Foreword
This report showcases the incredible breadth, diversity and impact of our work over the last year to develop social prescribing. As a relatively new organisation, operating in very challenging times and championing an innovative approach, the achievements outlined are remarkable, and reflect the significant benefits of working collaboratively. Everything we do at NASP is with others; global, national, regional and local partners, individuals and organisations.
Our NHS Social Prescribing Champion Programme has been a catalyst for change, empowering multi-disciplinary clinical and non-clinical staff to take significant actions that positively impact the health and wellbeing of communities. The breadth of examples, from personal practice changes to service redesigns, and the diversity of activities, from professional development events to public engagement, are truly inspiring. Moving forward, we will continue to identify, connect and support Champions across the NHS and beyond, so that social prescribing becomes ‘business as usual’ in healthcare.
We worked closely with the Utley Foundation to support over 100 local community choirs and singing groups, reaching many thousands of people living with dementia. Our next phase of the work will see more partners join as we launch ‘The Power of Music’ fund aiming to distribute £5 million over the next few years, not just channelling resource to local organisations but ensuring that they are connected to healthcare systems and can operate sustainably. Our focus is on system transformation and culture change; that means not just short-term support and grants for social prescribing and local groups, but changing structures, commissioning and policy so that community led provision is valued, funded and integrated with wider healthcare structures. The Power of Music will generate the data, evidence and knowledge needed to enable this.
England has undoubtedly led the way for social prescribing; we were the first in the world to resource and embed social prescribing as a universal offer in primary care, and there have been 1.6 million referrals by March 2023. But the rest of the world is quickly catching up, and interest in social prescribing as a solution to complex challenges in modern healthcare is rapidly growing. Our Global Alliance for Social Prescribing now has more than 30 different countries engaged, and 18 of these were represented at our international study day event in March to share best practice and discuss mutual issues and opportunities. We are privileged to be able to share the learning and innovation from our global partners, especially because it shapes our own approach, ensuring social prescribing continues to develop at pace in England.
This year we also secured a major project with a private sector partner, Lego. This innovative corporate partnership helped us test new approaches to working with the private sector to develop social prescribing (focusing on children and play) and we hope is just the start of a strategic approach to engaging with businesses. The benefits of partnership with businesses include not only investment into social prescribing, but also the opportunity to influence employee health and wellbeing. This will be a priority for us next year, as we seek to embed social prescribing in an even wider range of sectors from the business workplace, to higher education and prisons.
Lastly, we’re proud to continue to work closely with national partners to progress developments in key areas including arts and culture, physical activity, natural environment, heritage and older people. These partnerships may be diverse, but they all seek to better connect assets and resources in communities to healthcare and ultimately to the people who could most benefit from activities to improve wellbeing. Moving forward, we hope to fully establish social prescribing as a core priority for a wide range of national partners, and continue to convene and lead this incredibly powerful movement.
James Sanderson stepped down as CEO in 2022 and we would like to express our thanks to him for all of his work, and for leading NASP through our first few years. WE would also like to recognise and thank Jim Burt and Sunita Pandya for acting as joint interim CEO until March 2023.
Prof Dame Helen Stokes Lampard - Chair
The trustees present their report and audited financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note to the financial statements and comply with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)".
The charity’s objects are to advance the study and practice of social prescribing for the public benefit, in particular, but not exclusively, by:
1. Make some noise - raising the profile of social prescribing
In order to expand social prescribing, we need to get the message out there - that connecting people for wellbeing is vital for people and communities.
2. Find resources - develop innovative funding partnerships
We recognise the challenges faced by social prescribing link workers, the local voluntary, community, social enterprise and arts sector and will seek to improve resources to realise their social prescribing goals.
3. Build relationships - broker and build relationships across all sectors
Social prescribing relies on strong, mature relationships at national and local levels across multiple sectors.
4. Improve the evidence - shape and share the evidence base
There is already an evidence base for social prescribing, but it is not comprehensive. We need to build a consensus about what we know and don't know, improve accessibility and visibility of evidence.
5. Spread what works - promote learning on social prescribing
We will share what is good, what has been learnt and draw from multiple sources to ensure continued development of social prescribing.
Social prescribing is the practice of linking healthcare to community-based activities to address individual and community mental and physical health and wellbeing.
