‘We are the eyes and ears of the community’: reflections from social prescribing link workers during the real-world practice of a new community enhanced model

Abstract

Social prescribing, or connecting people to valued community assets, is a key component of the UK’s health system. However, social prescribing research has inconsistent aims and outcomes, and there is limited data on the views of social prescribing professionals (‘link workers’) themselves. As part of a new model of Community-Enhanced Social Prescribing, this paper presents a co-created reflective case study developed by social prescribing link workers and researchers. The paper describes how link workers engaged with training on research in social prescribing, and used this as a platform to reflect upon key issues about their role. Themes from the discussion, which were grouped inductively based on principles of thematic analysis, encompassed: link working as a vocation; the complexity of the link worker role; how social prescribing is not a panacea; valuing social approaches to health; link working as shaped by organisational culture; and link worker training needs. The implications for Community-Enhanced Social Prescribing and social prescribing as a profession are discussed.