National green social prescribing delivery capacity assessment
National research into the existing provision of green and nature-based activities and the potential for upscaling such activities.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
Green social prescribing (GSP) is the practice of supporting people to engage in nature-based interventions and activities to improve their mental health. Social prescribing link workers (and other trusted professionals in allied roles) connect people to community groups and agencies for practical and emotional support, based on a ‘what matters to you’ conversation. As well as practitioners, this report will also be of use to commissioners of services.
Preventing and tackling mental ill-health through green social prescribing is a cross-government project that was launched in October 2020. By effectively implementing GSP, the project aims to:
- improve mental health outcomes
- reduce health inequalities
- reduce demand on the health and social care system
- develop best practice at a local level
This project is led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and other project partners include the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England, Natural England, National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP), Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), and Sport England.
DHSC led on the national research aspect of the project and, amongst other pieces of research, have commissioned Natural England to carry out a rapid national landscape assessment of the existing provision of green and nature-based activities, its funding streams and its capacity to support a national rollout of GSP to support mental ill health.