The National Academy For Social Prescribing ("NASP") works with key partners - such as Arts Council England, Historic England, Money and Pensions Service, Natural England, NHS, Sport England, and Independent Age - to administrate and manage grants allowing greater reach and deeper engagement in relation to social prescribing. All grant making/giving partners are issued NASP's partnership agreement detailing key governance, project management and risk mitigation points. All grant making/giving strands of activity must be signed off at Board level too.
The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
Our strategy for 2023-2026 builds upon the work that we have already been doing and focuses on five key ambitions:
1. Connection - a connected social prescribing system enabling access to activities and information;
2. Partnership - local, national and international partnerships driving innovative ideas and approaches;
3. Investment - boosted investment in community activities directly supporting people's health and
wellbeing;
4. Evidence - the best evidence shaping social prescribing policy, practice and research; and
5. Profile - a raised profile of how social prescribing changes lives and strengthens communities.
Highlights during the year ended 31 March 2023 include:
Over 10,000 people participated in social prescribing projects through the Thriving Communities Fund;
102 Social Prescribing Champions representing 22 clinical and non-clinical disciplines worked across all 7 NHS regions in England;
£100,000 of small grants were distributed to 100 dementia choirs, in partnership with The Utley Foundation;
We hosted over 40 international guests from 18 countries for Social Prescribing Day 2023;
Connected 135 voluntary organisations through the Accelerating Innovation Community of Practice; and
Published 9 new evidence reports.
1. Connection
1a Thriving Communities
The Thriving Communities programme has continued to be a fundamental part of our work, with a focus on building a connected, place-based social prescribing system. The work is delivered by a core group of seven regional teams, made up of members of the local voluntary sector as well as representatives from our national partners. The programme is committed to supporting the voluntary sector and those organisations who are receiving social prescribing referrals.
The Thriving Communities Fund supported over 10,000 people across the country, and strengthened links between the health and care system, activity providers and the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sectors.
The Learning Together programme continues to form a primary part of the Thriving Communities regional work, offering voluntary and community sector partners and social prescribers information and connection through themed webinars, networking meetings, Action Learning Sets, group contact and one-to-one meetings.
1b Regional Leads
NASP commissioned a host organisation in each region to develop and deliver work under The Thriving Communities Programme. The selected highlights below provide a snapshot of the broad range of work and initiatives undertaken by these teams.
North East & Yorkshire – Voluntary Organisations Network North East (VONNE)
Local partnerships - We worked strategically with the North East and North Cumbria (NENC) Alliance (called the Partnership Programme), which enables VCFSE organisations to engage and collaborate with health and care system structures at all levels; we also worked closely with the regional Personalised Care team, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) colleagues and other Integrated Care System (ICS) workstreams.
Healthy Communities and Social Prescribing workstream - We secured investment from the NENC ICS to facilitate a cross-sector social prescribing network for the North East and North Cumbria.
Reading for Wellbeing project - Through a project founded by author Anne Cleeves and supported by libraries and local authorities, we worked with a network of libraries to host Community Reading Workers within libraries in disadvantaged communities across the region which supported access to reading and books to improve wellbeing.
North West – Burnley, Pendle & Rossendale CVS
Partnership working - We worked as a partnership of four infrastructure organisations across the region; this brought localised knowledge and experience, allowing us to develop a connected social prescribing system.
System level work - We worked as core members of the VCFSE leadership in the development and delivery of the ICS / Integrated Care Board's social prescribing plans.
Place level work - Building upon a sustainable local social prescribing system, we worked to deliver Integrated Health and Care Neighbourhoods, and champion exemplars in our region.
Midlands – Community Action Derby
Midlands Local Infrastructure Organisations (LIO) Partnership – We worked with more than ten local infrastructure organisations (LIO) across the Midlands, meeting weekly to cover key themes of Communication, VCFSE support, ICS updates, and developments in social prescribing. The partnership drives sharing of ideas, developments, and approaches.
Derbyshire Investment Resource – We supported the development of an 'investment resource' for, run, and led by the VCFSE sector on a local ICS level, to support local development with national investment opportunities.
