Community Wellbeing Service and the future of social prescribing in Gloucestershire

NHS Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire County Council have carried out extensive engagement and evaluation of the Community Wellbeing Service (CWS) and the wider social prescribing offer in Gloucestershire over 18 months to understand how it is working in practice and to inform future developments.  

Using this feedback and following an options appraisal, we have concluded that a new social prescribing model is required to meet the needs of local people. We will therefore not be recommissioning the CWS when the contract ends on 30 September 2024.

We would like to thank the five local providers of the CWS in the county for their valued contribution in support of social prescribing over the last seven years. Local people will still be able to access social prescribing support from the service until 30 September 2024.  

Since the CWS was first introduced in 2017, the concept and understanding of social prescribing has been constantly developing as it becomes a widely accepted way to support people with non-medical needs to improve their health and wellbeing by connecting them to their community.

There are now several ways in which local people can access social prescribing support, including via Social Prescribing Link Workers based in Primary Care Networks, and health and wellbeing coaches and care co-ordinators within practice teams.

In addition, other similar services, such as the Mental Health Support and Advice Service and care navigators/advisors working within local NHS and voluntary organisations for people with specific conditions, can signpost people to community support. These services will remain in place.

It’s important we make best use of our money and resources, including by investing more money into the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector who have local knowledge and trusted relationships with the people who need support, particularly in some of the most deprived areas of our county.

We remain committed to the use of social prescribing in a sustainable way throughout our county so we can support more local people to live healthier, happier lives. Local people will be able to access social prescribing support from the Community Wellbeing Service until 30 September 2024.

In the coming weeks and months, we will liaise closely with partners across the health, care, and voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors to ensure local people are aware of how they can continue to access ongoing social prescribing support.

We recognise that decommissioning the Community Wellbeing Service will have an impact on the five organisations who currently provide the service. Where roles may be at risk, we will work with providers and those employees who are affected to explore other employment opportunities in the community.