Research Phases & Options
The different phases and options you can be involved with are outlined below. These will depend on how you are linked with or involved in social prescribing.
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phase 1
Community organisation and social prescribing link worker surveys
The two surveys form phase 1 of the research and are designed to capture views and experiences about social prescribing. The surveys are open to any one working or volunteering for a community sector organisation (Voluntary, Community, Faith, Social Enterprise Sector) or working as a social prescribing link worker. Please select the survey that reflects your job role or interactions with social prescribing.
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The surveys should take no more than 10-15 minutes to complete and can be submitted anonymously. The questions are mostly either short open questions, multiple choice questions (choosing the option that best fits your experiences/your service) or rating/ranking questions using a scale of 1-5 for how important an aspect is.
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Completing a survey does not commit you to taking any further part in the research unless you'd like to.
phase 1
social identity mapping
If you are a social prescribing client, patient or service user and you have been supported by a link worker and have accessed some kind of community support, you are eligible to take part in social identity mapping. This is an online tool allowing you to create a visual map of the importance of the groups and activities you have been socially prescribed.
The map you create can be converted into figures to help create information on what type of social prescription helps whom. The map specifically provides information about connections and feeling part of the community, a goal of social prescribing.
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If you take part you would be asked to add to your map at a minimum of two different times.
You can be supported to do this, or simply login to your personal map with a link you will be provided with if you choose to take part.
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phase 2
Focus groups
Online focus groups will be held in phase 2 of the research to further explore the views and experiences of link workers and voluntary & community sector organisations.
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What happens at a focus group?
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At a focus group meeting, you and other Social Prescribing Link Workers or voluntary and community sector representatives will have the opportunity to raise and discuss your views and experiences relating to the service you provide and the relationships you have working with community providers. There will be about ten other participants taking part and the meeting, which will be led by a researcher. This meeting usually will last about an hour. The researcher will set some ground rules explaining that what is shared in the meeting does not leave the meeting and people should only share what they are comfortable to. The focus group will use short activities such as rating statements about social prescribing and partnership working to facilitate a group discussion. Focus groups will be video or audio recorded, you will be asked for permission for this if you consent to take part. No-one will be identifiable in the final written report.
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phase 2
Interviews
Interviews will also be held in phase 2 for anyone who would like to take part, but would like a different option to a focus group. The interviews will also be exploring experiences of social prescribing, but in a more in-depth, personal perspective.
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What happens at an interview?
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Interviews are conducted one-to-one and may be in person (face to face), online (video call) or over the telephone depending on what is most convenient for you as the participant. Individual interviews will last approximately 20 minutes and the researcher will have a selection of questions to enable you to share your experiences of social prescribing. With your permission the interviews will be audio taped or recorded if held online.
No-one will be identifiable in the final report.
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