ICS Strategy – We responded to specific Integrated Care System areas, working with the Integrated Care Board and cross-sector for the development of social prescribing in Birmingham & Solihull and Leicestershire & Rutland (particularly within the city of Leicester).
East of England – Communities 1st
Pilot Working - We developed a Financial Literacy Pilot in partnership with Bank of England and the Money & Pensions Service, to improve the local wellbeing offer.
Arts & Culture – We delivered writing workshops in partnership with the Royal Literary Fund for VCFSE and Link Workers, providing skills and activities, and building connections.
Regional Social Prescribing Conference - We held an extremely successful event to bring together regional social prescribing leaders, enabling us to build local partnerships.
London – London Plus
Reporting - We worked with the Ubele Initiative, an African diaspora-led infrastructure plus organisation, to produce a report on Reimagining Social Prescribing: Perspectives and Experiences from Black and Racially Minoritised Communities; this aimed to identify and understand some of the gaps and barriers preventing access and take-up of social prescribing within these communities.
Social Prescribing Connected - We created a database of cross-sector organisations involved in social prescribing including local authorities, housing associations, social prescribing services and NHS key contacts per borough; this was important to drive local partnerships and connection.
South East – Crawley Community Action
Children & Young People – We allied to peer network groups and worked on the Community of Interest in the region, including making a connection to the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities; in addition, we ran a peer network and hosted two NASP webinars on the subject.
Mapping Social Prescribing Link Worker Host Organisations - In the South East we began a project to map all of the Social Prescribing Link Worker Host Organisations, working closely with social prescribing leads in the region. This is important to improve the connectivity of social prescribers with each other when people move between services, with other professionals such as hospital discharge teams and with the local voluntary and community sector.
Whole Community Approach: Crawley- We worked with Living Healthier Lives, an outreach projects to support diverse communities' engagement in social prescribing and work on developing a whole community approach to social prescribing.
South West – Active Dorset
Investment - We provided match funding to establish two park yoga sites in areas of deprivation in Cornwall. On average, each week 44 participants are attending Bodmin and 93 are attending the site at Par. Residents have been delighted with the yoga sessions as opportunities in their local areas are limited.
Knowledge and Understanding - There have been over 1,300 views of the South West Social Prescribing Services Map since publication earlier this year, which displays organisations who host a Social Prescribing Link Worker as well as other Local Infrastructure Organisations who support social prescribing. There has been hugely positive feedback from users who mention the map helps them to make sense of their system. We supported two Acute settings (Dorset & Devon) to explore the role social prescribing can play within their hospitals. Of particular interest was the potential for social prescribing to enable more collaboration between primary and secondary care.
1c Supporting the workforce
Our work this year has included the development of practical resources for Primary Care Networks (PCNs), including Link Worker Advisory Group (LWAG), which has been instrumental in the delivery of our forthcoming Link Worker Induction Guide. The LWAG are a group of seasoned link workers with a wide range of backgrounds. NASP intends to expand the group for a wider reach to include regional representation and specialisms.
We co-designed a guide for primary care decision makers to using ARRS funding to recruit Advice Link Workers, with our partners Money and Pensions Service. This will enable PCNs to maximise the ARRS funding to support communities experiencing poor health due to their financial issues.
We worked with NHS England to support the delivery of the NHS England Social Prescribing Workforce Development Framework. This included our commissioned work, the Portfolio of Evidence, for Social Prescribing Link Workers to evidence their skills and practice in line with the NHS England competency Framework.
We intend to continue to codesign practical resources for workforce, healthcare infrastructure and voluntary sector providers. We also have a growing global portfolio of international workforce development, where we support workforce implementation support offers.
1d Champions
Social Prescribing Champions are NHS staff members in England (clinical and non-clinical) working across community, primary, and secondary care to raise awareness of social prescribing within their workplace or profession. Participants in the programme were offered a range of opportunities to connect with their peers and to develop their skills in championing change. These were coordinated by NASP, with input from NHS England, alongside influencers and experts.
Applications to join the programme were received by over 200 people. After an eligibility review, 70 were appointed as champions in May 2022 and supported by an additional 32 champions previously involved in the 2021-2022 pilot. Champions represented 22 different disciplines and all 7 regions of the country.
