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Establishing cultural provision for South Asian older adults with cognitive impairment: Persevering through challenges and successes

TOUS study

In this blog Stephanie Tierney reports on meeting with staff from a museum in North East England about developing and offering provision for older people from a South Asian background with cognitive impairment.

Joining Canadian colleagues to share learning about social prescribing

In this blog, Stephanie Tierney reports on attending Canada's Social Prescribing Conference.

Shaping inclusive cultural offers: Reflections from our knowledge exchange event

In this blog, Jordan Gorenberg reflects on a knowledge exchange event held as part of the TOUS study.

Discussing factors that affect the retention of social prescribing link workers with our PPI group

Link worker retention study

In July 2024, we held our third Patient-Public Involvement (PPI) meeting to discuss a study on the retention of social prescribing link workers. In this blog, the researcher, Lucy Moore, summarises some key points covered at this meeting.

Discussing research processes with peers: Presenting our work on the link worker role at the Health Services Research UK conference

In this blog, Stephanie Tierney and Debra Westlake report on a workshop they ran, at which they presented and encouraged discussion on research they had undertaken on the link worker role in primary care.

Presenting on the TOUS study at the British Society of Gerontology’s conference

TOUS study

Principal investigator on the TOUS study, Stephanie Tierney, reflects on presenting as part of a symposium in Newcastle at the 2024 conference run by the British Society of Gerontology.

Using photo elicitation in interviews to explore link workers’ experiences and intentions to quit

Link worker retention study

In this blog, Lucy Moore, who is leading on data collection and analysis of the qualitative component of our mixed methods study on the retention of link workers, reflects on using photo elicitation as part of this investigation.

Sustaining public engagement for under-represented groups and creating space for culturally sensitive involvement: Reflections from PPI lead on the TOUS study

Sofia Vougioukalou, PPI lead on the TOUS study (Tailoring cultural offers with and for diverse older users of social prescribing), was a guest speaker at the annual conference of the NIHR School for Social Care Research that took place in Birmingham. It brings together researchers, policy-makers, managers, commissioners, providers, people who use services, carers and practitioners, among others to discuss adult social care research and practice. In this blog, Sofia describes the plenary she gave to those attending.

Friday afternoon wind-down – talking to the public about social prescribing and cultural provision

TOUS study

In April 2024, Stephanie Tierney and Beth McDougall ran a public engagement event at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. A summary of the session they provided is described in this blog.

Developing a social prescribing programme for older people from diverse communities: Experiences in Leicester

In this blog, Stephanie Tierney reflects on a meeting she had about work being undertaken in Leicester to reach and engage with older people as part of social prescribing.

Exploring understanding of social prescribing in primary care among healthcare professionals, voluntary-community sector representatives, and patients in England

Link workers

Social prescribing represents a paradigm shift in healthcare, emphasizing holistic well-being and focusing on consequences stemming from the social determinants of health. It has seen the employment of link workers in England to support patients with their non-medical needs (e.g. loneliness, housing problems, worries about finances). However, understanding and utilization of social prescribing among professionals and patients remain variable, potentially hindering its efficacy. This blog describes an ongoing qualitative analysis of data collected for a larger study on the link worker role in primary care in England. This qualitative analysis will delve into interpretations/understanding of social prescribing from the perspectives of patients, primary care staff and members of the voluntary-community sector. It will aim to shed light on people’s views on the role, remit, and value of social prescribing within the context of English primary care. It is being undertaken by Iva Fattorini for her dissertation as part of a MSc in Global Healthcare Leadership at the University of Oxford.

Tailoring public involvement opportunities beyond group meetings

In this blog, Patient-Public Involvement (PPI) lead for the TOUS study, Sofia Vougioukalou from Cardiff University, reflects on work undertaken to date on this study. This study consists of: a) a scoping review; b) a mapping exercise of cultural provision in the UK developed for or with older people from ethnic minority groups; c) case studies in the UK of cultural provision attracting older people from ethnic minority groups and interviews with key informants.

Discussing issues related to retention of social prescribing link workers at a PPI meeting

Link worker retention study

In March 2024, a second Patient-Public Involvement (PPI) meeting was held to discuss a study on the retention of link workers. In this blog, the study’s lead, Stephanie Tierney, summarises some key points covered at this meeting.

National Social Prescribing Day, March 14th, 2024: developing an induction and training infographic for link workers

In this blog, researcher Debra Westlake describes how she and colleagues, alongside the Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Group that supported an NIHR funded study, developed a training infographic for social prescribing link workers.

TOUS scoping review: Exploring cultural activities for older people from ethnic minority groups

TOUS study

This blog details the journey of a scoping review conducted to explore cultural activities tailored for older people from ethnic minority groups.

Storytelling to understand change for older people from ethnic minority groups engaging in cultural activities

TOUS study

In this blog, Debra Westlake reflects on training in Storytelling as an approach that will be used in a realist evaluation seeking to explore and explain how cultural activities can support the well-being of older people from ethnic minority groups.

Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum as a space for wellbeing

Stephanie Tierney from the Oxford Social Prescribing Research Network (OXSOP) met with Rodger Caseby from Oxford Botanic Garden and Harcourt Arboretum to learn more about activities he was involved with to support people health and wellbeing. This is following an evaluation conducted by members of OXSOP around social prescribing activities at Harcourt Arboretum.

The TOUS project held its first public involvement meeting

In this blog, we reflect on the discussion we had at our first public involvement meeting for the TOUS study - Tailoring cultural Offers with and for diverse older Users of Social prescribing.

Talking about the research with stakeholders: Our third knowledge exchange meeting

Link workers

Stephanie Tierney describes, in this blog, how she met with stakeholders in Sheffield to discuss with them findings from the link worker study she is leading.

Marking 'International Day of Older Persons' at a community event

This blog post offers an overview of an event in Oxfordshire to mark International Day of Older Persons, where Jordan Gorenberg presented research findings from a scoping review on social capital and loneliness.