Decision details

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Public Health that sought approval for the procurement of an all-age social prescribing service.

Cabinet was informed that all the available extensions to the existing contract had been utilised, and the current contract was due to expire on 31^st October 2024.

The Council’s current Social Prescribing offer was a key contributor within the Adults Target Operating Model, Children’s Early Help Strategy and Housing prevention offer, acting as step-down and improving flow through the system. This had involved the development of a few specialised elements to the service; children and young people’s link workers, and during 2023/24 piloting of a dedicated link worker role in Adults Referral Contact Centre (ARCC). Alongside this was a volunteer model that had been developed to help support clients with lower-level needs.

Demand for the service has increased over the lifetime of the contract, with the service receiving 2,096 unique referrals in 2021/22, 2,509 in 2022/23 and 2,293 up to the end of Q3 (31^st December 2023) 2023/24. Most referrals into the service are made by professionals in Primary Care, Mental Health Services, Acute Health Services and Social Care, although more than 1 in 10 are self-referrals. People are primarily referred into the service due to loneliness and isolation or mental health and wellbeing, however reasons for referral also include issues with welfare and money management, long-term conditions and housing. The children and young people’s element of the service began in early 2023 and has now received over 200 referrals.

Options/alternatives considered:

The various options were considered at item 28 on the agenda.

Resolved:

That the Cabinet would consider the commercially sensitive information at item 28 of the agenda before making a decision.