Champions were asked to report briefly on up to three significant actions they had taken directly, because of their participation in the programme, demonstrating the success of the programme in building connections, partnerships and elevating the profile of social prescribing.
2. Partnerships
2a National Leads
We continue to drive innovative ideas and approaches through national partnerships; this work is delivered by a core team of National Leads across Physical Activity, Arts and Culture, Heritage, Older People, and the Natural Environment.
Older People
3 evidence products published
2 pilot projects commissioned
2 Skill share workshops delivered
1 Advisory group convened
In partnership with Independent Age, we commissioned two pilot projects to better understand the needs of older people not currently accessing social prescribing, and to co-design local, asset-based social prescribing offers that respond to their priorities. These projects in Hastings and Leicester will help to create more connected social prescribing systems for older people, particularly those experiencing financial hardship and those from marginalised communities.
Working with academic partners, we commissioned a rapid evidence review of social prescribing initiatives supporting older people experiencing poverty or financial hardship. Stakeholders were also surveyed to produce a snapshot of social prescribing for older people, identifying enablers, barriers, gaps and opportunities. All these findings are available on our website and informed the development of the older people’s work programme, including the pilot projects.
Older People was a theme of the SkillShare programme which focussed on supporting the needs of older people.
Historic Environment
Four social prescribing pilots underway, supported by funding from Historic England for 2022-2023
27 heritage organisations are members of the Heritage and Social Prescribing Community of Practice, with 12 actively delivering social prescribing
Four major presentations given as part of conferences and workshops across the country, raising the profile of NASP and social prescribing
This year saw the publication of Historic England’s Wellbeing and Heritage strategy, which has paved the way for more health and wellbeing work in the sector as well as collaboration opportunities on social prescribing. We have supported Historic England on the development and evaluation of two social prescribing pilot projects: one testing the concept of heritage connectors in Frome and the other testing the concept of heritage buddies in Nottingham. These projects will contribute to growing evidence on the health and wellbeing benefits of heritage as well as the testing the connectivity infrastructure in social prescribing systems.
We led and facilitated the work of the Heritage and Social Prescribing Community of Practice, enabling heritage organisations across the sector to further their understanding of social prescribing and access resources and support. Working with those organisations, Heritage and Social Prescribing Guidance is now in development to offer information and support to heritage professionals, social prescribing link workers and the public.
We also participated in the Heritage and Wellbeing conference at the University of Bournemouth in March 2022 to raise the profile of social prescribing within the sector and to facilitate further innovative collaborations.
Natural Environment
1 toolkit developed
4 evidence infographics developed
This year we have continued to support the national Green Social Prescribing Test and Learn programme to tackle and prevent mental ill health to its conclusion in March 2023. Working with NHS England and other partners, a green social prescribing toolkit has been developed and is now available on our website. We are continuing to work with partners to explore and maximise options to support the scale and spread of the learning.
We have also been working with Natural England to design and test the concept of Nature Buddies to support people to connect to social prescribing activities and we have provided expertise on the development of green community hubs. Four evidence infographics were also produced on the benefit and role of nature and the natural environment in social prescribing.
A webinar on health inequalities and wellbeing through food was delivered to highlight the opportunities for social prescribing in growing food, flowers and other plants.
Arts and Culture
Over 3,300 people participated in Art by Post: Poems for our Planet in 2022/23.
Distributed £100,000 worth of small grants to 100 choirs in partnership with The Utley foundation, for those living with dementia.
With the support of Arts Council England, this year we appointed a new National Lead for Arts and Culture to understand the needs and develop stronger social prescribing systems within the creative health sector. We have built relationships across the sector, particularly with libraries to support their current provision of health and wellbeing activities and to enable them to support the expansion of the social prescribing offer in these settings.
Working with the SouthBank Centre, NASP rolled out the second iteration of Art by Post. ‘Poems for our Planet’ combined the benefits of arts and culture activities with green social prescribing, using nature connectedness to inspire the participants’ creative writing, drawing and painting.
Physical Activity
More Than a Game was formally launched this year, a programme designed to improve collaboration between the health system and the sport and physical activity sector. At the launch event, we brought partners together from NHS England and football community trusts to better understand the needs of each sector and enable place-based collaboration. This has led to successful integration in a number of areas across the country.
