On Thursday 14 July we held our Southwark Social Prescribing Network Open Meeting event with an amazing 85 attendees representing 45 organisations!
See our SP 2022 EVENT SUMMARY Write Up
This event was a rare opportunity to meet social prescribers, voluntary groups, health practitioners, funders and representatives from the council. It connected community groups, link workers and statutory sector staff across nine neighbourhoods in Southwark to discuss Social Prescribing and to learn more about local commissioning.
Event opening
Staś (Stash) Smagala, our Social Prescribing Officer introduced the event with some background to the Southwark Social Prescribing Network (SSPN) and the schedule for the afternoon.
Changes in the NHS – CCG to ICS
The first speakers were Annie Norton (Programme Director Partnership Southwark – NHS SE London CCG) and Josepha Reynolds (Local Care Partnership Manager – Partnership Southwark & Bexley Local Care Partnership).
Annie and Josepha introduced the work Partnership Southwark does and outlined the changes to how commissioning will change from the Clinical Commissioning Groups to the newly formed Integrated Care Systems form 1st July 2022. Partnership Southwark are developing a ‘Lived Experience Assembly’ which is the working title for a consultation group.
BAME Covid research project
Cathy Deplessis, (Director – Southwark Pensioners’ Centre), was the next speaker. Cathy and her colleague Rong explained how the Covid19 vaccine hesitancy and vaccine inequality project will be rolled out. The project involves working with an advisory group, researchers and community health ambassadors to develop and implement the programme.
Jeremy Dobson, Evaluation and Impact Officer – Community Southwark, then talked about Community Southwark’s Make Your Mark Project. This is free evaluation and impact support to the VCS: Make Your Mark Project – Community Southwark
What works, how can we improve and what next?
We have collated the suggestions gathered from round table conversations about next steps and actions to connect in your area, in our SP 2022 EVENT SUMMARY Write Up here.
If any of the suggestions give you some good ideas, or you want to connect with other VCS groups or your local link workers, email: stas@communitysouthwark.org