To help a patient, NHS England suggests front-line health and care professionals:¹⁰

• ·       adopt person-centred and strengths-based practice when talking to a patient to explore (non-judgementally) whether they have non-clinical need that might be met through social prescribing;

• ·       consider how that person’s social and emotional needs, such as relationship, social networks or support in their neighbourhood, may be affecting their health;

• ·       find out about what local services are available and the referral process to local link workers and what criteria, if any, are expected.

Person centred care involves:¹²

• ·       focusing care on the needs of individuals and ensuring that people’s preferences, needs and values guide clinical decisions, and

• ·       providing care that is respectful of and responsive to them.

Social prescribing may be available via primary care networks (PCNs), local authorities (including adult social care), integrated care boards (ICBs) with delivery partners including the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector working with the voluntary sector, community groups and other statutory agencies.^10,13,14