Signpost to Nowhere

Why is it Local Authorities and the NHS always assume that people in Health and Social Care need more organisations to signpost?

Over the last 10 years I have seen our care services releasing at least 6 different platforms that have been set up to signpost. Similarly, commissionaires in these organisations also seem to think that people need to be signposted to let them know what services are there. Those services may offer a shoulder to cry on (which is important in its own right), but if you need specific help you’ll be moved on in to the whirlpool to nowhere.

Recently, there has been massive inputs into promotion of social prescribing, with substantial funding behind it, but where are the organisations, societies and groups to support these people? They don’t exist anymore. Years of brutal cuts to local communities have left people, as the Covid-19 pandemic has shown, reliant on help from local neighbors. The community services that were once there just don't exist anymore.

I have seen one or two glimpses where Social prescribers, have encouraged and supported people through the process, this is what is needed, not just a brush off to some other service. Similarly with Coproduction there seems to lots of independent organisations trying to follow this bandwagon. It should again be more than just a meeting, a place to say your peace, people need to be involved, in helping develop services, and that includes dealing with any issues within the services.

The reason behind why this has occured? I would propose that since the 80's, when self responsibility became priority over community responsibility, we eroded the fabric and type of people we are.

All of a sudden Covid-19 has come along (and for some time before then) we have  slowly realised the loss of and sense of community, which is showing up more and more as a greater need than the self-amassed wealth we have all been told to go out and hoard.

What we need more is not prescribers but social network creators. We need people to go out and help make introductions and create the networks. This is best done by being led, not by the NHS or GPS but, by local communities themselves, with support and finance from Local Authorities, NHS, CCG's

The service would then ask what is needed for that community or who needs to join up together and facilitate that into fruition. The majority of money needs to go in to creating these opportunities by way of very small managed financial payments that are managed and overseen by the creators.

For instance, a big issue effecting mental health is loneliness. In these cases the network creators could bring these people, under a common interest together, creating the group.

Similarly, in diverse communities, where it has been shown that Covid-19 rates are higher, these network creators could have been used to direct and facilitate information sharing and coordination with members of the communities in ways that are understandable.

The proposed network creators prime purpose should not be in just supporting, but to help create and facilitate the focus that the local communities may need at any times, targeting specific issues and problems.

It is early days for social prescribing, but organisations have to move away from thinking in the same old ways. Signposting isn't enough. People need support to help them build communities.

Our ways of life have changed, people move many times in their life. Each move to and away from an area effects our communities. We need to help people integrate in to their communities. We need to invest in our communities. Humans have always thrived in communities that work together.