FAQs

A professional that you trust will need to make a request for support to the Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Single Point of Access (SPOA). Requests for support need to come via a health or social care professional, such as a GP or school nurse.

You will need to have a conversation with them about what’s going on for you and mention that you would like to try social prescribing. You can then ask for them to make a request for support to the Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health department. 

The request for support will go directly to the SPOA team, they will look at the information provided and help decide what might be most beneficial to you. It is more likely for the request for support to reach Community Connections if social prescribing is mentioned within it!  

Please note: We are a very small team, and it might not always be possible for us to accept every request for support due to time and staffing constraints.

However, even if we don’t work directly together, there may be other options available to you within Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health or other services. We will do our best to help you identify and access these options.

Our service is for 11 to 18-year olds who are experiencing low-level challenges to their emotional wellbeing.   

This could include social isolation, low-level anxiety, bullying or lack of self-esteem.   

We do not meet with any young person who is experiencing more complex or severe mental health issues. 

A Community Connector is a person who works with young people to help them identify their goals, develop a wellbeing plan, and access opportunities in their community.  

A Community Connector: 

• Prioritises your needs, values, experiences and opinions 
• Focuses on ‘what matters’ to you 
• Builds a relationship and works together with you to identify your goals 
• Has a good knowledge of local services, groups and activities that promote   wellbeing 
• Checks back with you to ensure you are accessing activities and support that works for you  

When it suits you! You can meet with a Community Connector at a time that works best for you.

This could be during school hours, after school or online. Your Community Connector will contact you to discuss when this might be and will do their best to find a time that suits you. If you are unable to meet as agreed, please let your Community Connector know as soon as possible. If when you want to meet changes at any point, you can talk to your Community Connector to arrange a new plan together.

Similarly, your Community Connector will always let you know if they can no longer meet with you as planned.

Wherever works best for you! Your Community Connector will discuss with you to find a place where you feel comfortable and safe.

This could be at your school or college, at home or somewhere in the community such as a café or park. 

If you are unable to meet as agreed, please let your Community Connector know as soon as possible If where you want to meet changes at any point, just talk to your Community Connector and together you will arrange a new plan.

Similarly, your Community Connector will always let you know if they can no longer meet with you as planned.

You will meet with a Community Connector over 12 weeks. These meetings will start weekly and could change to bi–weekly, depending on what works best for you.  

Each meeting will be around 1 hour long.

Yes absolutely! If it would help make you feel comfortable you can invite someone who you feel safe with, such as a parent, guardian or friend over 18. They can join us for as many sessions as you want. 

Similarly, if you do not want anyone to come with you, that is also fine! As long as you have permission from your legal guardian/parent to meet with us. 

This is a voluntary service. This means that if you do not want to meet with a Community Connector anymore, you do not have to!

If this was the case, we would have a conversation together to see if there’s anything we can change about our meetings to help them benefit you, and so that you feel more comfortable and safe.

However, if you feel you have reached the end of your social prescribing journey, then there is no pressure to stay! You can still continue to be a part of your community and access the same activities/groups without a Community Connector working alongside you.

Our service is about empowering young people to look after their own wellbeing in their local area. We work together with you for 12 weeks to get to know you, work together on a plan that meets your needs then continue to check in with you to make sure everything is going ok for you. Feeling more independent and ready to move on from Community Connections is a positive sign! 

Alternatively, if things have changed for you and you think you need specialist mental health support, we will also have a conversation with you and then our colleagues to see what would work best for you.