Community support services are non-clinical services (provided by healthcare, council and voluntary organisations) that signpost people to local sources of social, emotional and practical support in their communities.
These services involve somebody in a signposting role (e.g. social prescriber, link worker, navigator, connector or neighbourhood coach) talking with service users before directing them towards local relevant support.
Despite much investment in community support services (particularly social prescribing), little is understood about their implementation. Research is required across different contexts to describe their implementation; particularly, how social care providers interact to support implementing community support services, and how they responded to circumstances imposed by the pandemic.
This post-implementation study explored how services were implemented and became part of usual working practice, by using three existing services as case studies.
For a quick snapshot of the programme of research to date click here
Phase 2 in progress
