bailiwick Social Prescribing team have received over 70 referrals from the pioneering GP practice, Island health so far since launching in July this year and are now expanding to another group, Healthcare Guernsey. The free scheme finds out what matters to clients (adults over 18) and supports them with non-medical support, helping to improve their health and wellbeing.
Dr Mike McCarthy, Chair of Healthcare Group Guernsey said: “We are very excited to be engaged with the Bailiwick Social Prescribing team and look forward to our doctors developing the relationship for the good of all of our patients. This new connection is a very positive step in providing another valuable aspect of patient care.”
Healthy minds receive 100 referrals a month, offering free interventions for adults dealing with stress, anxiety and depression. The service can now refer people to a professionally trained BSP Link Worker.
Their manger, Dr Beverley Tachon is pleased to see these two schemes connect up: “We know that good mental health is reliant on support in all areas of life. We see many people with worries about areas which the Bailiwick Social Prescribing Link Workers assist with, alongside our therapy service at Healthy Minds. The BSP Link Workers listen closely to clients to enable social connection though art, music, outdoors and help them access learning, volunteering, and befriending as well as support with housing and financial concerns. We’re really pleased that we can now refer our clients onto Bailiwick Social Prescribing, so that a full spectrum of need can be supported.”
Dr Tachon, alongside the Bailiwick Social Prescribing charity partners and supporters attended a new Breakfast Social Pop-up event on 6th October. The morning will enable ideas to be shared and everyone to be updated on each organisation’s work. The team are particularly looking forward to catching up with long term partners who have been vital to the scheme’s success.
The team will then celebrate National Link Worker day on 8th October. The two BSP Link Workers work to the UK standard of Social Prescribing and have received professional training at the Bromley By Bow Centre and are members of the National Association of Link Workers.
Melissa Mitchell, BSP Lead said: “We have received great feedback from IslandHealth GPs who are already seeing real benefits for their patients, we look forward to also offering the scheme to the patients at the Healthcare group and those Healthy Minds work with, making the free BSP scheme even more assessable. We are continually grateful to be able to link our clients with the fantastic work of our Third Sector partners, together we are making an impact and improving’ people’s health and wellbeing.”
Trish de Carteret and Candice Green, the scheme’s two Link Workers are proud to be working with clients to grow their confidence and increase wellbeing.
Trish De Carteret, BSP Link Worker Manager said: “Since the Bailiwick Social Prescribing scheme launched in July, we have seen a huge demand for the scheme. I am so encouraged to see the difference that we, as professionally trained BSP link workers, can make to people’s lives. It has been great working with agencies such as Healthy Minds who offer the perfect opportunity for partnership working.”
