Social Prescribing

Published by HACT, July 2019

HACT and the Centre for Excellence in Community Investment have launched a new report on the role of housing associations in delivering social prescribing in London. Social prescribing, a concept that has grown in popularity in recent years, is about helping people access non-clinical services in their community that can improve their health and wellbeing and housing providers play an increasingly important role in this.

The report was commissioned by the GLA, who asked HACT to help them engage with the social housing sector in London. It outlines the role of housing associations and their relevance to social prescribing, identifies the key players in London that are best placed to engage with the social prescribing agenda, and looks at how best to take this engagement forward. The report has been used to inform the GLA’s forthcoming next steps for social prescribing strategy.

Areas of housing association work that are relevant to the social prescribing agenda include employment support, financial inclusion, digital inclusion, health and wellbeing, safer, stronger communities, and the physical environment. Housing associations are also the main providers of specialist and supported housing, which are key areas for delivering the social prescribing vision.

 

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