Christiana Melam is the Chief Executive of the National Association of Link Workers, which provides a professional network for Social Prescribing Link Workers in the UK. Social Prescribing Link Workers connect patients to community services and aim to improve quality of life. The Association works to increase professionalism among Link Workers and reduce their isolation through online training, peer support sessions, and an annual conference. Social Prescribing Link Workers are integral to primary care teams and bring community resources into the healthcare system. Their role is to empower individuals, communities, care providers, and the healthcare system as a whole.

1. Christiana Melam
Chief Executive, National Association
of Link Workers
@Christy_Melam |@ConnectLinkOrg
#CT19Conference

2. Christiana Melam
CEO
National Association of Link Workers
@christy_melam

3. A UK community of practice for all Social Prescribing
Link Workers to share learning, build resilience,
develop, network and support each other in order to
achieve improved quality of life for themselves, their
clients/patients and communities.
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4. The Glue in Community, Health and Social Care
What we are about:
 Independent voice
 Non model specific
 Non sector specific
 Whole system focus
 Asset based focus
 Non medicalised focus
 Social movement
 Grassroots social innovation
 Coproduction
 Social justice

5. Our impact in the last year
68
UK Social Prescribing Link Worker professional network which
increases professionalism, resilience and reduces isolation
800+ steadily
growing
members
1600+ online
course
enrolments
4,500+
community
interactions
3 peer led
webinars
6 UK peer group
reflective
practice sessions
3 UK peer
mentoring
sessions
10+ member
career
advancement
opportunities
1 UK annual
conference & 9
regional/national
conference
Member
knowledge
library & toolkits

6. Social Prescribing Link Workers are integral part of the primary care network team, delivering
holistic service to patients and improving the health and wellbeing of the local population. Social
Prescribing Link Worker brings the community into NHS and enables move to a social model of
health. They act as the glue between community, health and social care, joining it all together.
If social prescribing is designed and implemented correctly, it can help:
• Mainstream joined up care across the health, social and community care system
• Provide services that really meet local people’s need
• Reduce the workload for GPs
• Reduce unnecessary access to hospital services
• Build people and community resilience
• Empower populations, individuals, providers of care and the system
Social Prescribing Link Workers
(a.k.a. The Glue in Health, Social and Community Care)

7.  Uses a strength based approach to increase people’s confidence to take control of their health
wellbeing
 Builds trust and relationships with people
 Gives people time to talk about what matters to them
 Actively listens to understand what matters to people from a holistic perspective
 Co-creates solutions with people
 Enables and supports access to solutions
 Facilitates joined up care and social inclusiveness
 Is knowledgeable about the range of local support available to help with people’s wellbeing issues
Social Prescribing Link Workers
(a.k.a. The Glue in Health, Social and Community Care)

8. Designing and implementing Community Centred Social Prescribing: 4
interlinked goals
Empower
populations
Empower
system
Empower
individual
Empower
providers of care
NAPC, NV, NALW Partnership Support Offer
Copyright National Association of Link Workers 2019
Support
infrastructures
Social Prescribing
Link Worker
Support
Engaging with
local key
stakeholders
Identifying local
population needs
Goal1. Goal 2.
Goal 3.Goal 4.

9. Community Centred Social
Prescribing
Copyright National Association of Link Workers 2019
Empowerment is the underlying foundation to
achieving healthcare reform
Empowered individuals
Empowered populations
Empowered providers of care
Empowered system
Empowered
healthcare
Community Centred Social Prescribing

10. Lack of community transport is one of Social Prescribing
Link Workers biggest challenge.
How can we work together to solve this challenge?
Community Centred Social
PrescribingEmpowered

11. NALW_checklist for setting social prescribing link workers up
for success
NALW_who is a social prescribing link worker
Released_NALW_Code of Practice for employers of social
prescribing link workers and social prescribing link workers_12
June 2019
NHS England Social Prescribing guide
NHS England Social Prescribing guide-Technical Annex
Released_NALW_link worker report_March 2019_updated
Reference materials