Creating and sustaining enabling systems and communities to address social needs: protocol for a living lab social prescribing study

Background Social needs - such as housing, income, food security, and social connectedness - have a significant effect on health and wellbeing. One way to address social needs is through social prescribing, which involves screening for unmet needs (e.g., during healthcare appointments) and providing referrals to social and community services. For social prescribing to be effective, it must address both individual needs as well as support the social and community services that are required to meet these needs. The objective of this study is to adopt a place-based framework that combines: 1) individual-level referral for social needs, with 2) community and stakeholder engagement to determine community assets, resources, networks, and need to inform model development. Methods The study will be conducted in three-phases across two low-socioeconomic Australian communities, underpinned by the ‘enabling places’ theoretical framework. Phase 1 will involve identifying key elements that enable place-based social prescribing using photovoice methods with health and social care providers and community members. Outcomes will inform co-design workshops to develop a place-based social prescribing model of care that is augmented by technology to facilitate integration across health, social, and community services. In Phase 2, the co-designed model will be implemented in the two communities. Phase 3 will involve a mixed methods approach to the evaluation of the model’s implementation, effectiveness, and social return on investment. Discussion The study aims to foster place-based initiatives and community development, a missing element in much of the social prescribing discourse. It is anticipated that outcomes will contribute to the design and implementation of social prescribing models that are tailor-made for Australian communities, systems, and funding systems.