At the 5th International Conference of Social Prescribing held in London on the 19th and 20th of June 2024, I heard many academics, social prescribing leads , voluntary sector and commissioners describe Social Prescribing as a “movement”. The conference, organised by the National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP) and the Social Prescribing Network (SPN), brought together healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers, and community leaders from around the globe to discuss innovation in social prescribing. With academic research (evidence-review-the-impact-of-social-prescribing-on-children-and-young-peoples-health-and-wellbeing.pdf (socialprescribingacademy.org.uk) and the lived experience of our CYP (Children & Young Person's Social Prescribing Case Study — Yorkshire Health Partners )clearly show the success of this movement.  I genuinely felt the conference was something of a landmark, held as it was some weeks before last week’s election that installed a new government seeking fresh and innovative ideas. The event showcased the remarkable strides taken in the field of social prescribing.

One of the key highlights of the conference was its emphasis on Children and Young People (CYP) Social Prescribing. This emerging area is gaining traction as a strategic commitment to develop and expand social prescribing service provision for CYP, generally, up to 18 years, and up to 25 for those with special educational needs or disabilities. The importance of CYP social prescribing cannot be overstated, direct positive impact to CAHMs waiting lists and time taken to get access but early intervention with Social Prescribing teams empowers young individuals to build confidence, access grass roots and community services and support, make connections, and feel less isolated, leading to improvements in mental and physical health and wellbeing as well as education. Something we have heard a lot about already from Wes Streeting.

Wes Streeting’s recognition that his starting point was that the NHS was broken is brutally honest. Social prescribing offers a vision to change this by offering a holistic approach to health and wellbeing, moving beyond medical treatments to incorporate social, emotional, and community support. As Wes starts his work, maybe worthwhile having a look at the delivery of social prescribing programmes, especially for CYP. The government's commitment to healthcare reform, including the development of a realistic workforce plan starts to set the stage for a more integrated and person-centered healthcare system.

The conference was a celebration of the progress made but also a clarion call for the future. For me, it highlighted the critical role of CYP social prescribing and screamed (yes, screamed!!) agenda setting for the government to deliver on its promises for a reformed and revitalised NHS. And I have to say, the nicest conference I have been to. Hopefully paving paved the way for innovative practices that will benefit communities across the UK and beyond.