As Europe isolates due to Covid19, the wellbeing cost on our population is yet to be determined. Huge and overwhelming worries envelop our communities, sudden unemployment, weakened social institutions and eroded social capital. Mental health support services are preparing for an unprecedented spike in demand. A study in The Lancet confirms that the loss of liberty, fear of infection and length of separation creates an environment conducive to post-traumatic stress, detachment, insomnia and anger - “the psychological impact of quarantine is wide-ranging, substantial, and can be long-lasting.” Social Prescribing is a powerful, proven community mechanism to improve the physical, emotional, mental wellbeing of adults by connecting them to non-medical community-based sources of supports. While the benefits of social prescribing are vast and the process relatively simple, social prescribing is still a relatively unknown community approach to embedding life-long learning as a resource for living. Using a cross sectoral, transnational approach, Activate Social Prescribing for Community Learning (ASPALE) promotes the principle of social prescribing to key adult education groups across the EU. A key impact of APSALE is the introduction and uptake of the social prescribing approach in 3 countries where it is currently just a concept - Greece, Spain & France and widening its practice in UK/Northern Ireland and Ireland. ASPALE PROJECT OBJECTIVES are directly linked to the needs of our target groups. ASPALE will: 1) Introduce the powerful health and wellbeing concept of Social Prescribing as a lifelong learning tool in Europe 2) Empower at risk adults to improve their health literacy & take responsibility for their own health (IO2). Effective social prescribing is about providing the building blocks for personal learning & knowledge application in a wellbeing context. 3) Create tailored guides & supports (IO1, IO3, IO4) for social prescribing implementers to help them understand &embed social prescribing in their work 4) Facilitate sustainable links between key local & regional social prescribing organisations via creating 5 ASPALE PARTICIPANT FORUMS Each ASPALE IO is designed to be used as an independent resource, but collectively, they are a 360 degree adult education initiative to empower and equip vulnerable adults, community care providers, health and care practices and social/cultural educators to understand and embed social prescribing in their work/offering. IO1: Health Literacy Empowerment Guide for Adults. A self-care guide to empower adults (particularly those suffering from poor mental health) to make sound health and wellbeing decisions and improve their personal responsibility and independence in everyday life - at home, in the community, at the workplace. It will improve the health literacy of at least 1,000 adults in vulnerable positions (those suffering from loneliness, depression or other issues such as social isolation). They will download or receive our ASPALE Adult Health Literacy Guide, a practical action orientated learning resource that will enable them to start making positive and pro-active decisions about their wellbeing and health. IO2: Compendium of Social Prescribing Community Care Projects. A Compendium and Implementation Guide of European Social Prescribing Best Practices and Inventions e.g Men’s Sheds, Social Farming, Community Gardening. At least 500 Community Care Organisations will download and use IO2 and begin the process of embedding social prescribing in their work with adults IO3: Social Prescribing Training Programme/OERs for Health and Care Practices. An Open Education Resource Pack for to upskill Health and Care practitioners with applied knowledge to embed social prescribing in their work with vulnerable adults. At least 500 practitioners will download and use IO3 and begin the process of embedding social prescribing in their work with adults IO4: Introduction to Social Prescribing Course for Social/Cultural Service educators. A training course on how to create new or tailored social /cultural adult education offerings e.g. art/creative wellbeing workshops, drama therapy, which uses storytelling, acting, and improvisation to encourage self-discovery and expression, music therapy, that deliver socially prescribed health and wellbeing benefits. At least 500 Social, Arts and Cultural Educators will download and use IO4 and begin the process of embedding social prescribing in their work with adults Activate Social Prescribing for Community Learning (ASPALE) provide a dynamic multi-resource adult education community learning programme to raise awareness, engagement and adoption of Social Prescribing across Europe. COVID19 is certain to cause long-term isolation, anxiety, depression and loneliness. We do not know when this crisis will end but we do know that new and varied social solutions are going to be required to help Europe and its citizens heal.
Using a cross sectoral, transnational approach, Activate Social Prescribing for Community Learning has promoted the principle of social prescribing to key adult education groups across EU. A key impact of ACTIVATE has been the introduction and uptake of the social prescribing approach in 3 countries where formerly it was just a concept - Greece, Spain and France and widening its practice in UK/Northern Ireland and Ireland. ACTIVATE partners were very clear in their desire to use the social prescribing concept to promote the social inclusion of vulnerable groups in principle and in practice by removing barriers and access to community based health services and improve health literacy levels. A lack of functional literacy skills results in an inability to obtain, process and understand basic health needs for appropriate health decisions and ACTIVATE Project aims to help this process of helping people to take control of their own health through improved understanding health needs. To bolster this and make it a reality ACTIVATE sought to upskill community care organisations, health & care professionals and social/cultural service providers using innovative and creative approaches which would be new to these particular professionals
As Europe emerges from the ravages of Covid19, the wellbeing cost on our population is yet to be determined. Huge and overwhelming worries envelop our communities, sudden unemployment, weakened social institutions and eroded social capital. Mental health support services are reeling from an unprecedented spike in demand. A study in The Lancet confirms that the loss of liberty, fear of infection and length of separation created an environment that often brought about post-traumatic stress, detachment, insomnia and anger - “the psychological impact of quarantine is wide-ranging, substantial, and can be long-lasting.” Social Prescribing is a powerful, proven community mechanism to improve the physical, emotional, mental wellbeing of adults by connecting them to non-medical community-based sources of supports. While the benefits of social prescribing are vast and the process relatively simple, social prescribing is still a relatively unknown community approach to embedding life-long learning as a resource for living.