What Is Social Prescribing?
- Healthwatch West Berkshire
- Jan 12
- 3 min read
How It Can Help You in West Berkshire
Have you heard the phrase social prescribing and wondered what it means? It’s a growing service across the NHS, including here in West Berkshire, that can help you get support for the things outside traditional medical care that affect your health and wellbeing.
What Is Social Prescribing?
Social prescribing is a way of connecting you with non-medical support and community resources that can help improve your wellbeing, whether that’s reducing loneliness, getting more active, finding support for money worries, or discovering social groups and activities near you.
Rather than focusing only on medical treatment, social prescribing looks at what matters most to you and links you with local groups, organisations, and services that can help.
In West Berkshire, social prescribing is delivered through social prescribing link workers based in local GP surgeries and primary care networks (PCNs). These link workers spend time listening to you, help you identify what’s important in your life, and then work with you to develop a plan connecting you to the right community support.
Who Can Use It?
Social prescribing is for adults who may be:
struggling with loneliness or isolation
dealing with low-level mental health concerns
managing long-term health conditions
facing stress due to money, employment, housing or other pressures
wishing to get more involved in activities or social groups
It’s not a replacement for medical treatment but a way to support your overall health by connecting you with what’s available in your community.
How Can You Access Social Prescribing in West Berkshire?
1. Through your GP surgery;
Most people hear about social prescribing when they speak to a GP or practice nurse. Your GP can refer you to a social prescribing link worker at your surgery or through your Primary Care Network (PCN).
2. Contact reception at your GP practice
If you feel social prescribing might help you, you can ask your GP practice reception team to refer you to a social prescribing link worker. Once referred, a link worker will contact you to talk about what matters to you and explore what types of local support or groups might help.
Examples of Support You Might Get
A social prescribing link worker could help you find or be connected to:
community or social groups to make new connections
wellbeing activities (like walking groups or art classes)
advice about money, employment, or housing support
services to support your mental health and confidence
voluntary or local organisations that match your interests
The aim is to help you take control of your wellbeing in ways that feel right to you.
Where to Find Local Services and Support
West Berkshire Council maintain an online directory , www. directory.westberks.gov.uk, of local health, social care and community support services, including many of the organisations and groups a social prescriber might connect you to. You can search by postcode or keyword to find services near you that may help with wellbeing, social connection, or practical support.
How Healthwatch Can Help You
At Healthwatch West Berkshire, we want to make sure your voice is heard about services like social prescribing:
Tell us about your experience using social prescribing — good or bad — so we can share what’s working well and where improvements are needed.
Help shape local services by giving feedback that Healthwatch can pass on to NHS teams, West Berkshire Council and community partners.
Get information and support on how to access and understand services available to you in your community.
If you’ve used social prescribing or have tried to access it, your views matter. Sharing your experiences with us helps make services better for everyone in West Berkshire.
Phone:01635 886210
Online Form: Have Your Say | Healthwatch West Berkshire
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