Longford Community Resources

What is Social Prescribing?
Social Prescribing is a free service which helps to link you with sources of support and social activities within your community. These can include:

  • Physical activity
  • Reading groups / books for health
  • Music activities / groups
  • Self –help programmes
  • Men’s Sheds / Women’s Sheds
  • Community gardening
  • Arts and creativity

Social Prescribing is for you if:

  • You feel that you need some support to mind your health and wellbeing
  • You feel isolated, stressed, anxious or depressed
  • You simply feel the service can help.

What does the Social Prescribing service offer?
A service open to everyone who feels they need support to become more active and engaged within their community.

How does the Social Prescribing service work?
The Social Prescribing Link worker will meet with you to discuss your interests and work in partnership with you to develop a plan to help you link with local supports / activities and achieve your goals. Our partnership may be short term or medium term depending on your interests, available supports, activities and engagement.

What are the limits of the Social Prescribing Service?
The Social Prescribing Link worker will not direct you to attend any support or activity, rather we will suggest activities and offer links to relevant groups, supports and activities with your permission and agreement. While the Link worker will do their best to help you achieve your goals, they will not:

  • Make decisions for you
  • Guarantee success
  • Make a formal referral into a service for you

How do I access the service?
You, a family member or friend acting on your behalf, can access Social Prescribing by phoning or emailing the Project Link Worker and completing a referral form

OR

Your GP, Healthcare Professional or any Agency you are linked to, can refer you by phone or email by completing the referral form.

Will my information be kept confidential?
Your information will be kept safe and secure on a computer system and/or in a locked filing cabinet, in line with Longford Community Resources Clg policies. You may ask for a copy of your information at any time. The only information we require is to help you in making a plan, connecting with relevant supports and reaching your goals. We will keep your information confidential but we may need to share your confidential information if:

  • There is a risk of serious harm to you or to another person or to property
  • We have to do so by law
  • We are told about harm to a child

We will inform you if we are obliged to share confidential information about you before we do so.

Can I stop using the Social Prescribing service?
Yes the service is 100% voluntary, if you wish to stop engaging you will be asked to contact the Link Worker for evaluation purposes and to help us to continue to improve the service.

For more information, please contact Tony Owens on 087-4581178 or towens@lcrl.ie