Jules Pentney is a second-year occupational therapy student at Salford University. In the blog below she discusses why she is passionate about social prescribing and how it has the power to improve peoples physical and mental health.
Jules Pentney
Now that I am halfway through my second year of studying to be an Occupational Therapist, I am thinking seriously about what area of practice to go into once I am qualified. I want to help people who are isolated, combat health inequalities and use the power of the profession to strengthen the communities I work in. For me then a career in an area which involves social prescribing makes sense.
I love social prescribing. A phrase you probably don’t hear every day, but I can see the power it has to transform people’s lives. As an occupational therapy student, I don’t believe in the idea of focusing on either physical or mental health in isolation. In real life this doesn’t work, and we know both areas are needed for someone to enjoy a healthy and fulfilling life. That’s the beauty of being an occupational therapist. We take a holistic, person-centred approach to the people we help. We are taught to always think, how can we get the person back to doing the things they want to do. It could be routine of going back to a job they enjoy, or just the ability to return home after a period of illness. It doesn’t matter, it’s what’s important to the person we are helping. As such we should take every possible opportunity to promote that. That’s why I’m writing this blog – to celebrate Social Prescribing Week!
So how did I become interested in social prescribing? During my last placement with a recovery college – a self-referral service signposted by local social prescribers, I witnessed people who had previously been isolated re-engage with themselves and their communities. They thrived and built new skills and relationships. It was all on the strength of being connected to, and learning about things that appealed to them, along with others who shared the same passion.
Services like this often go under the radar, yet they add significant potential value to their communities. Social prescribing is a way of opening the eyes of both healthcare professionals and the people they help, to the health and wellbeing potential of what is on our doorstep. Social prescribing services should surely be fundamental to not just occupational therapists but everyone working in health and social care!
I invite you to find out more. As an Allied Healthcare Professions Social Prescribing Student Champion (it’s a mouthful to say it as well as write it), on Monday 11 April I will be collaborating with two other occupational therapy students and a radiology student from the University of Salford on a 90-minute presentation, open to anyone. The event introduces the principles of social prescribing and will also hear from people who have lived experiences from local social prescribers. The aim is to discuss the benefits of social prescribing and how we can broaden its visibility and number of people using social prescribing services. You can sign up here.
Jules is currently Vice Chair of our Carnduff Learner Forum and an Allied Healthcare Professions Social Prescribing Student Champion.