Working with the Department for Transport, we have also supported the development of active travel social prescribing pilots. This is a three-year pilot programme to provide a wide range of cycling and walking interventions to improve physical health and mental wellbeing through social prescribing.
We worked with the health workforce to understand their needs and build supportive trusted pathways to local sport and physical activity provision. In response to this a social prescribing physical activity blueprint is being
built, linked to the Royal College of GPs’ Active Practice Charter to support those working in primary care.
2b Global
On a global scale, NASP, The World Health Innovation Summit and The World Health Organisation work in partnership with international partners from over 32 countries to form the Global Social Prescribing Alliance.
The Alliance aims to build this global community to work collaboratively to raise awareness of social prescribing, build capability, infrastructure and evidence.
Together with Worth Health Organisation (WHO) colleagues an international partners, NASP published the Social Prescribing Around the World Report in March 2023. This report explores social prescribing in 24 countries.
An in-person international learning trip was also hosted for over 40 international partners from 18 different countries. This was a first of its kind convening of key stakeholders interested in accelerating social prescribing efforts across the globe hosted by the Global Social Prescribing Alliance in collaboration with NASP.
2c Accelerating Innovation
The Accelerating Innovation Programme – established by NASP, Royal Voluntary Service and NHS England – ended in March 2023. It helped national voluntary organisations work together alongside local communities to increase the scale and impact of social prescribing activities.
The programme’s achievements include:
Forming a Community of Practice with 135 members from charities, social enterprises, umbrella bodies and others. Many members are formed of a handful of staff and volunteers who support people with unique needs, while others are large national charities that support many thousands of people across the country;
Hosting webinars covering topics such as financial wellbeing, health inequalities, evaluation and evidence, as well as other informal catch-ups;
Deep-dive working groups which cut across sectors and organisations, where members of the Community of Practice worked together with others in the social prescribing movement to share learning and make recommendations for developing new initiatives. This led to the publication of three resources co-produced with members and sector partners;
Publication of a ‘Volunteering for Wellbeing’ guide, to help volunteer-involving organisations support people who may come to volunteering as part of a social prescribing journey. This was co-produced with 100 people (Community of Practice members, volunteer managers, volunteers, link workers, and sector experts);
‘How to get started with Co-Production in Social Prescribing’ was published, in partnership with the Co-Production Collective and the NASP Co-production group of over 30 people from large and small charities, link workers, commissioners, academics, and people who have experienced social prescribing
Publication of ‘Innovations in social prescribing: the role of social housing’, in partnership with HACT and Housing LIN, and members of the Community of Practice
Social Prescribing Skillshare: a pilot programme to support organisations to increase their skills and confidence to enable them to provide quality social prescribing activities.
We are continuing to prioritise innovation across the organisation, including through the Skillshare Programme and the development of a new innovation network.
3. Investment
3a Thriving Communities Fund
2022-23 saw the completion of projects delivered under the £1.8 million Thriving Communities Fund, an innovative programme of grants dedicated to supporting social prescribing activities in local communities, working in partnership with Arts Council England, Historic England, Money & Pensions Service, Natural England, NHS Charities Together, Sport England, and NHS England.
The Fund supported 37 projects across England, delivering 3,772 sessions. 414 volunteers participated,
contributing an average of 300 volunteer hours per project.
The evaluation shows the life-changing impact of social prescribing, with activities supported by the fund reaching over 10,000 people.
The programme was successful in reaching groups more likely to experience poor health and less likely to get the health support they need:
45% had a long-standing health condition or disability - nearly twice the national rate
39% lived within the top 30% of the most deprived communities in England
35% were from Black and global majority backgrounds
Another success of the programme was building new and better connections between healthcare networks and the voluntary sector:
88% of projects said that Thriving Communities Fund had led to improved pathways to community support
91% said it had made alternative support more accessible in their community
88% of projects said that Thriving Communities Fund had improved links between link workers and Voluntary Community Faith and Social Enterprise organisations
82% said it had improved the local social prescribing offer
Two-thirds of the projects involved volunteers
3b Power of Music Fund
Following the publication of the Power of Music report, this year saw the rapid development of the Power of Music Fund. Working with a wide range of partners including The Utley Foundation, we distributed £100,000 worth of small grants to 100 dementia choirs and singing groups in response to the cost-of-living increases.
