Our team of Community Connectors provides social prescribing link worker services to GP Primary Care Networks in Kingston.

Community Connectors (aka social prescribing link workers or SPLWs) help people make positive changes in their lives by linking them with appropriate sources of support in the community.

What do Community Connectors do?

• Work with referred adults 18+, drawing on their strengths, interests and skills (assets) in order to identify goals to improve the their quality of life, health and wellbeing and address non-medical factors which are having an impact on their health.
• Contribute to the local GP-based Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) approach, which aims to reduce unplanned hospital admissions, episodes of acute care and length of stay in hospitals.
• Exemplify a personalised and holistic approach to care and support for people.
• Support Kingston’s developing social prescribing framework, known as Connected Kingston, which offers a digital directory of services and a network of Community Champions in universal settings such as libraries.

How does it work?

• On receipt of a referral, a Community Connector (aka social prescribing link worker / SPLW) aligned with the person's GP practice, will contact the client for an initial consultation, usually on the phone. They will identify any areas of immediate risk, then spend time with the client finding out what they want to achieve and typically work with them for a number of weeks to support them with those things that matter to them, with approximately six interactions. 
• The focus is on 'what matters to me'. We promote self-help/support, self-care/management and maintaining independence. We support and encourage people to identify and use appropriate voluntary and community services and resources wherever possible. We encourage and support clients to use clinical services appropriately.
• Clients are encouraged and supported to engage with services through motivational conversations, researching and introducing other community options. We may accompany a client to a service or programme of activities, to help them take the first step.
• Areas of support might include: information about local activities, interest groups and resources, and arranging support for a person to become involved; talking to the person about debt, benefits and finance and/or their housing, employment and personal circumstances (for example caring responsibilties) and enabling them to access specialist advice and support in these areas; helping people apply for accessible transport.
• The service works seamlessly with Staywell's established Community Support Team, and with New Malden and Worcester Park's Proactive Anticipatory Care (PAC) team.
• Referrals to a Community Connector can come from MDT meetings, health and social care professionals and the voluntary/ community sector. People can refer themselves. Family and carers can refer with the consent of the client.
• Introductions to the service can also be made through the Connected Kingston digital platform.    

'Thank you so much for reaching out to my mother. It has already made a world of difference, and continues to do so.' - Elizabeth

‘Thank u, no one has ever helped me ever. I’ve tried and I’ve rung every number, and just ended up with the Samaritans. So THANK U so much.' - Joe

The Community Connectors Team

The team builds on Staywell's experience of working in the local community for over 75 years.

Between them, the Connectors have experience in social work, learning disability, mental health, speech and language therapy, dementia support, housing, day services and advocacy as well as lived experience.

The Community Connector team at Staywell was originally established in 2018 to trial a social prescribing approach with older people living in Kingston and was initially funded through the Kingston Coordinated Care Programme. This work builds on over a decade of partnership working between Staywell and local GPs.

Make a referral To make a referral it's best to complete a referral form or ask at your GP practice (Fairhill/Fairfield, Kingston Health Centre, St Albans, Holmwood, Groves, Roselawn, Manor Drive, West Barnes, Village, Langley, Central, Brunswick, Hook, Red Lion, Chessington Park, Sunray) (Please note the following practices - Churchill, Canbury, Berrylands, Orchard - have dedicated link workers and you will need to contact them to refer.) For general enquiries please email [email protected] To make an introduction via the Connected Kingston website go to: https://www.connectedkingston.uk For more information about Staywell and the Community Connector service please email [email protected]

What is Social Prescribing?

Social Prescribing is a process enabling GPs and other healthcare professionals to refer patients with social, emotional or practical needs to a link worker, who will then support and empower them to find and design their own personal solutions i.e. ‘co-produce’ their own ‘social prescription’.

This is in order to help people make positive changes in their lives and within their communities, and to improve their health and wellbeing by linking them to volunteers, activities, voluntary and community groups and public services. In turn this helps to reduce the financial burden on the NHS, particularly within primary care.

Page last updated 15/06/2022.