Terms for social prescribing in Wales

• All Wales/National

Background

Social prescribing in Wales is an umbrella term that describes a person-centred approach to connecting people to local community assets. It can help empower individuals to recognise their own needs, strengths, and personal assets and to connect with their own communities for support with their personal health and wellbeing.

Through engagement with this process, a diverse range of factors affecting wellbeing such as loneliness, physical activity, or financial worries can be addressed, thereby providing the individual with increased control over their circumstances. Despite using the term ‘prescribing’ the Welsh model of social prescribing moves away from a medicalised approach, instead adopting a ‘no wrong door’ approach where the sources of referral are cross-sectoral and not limited to healthcare/primary care.

The need for a glossary of terms for social prescribing

Social prescribing has seen a period of growth and development over the last decade. However, within Wales, as in other countries, there has been a lack of standardisation and consistency in the terminology associated with social prescribing. This lack of standardisation and diversity of terminology has resulted in the potential for confusion amongst both the general public and the workforce who deliver or come into contact with social prescribing, impairing communication between sectors, professionals, and with the public.

In response, a glossary of terms has been developed to aid the standardisation of the language associated with social prescribing. Use of the glossary has the potential to improve clarity and communication within the intervention of social prescribing, for professionals and the public. It is hoped that the glossary will become an informative reference tool for the workforce who encounter and support social prescribing within Wales, as well as those who are accessing it. The glossary reflects the language associated with social prescribing in Wales at the time of publication. Future updates to the glossary will likely be required, as social prescribing and the associated language evolve.