LGA responds to National Academy for Social Prescribing launch

“The greatest impact for our communities can be achieved through locally-led targeted interventions and local facilities – museums, libraries, leisure centres and parks – which have a major role to play in helping their communities become creative and physically active."

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Responding to today’s launch of the National Academy for Social Prescribing, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:



“This is a positive step which will help local leaders to deliver social prescribing.

“Councils and the voluntary sector are uniquely placed to build on community strengths, ensuring that preventative approaches are embedded in the services they provide.



“The greatest impact for our communities can be achieved through locally-led targeted interventions and local facilities – museums, libraries, leisure centres and parks – which have a major role to play in helping their communities become creative and physically active.



“However, we are concerned that there is no funding model to support the activities that people are referred to. The current model is comparable to sending people to pharmacists, but not funding the medication.



“It is therefore vital that the Government invests in a ‘prevention transformation’ fund to support the upgrading of prevention and population health services in local authorities.”

 

Notes



On 22 April 2020, the LGA will be publishing a handbook for councils on using cultural and leisure services to support and deliver social prescribing.



You can view a range of council case studies on the LGA’s website here