TY - JOUR
T1 - We care but we’re not carers: perceptions and experiences of social prescribing in a UK national community organisation
AU - Porter, Briony
AU - Wood, Cate
AU - Belderson, P
AU - Manning, Chris
AU - Meadows, R
AU - Sanderson, K
AU - Hanson, S
N1 - Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This project has been funded by the Loneliness & Social Isolation in Mental Health Research Network, which is funded by UK Research and Innovation (grant reference: ES/S004440/1), and their support is gratefully acknowledged. Any views expressed here are those of the project investigators and do not necessarily represent the views of the Loneliness & Social Isolation in Mental Health Research Network or UKRI. This study/project is supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration East of England (NIHR ARC EoE) at Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.
Publisher Copyright:
© Royal Society for Public Health 2023.
PY - 2023/7/25
Y1 - 2023/7/25
N2 - Aims: (1) To explore how social prescribing referrals impact experiences of existing members of a voluntary and community-based organisation and (2) to describe the processes and relationships associated with joining community and voluntary organisations. Methods: Online survey and qualitative interviews with members of Men’s Sheds, a global volunteer-led initiative to address loneliness and social isolation in men. 93 self-selecting Shed members (average age 67 years, 93% male) from across England and Scotland took part in the survey about demographics, joining the Shed, and free-text questions about experiences in the Shed. From the survey participants, 21 Shed members were purposively sampled and interviewed to explore the impact of social prescribing and referrals on the Sheds. Results: Participating in the Men’s Shed was often associated with a significant change in personal circumstances, and Sheds provided a unique social support space, particularly valuable for men. Key factors around experiences of social prescribing and referral mechanisms were identified. We developed three themes: the experience of joining a Shed, success factors and risks of social prescribing, and ‘we care but we’re not carers’. Conclusions: The results show that Men’s Sheds are a caring organisation, but their members are not trained as professional carers, and men come to the Shed for their own personal reasons. They are concerned about the potential additional responsibilities associated with formal referrals. They encourage the development of relationships and local-level understanding of the essence of Sheds to enable social prescribing. As models of social prescribing grow nationally and internationally, collaboratively working with voluntary and community organisations to develop a mutually beneficial approach is essential for the effectiveness and sustainability of social prescribing in community health.
AB - Aims: (1) To explore how social prescribing referrals impact experiences of existing members of a voluntary and community-based organisation and (2) to describe the processes and relationships associated with joining community and voluntary organisations. Methods: Online survey and qualitative interviews with members of Men’s Sheds, a global volunteer-led initiative to address loneliness and social isolation in men. 93 self-selecting Shed members (average age 67 years, 93% male) from across England and Scotland took part in the survey about demographics, joining the Shed, and free-text questions about experiences in the Shed. From the survey participants, 21 Shed members were purposively sampled and interviewed to explore the impact of social prescribing and referrals on the Sheds. Results: Participating in the Men’s Shed was often associated with a significant change in personal circumstances, and Sheds provided a unique social support space, particularly valuable for men. Key factors around experiences of social prescribing and referral mechanisms were identified. We developed three themes: the experience of joining a Shed, success factors and risks of social prescribing, and ‘we care but we’re not carers’. Conclusions: The results show that Men’s Sheds are a caring organisation, but their members are not trained as professional carers, and men come to the Shed for their own personal reasons. They are concerned about the potential additional responsibilities associated with formal referrals. They encourage the development of relationships and local-level understanding of the essence of Sheds to enable social prescribing. As models of social prescribing grow nationally and internationally, collaboratively working with voluntary and community organisations to develop a mutually beneficial approach is essential for the effectiveness and sustainability of social prescribing in community health.
KW - Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
KW - men’s mental health
KW - isolation
KW - loneliness
KW - social prescribing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85165914092&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/fd40106f-18da-338f-b74f-4347c7847b9e/
U2 - 10.1177/17579139231185004
DO - 10.1177/17579139231185004
M3 - Article
JO - Perspectives in Public Health
JF - Perspectives in Public Health
SN - 1757-9139
ER -