Phoenix Takes Flight (PTF): exploring usability and scalability challenges with community-based health support via social prescribing.
Lead Research Organisation:
Lancaster University
Department Name: Management Science
Abstract
The Phoenix Takes Flight (PTF) research study will explore how community-based organisations delivering social prescribing initiatives can expand and grow within integrated care systems.
PTF will work with an established social prescribing programme Phoenix Rising (supported by the Thriving Communities Fund), where existing third sector partners (The Gathering Fields, Green Close, Lancashire Wildlife Trust and Mandala Preston) are currently delivering an extensive programme of art, nature and movement activities in partnership with Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust's Recovery College.
The study will draw upon the learning of the partners who collectively have over 55 years' experience of delivery in this field and the research findings produced by Lancaster University in September 2020 https://greenclose.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Phoenix_Project_Evaluation.pdf and also due in March 2022.
PTF will draw upon a growing network of community partners delivering social prescribing in the area and explore the benefits and challenges of delivering community-based health support for a wide range of participants, examining how it can be embedded into integrated care systems, and how it can grow and flourish to enable access for those populations most in need of healthcare support.
The study will use the existing network which the Phoenix and Phoenix Rising projects have grown to ensure a robust cross-section of health care providers, GP's, Social Prescribing link workers, patients and third sector organisations are involved from the study's inception through to its completion.
PTF will bring these groups together to discuss the challenges and benefits of this work, to reflectively plan the development of the work and ultimately co-produce ideas and solutions that will enable the existing programme to become more scalable in terms of service offers and more likely to be sustainable to those in need of accessing such services - thereby ultimately to 'taking flight'.
Co-production, patient voice and an open and inclusive approach to our research - informed by the knowledge of our partners - will ensure that we build an inclusive, solution-focussed outcome that will enable a collective approach to expanding social prescribing offers embedded within integrated care systems. It is our aim that the solutions provided through this research will help to tackle some of the many health inequalities existing in the North West of England.
PTF will work with an established social prescribing programme Phoenix Rising (supported by the Thriving Communities Fund), where existing third sector partners (The Gathering Fields, Green Close, Lancashire Wildlife Trust and Mandala Preston) are currently delivering an extensive programme of art, nature and movement activities in partnership with Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust's Recovery College.
The study will draw upon the learning of the partners who collectively have over 55 years' experience of delivery in this field and the research findings produced by Lancaster University in September 2020 https://greenclose.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Phoenix_Project_Evaluation.pdf and also due in March 2022.
PTF will draw upon a growing network of community partners delivering social prescribing in the area and explore the benefits and challenges of delivering community-based health support for a wide range of participants, examining how it can be embedded into integrated care systems, and how it can grow and flourish to enable access for those populations most in need of healthcare support.
The study will use the existing network which the Phoenix and Phoenix Rising projects have grown to ensure a robust cross-section of health care providers, GP's, Social Prescribing link workers, patients and third sector organisations are involved from the study's inception through to its completion.
PTF will bring these groups together to discuss the challenges and benefits of this work, to reflectively plan the development of the work and ultimately co-produce ideas and solutions that will enable the existing programme to become more scalable in terms of service offers and more likely to be sustainable to those in need of accessing such services - thereby ultimately to 'taking flight'.
Co-production, patient voice and an open and inclusive approach to our research - informed by the knowledge of our partners - will ensure that we build an inclusive, solution-focussed outcome that will enable a collective approach to expanding social prescribing offers embedded within integrated care systems. It is our aim that the solutions provided through this research will help to tackle some of the many health inequalities existing in the North West of England.
Organisations
- Lancaster University (Lead Research Organisation)
- L&SC Health & Care Partnership (Project Partner)
- Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (Project Partner)
- Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (Project Partner)
- The Gathering Fields Wellbeing Centre (Project Partner)
- Green Close (Project Partner)
- Wildlife Trust for Lancashire Manchester (Project Partner)
- The Mandala Preston CIC (Project Partner)
Publications
Rafiei S
(2024)
Stakeholder views on addressing challenges to the implementation of social prescribing in the United Kingdom
in Frontiers in Health Services
| Description | Through a series of participatory activities with four different stakeholder groups through interviews, focus groups, design workshops and a citizens' jury event, we identified eight challenges related to social prescribing offering. These were: financial issues and sustainability, human resources challenges, partnership working challenges, inadequate and inconsistent implementation, information system challenges, referral system issues, training and knowledge gaps, and accessibility and privacy concerns. To the best of the research team's knowledge, there is no research bringing different stakeholders' viewpoints to determine the challenges in the social prescribing ecosystem. We then identified root causes for these and through co-design workshops with members of the community, 11 potential solutions were developed to resolve the challenges. |
| Exploitation Route | We are drafting a policy brief which will be used to communicate our findings with policymakers. In addition, we are drafting a report for the general public and participants in our study. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy Creative Economy Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) Healthcare Government Democracy and Justice |
| Description | Citizens' jury event held at Lancaster University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | We organised a successful two-day Citizens' Jury at Lancaster University in Nov-23, focusing on social prescribing delivery models within the NHS. The event drew over 40 participants, representing diverse stakeholder groups including service users, community service providers, Link workers, NHS staff, and policymakers, including Dr. Sakthi Karunanithi, Director of Public Health for Lancashire, among others. Citizens' Juries bring together volunteers from the public, researchers, and policymakers for a two-day deliberation on specific public issues. Enabling citizens to question and engage in debates with policymakers and experts, leading to a decision/verdict or a set of recommendations. Following the event, we've received interest from the L&SC Integrated Care Board, Arts Council, Public Health teams, and the National Centre for Creative Health, all seeking access to our findings and recommendations. Currently, we are collaborating with the Lancaster University Research Policy Impact Manager to finalise a policy brief addressing the event's verdicts. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |