The South Dublin County Partnership Social Prescribing Service was launched in Clondalkin in 2022 under the HSE’s Sláintecare Healthy Communities initiative. Social Prescribing involves more than linking people to resources; it is a 1-1 service that involves supporting and empowering people to address social factors which we know can heavily impact health, factors such as loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection. By supporting people to engage with non-medical resources – from activity groups to mental health programmes – social prescribing offers practical, community-based pathways to better health and quality of life.
Social prescribing can help people to:
- Learn to support their mental health and wellbeing
- Build confidence and resilience
- Meet new people and become more social
- Try something new
- Get back to enjoyable social connections, routines or activities
Who is this project for?
This project is for people over 18 years of age, living in Tallaght and Clondalkin who may need additional health and wellbeing support. Social prescribing can be particularly beneficial to people who feel lonely, socially isolated, anxious, depressed or in need of social supports. People can be referred to social prescribing through their GP, allied health clinicians, community worker or by contacting the social prescriber themselves.
Social Prescribing Service Evaluation
Recent research has found that engagement with social prescribing can improve mental and physical health, as well as reducing social isolation and loneliness (Chatterjee et al., 2018). As an organisation, we are committed to understanding and enhancing the impact of our Social Prescribing Service on local communities. We have teamed up with the research team at TASC to engage with a variety of stakeholders and participants of this service to provide an insight into the benefits of the service, and recommendations for development going forward.
Participants experienced a range of positive outcomes, including improved mental and physical health, enhanced social connections, reduced feelings of isolation and loneliness, and greater overall wellbeing, from connecting with community activities, resources and services via the support of the Social Prescriber.
Feel free to view and download our Social Prescribing Service Evaluation below.
Social Prescribing Evaluation, Clondalkin (2022-2023) PDF
Contact the Social Prescribing team
