Shared Learning

Ways to Wellness has successfully developed, implemented and continues to deliver two important innovations for the NHS and social care services:

1. An ‘at scale’ social prescribing service for people with long-term health conditions to address their non-medical needs and thereby reduce their use of health services
2. Social impact bond (SIB) investment – the first of this kind of investment in health. The investment is linked to an outcome-based payment (‘payment-by-results’) contracting structure with the NHS commissioner, Newcastle Gateshead CCG alongside the Big Lottery Fund and the Cabinet Office.

We are now able to work with other organisations to explore which elements of the Ways to Wellness model are transferable and to share the learning from our successes, challenges and emerging expertise. Social prescribing and social investment are not formulaic approaches in which ‘one size fits all’ and therefore we offer a consultancy service should you wish us to support you to translate our learning and understanding to your particular local circumstances and needs. We can help you work through this process from the very beginning, employing our team to provide consultancy or leadership should you wish to set up a ‘special purpose vehicle’. We can provide services covering one or more of the following:

1. Logic model and outline business case: asset and needs assessment, co-design with stakeholders, development of theory of change / logic model, identification of outcome metrics and early engagement of providers, commissioners and/or investors, resulting in a high level business case to underpin later detailed financial modelling (see below)
2. Detailed financial modelling: assumptions, variables (e.g. patient recruitment, attrition rates), cost drivers, caseload levels, pricing of outcomes, use of multiple outcomes to determine overall payment levels, risk sharing, alignment of incentives, early stage support funding, level and cost of finance; could include negotiation support with investors, providers and/or commissioners
3. Service specification (social prescribing and link worker model): target cohort, referral criteria, social prescribing intervention guidelines and protocol, LW role description, referral processes, GP practice engagement approaches, provider procurement approach (if relevant), Link Worker induction and training framework
4. IT and evaluation processes: identification of key performance indicators (KPIs) and development of robust measurement, risk monitoring and evaluation processes. A bespoke IT information management system can be developed as part of this with price variable according to the scope of the system required

We would be happy to discuss what elements of the above you would find most valuable and agree terms to share and interpret our information and approaches. We offer an initial complementary conversation to explore how we might be able to help you.