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Lookup NU author(s): Andrew McCarthy, Dr Murali Perumbakkam SubramanianORCiD, Dr Bronia ArnottORCiD, Dr Angela Bate
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0).
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. Despite social prescribing being promoted by the UK government for the last decade, the evidence supporting social prescribing remains weak and has mainly been confined to clinical contexts. Our study aimed to evaluate the impact of a Social Navigator (SN) service in South Tyneside on the health and well-being of users who experience financial hardship with complex health needs and limited access to mental health services. Using a mixed-methods design combining secondary analysis of service data (n=330), qualitative interviews with service users (n=15) conducted by peer researchers, and a social return On investment analysis that matched service data with health economic indicators from the UK Social Value Bank. Our findings demonstrate clear value for money with a £3 return for every £1 invested in the service, with a positive return confirmed in sensitivity analysis. SNs were able to improve the confidence of service users, with statistically significant changes across all eight confidence-related outcomes, and helped them to access other advice and financial services. This resulted in one-off financial gains (average £1237) and annual financial gains (average £1703) for service users. The interviews identified that relieving financial burden and stress improved the quality of life and mental well-being of users as a result of their involvement with the service. SN can break the cycle of multiple visits to crisis teams by building trusting relationships and providing emotional and practical support, while being responsive to the service users' needs and available when they have needs. They play a key intermediary role in integrated care systems with a unique focus on the wider determinants of health and financial hardship, advocating for service users without time limits and navigating the complexities of the system across local government. Greater integration of local support services could be achieved by mapping all available pathways for support.
Author(s): van der Graaf P, McCarthy A, Perumbakkam Subramanian MK, Arnott B, Samarakoon D, Lee S, Gray J, Bate A
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: BMJ Open Quality
Year: 2025
Volume: 14
Issue: 2
Online publication date: 08/06/2025
Acceptance date: 16/05/2025
Date deposited: 26/06/2025
ISSN (electronic): 2399-6641
Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
URL: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjoq-2024-003290
DOI: 10.1136/bmjoq-2024-003290
Data Access Statement: Data are available on reasonable request. All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as supplementary information. The datasets, which include anonymised interview transcripts and a description of our coding trees, are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. They will be made available in the Northumbria University’s Research Repository. The final evaluation report with more details on the findings can be accessed from the NIHR PHIRST website: https://phirst.nihr.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/South-Tyneside-Social-Navigators-Evaluation-Final-Report.pdf.
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