How do we better connect the professionals delivering creative activities, and those supporting individuals with their healthcare and well being? Mayor of London funded a pilot project to develop and test a workforce development programme for the three professional groups involved in social prescribing to arts and culture:
- artists/arts organisations
- link workers
- GPs
Performing Medicine, a programme led by Clod Ensemble, facilitated and evaluated this project April 2020 to March 2021. Stakeholder groups shaped a cross-sector training programme consisting of four 2-hour modules, for up to 40 professionals.
We learned that there is a significant need for interprofessional training of this kind to support the growing social prescribing movement, to connect the different professional groups involved, and to facilitate access to a rich array of arts and cultural social prescribing offers.
I gained better awareness of how to approach arts & health projects, from co-design to recruitment.
- Programme attendee
Key takeaways from the programme include:
- Cross-sector working
The programme successfully addressed the needs of 3 different professional groups; facilitating a unique opportunity for cross-sector learning. The course enabled a dialogue enabling each sector to learn about the positive impact of arts/culture in social prescribing. An ‘agile and responsive’ forum emerged, supporting the exchange of information which lay the foundations for truly integrated working.
- Shifts in thinking
Link workers demonstratively opened up to the potential of creativity and culture over the four weeks. Many expressed that they had not previously considered the role arts and culture can play in social prescribing. Artists developed an understanding of what social prescribing is, how it works in their contexts, and how their skills/resources might best meet the needs of clients in these areas.
- Communication and articulation of offers
Use of case studies and participant testimonials proved powerful tools when telling the story of social prescribing and its impact. Attendees developed an understanding of the importance of clear, concise and accessible language when communicating social prescribing offers. This includes: what information needs to be made available, how it is prioritised/presented, and how to begin conversations with colleagues and clients around the benefits of arts and culture on health and wellbeing. This learning had been taken back into the working environment, cascaded to colleagues and applied to communication practices.
I am re-energised for using arts.
- Programme attendee
What’s next?
The course will be re-packaged and rolled out to more professionals across London Boroughs, tailored to suit local need. Scoping research is happening in tandem with key sector organisations in order to identify the best way forward, and to share the learning from the pilot. In time, this work will continue to improve cross-sector collaborations to benefit Londoners.