Reaching Out

Loneliness can often be associated with older people who live on their own, but it is not just about social isolation or older people; we recognise that being lonely can have an impact irrespective of age and circumstance. Frequent loneliness can also ramp up pressure on public services, increase referrals to adult social care and trigger multiple attendances at GP surgeries – the significance of this being likened to issues such as obesity and smoking.

This ‘Reaching out’ guide is an important starting point and a practical resource in supporting principal and local councils to tackle loneliness. In preparing this guide, we have explored how best practice can be shared to support commissioners, service providers, councillors and leaders across the tiers, as well as those people affected by loneliness. This guide outlines the current loneliness policy context, uses a range of case studies to demonstrate effective local delivery models working in practice, and provides useful check lists and top tips on how to measure and evaluate outputs.