The next phase is a new Power of Music Fund which aims to provide a single funding stream for music and dementia social prescribing provision. By developing a mixed economy of funding, kickstarted through an initial £1 million grant from The Utley Foundation, we have used our unique place at the intersection of health and community to establish this programme.
Throughout 2022-23 we have been developing the aims and outcomes of the funds seeking further investment to launch the fund in the 2023-24 financial year.
4. Evidence
New evidence published in 2022-23
During 2022-2023, we worked to identify and address key evidence gaps for social prescribing policy and practice in the UK. We have done this through collaboration, being convenors of evidence, and increasing NASPs own capabilities for evidence-based activities. We have developed our cross sector International Evidence Collaborative, including the delivery of a programme of webinars and the creation of three International Coordinator roles in Portugal, Canada and Australia. We have worked with our evidence collaborative to produce accessible evidence products on a range of identified evidence gaps for policy and practice in the UK, with published briefings and rapid evidence reviews on:
Older people: Evidence shows that social prescribing can support older people with poverty in five main ways: supporting food insecurity; supporting fuel poverty; supporting financial management; supporting digital inclusion; supporting social vulnerability.
Arts, culture and creativity: The evidence consistently shows a positive link between better health and wellbeing and time spent taking part in arts, heritage and cultural activities. The UK is considered a leader in 'Arts on Prescription' and there is a growing demand for home and community-based arts and culture related activities.
Physical activity: A referral to take part in physical activity can lead to a wide range of benefits, including improvements in physical and mental health, increased patient empowerment, and a reduction in health service use and costs.
Financial, social and legal social prescribing: A key part of social prescribing is to help people deal with practical issues. Support with finance, social welfare and legal advice has been shown to have a positive impact on health and wellbeing.
Nature: Nature-based social prescribing can have positive effects on health and wellbeing. The reduction in loneliness and development of a nature connection was particularly found in people likely to be experiencing health inequalities.
Our academic partners also delivered four evidence reviews on health, wellbeing and the natural environment, published by Natural England.
5. Profile
Communications
The public profile of social prescribing has continued to rise. We carried out a survey with UK adults in March 2023, and 17% had heard of the term “social prescribing” – a rise from 12% in March 2022. In England, 10% of respondents were aware that there was a Social Prescribing Link Worker available through their GP practice, a rise from 6% the previous year.
While these numbers remain relatively low, they appear to be growing fast. And many people understand that social prescribing exists, even if they are not familiar with the term. In a separate survey commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care, 61% of people said that they were aware that healthcare professionals can refer people to non-medical support for their mental health (e.g. support groups or community activities)
In 2022/23, our Communications work has included:
Developing a new website. This launched in January 2023, and is intended as a one-stop shop for all things social prescribing. NASP saw 26% more users on the website in 2022-3 compared to 2021-2.
Growing our social media following by 48% between 2021 and 2022.
NASP was mentioned 677 times in UK media, and supported a range of features about social prescribing in the national press.
NASP made 10 new films about social prescribing, including about Green Social Prescribing, music and dementia and the role of link workers.
Dr Radha Modgil has led on work with Ambassadors and presented our popular Podcast on Prescription.
This year’s Social Prescribing Show sold out within days of tickets going on sale – and #.SocialPrescribingDay had a potential reach of more than 16 million people on social media.
We also developed the Social Prescribing & Me campaign, to raise public awareness about social prescribing, which launched in Spring 2023.
For the year ended 31 March 2023 the Charity received total income of £3,897,979 (2022: £3,159,464) and incurred expenditure on charitable activities of £3,372,410 ( 2022: £3,014,057) resulting in a surplus position for the year of £525,569 (2022: £145,407). During the year the Charity received a grant of £3m from The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and has secured funding from DHSC of £1.9m for 2023/24 and £1.7m for 2024/25.
At 31 March 2023 the Charity had cash of £844,649 (31 March 2022: £618,498), restricted funds of £449,856 (31 March 2022: £233,307) and unrestricted funds of £309,020 (31 March 2022: £Nil).
Reserves policy
NASP’s Reserves policy is designed to ensure financial stability for NASP as a registered charity with between 3-6 months of operational costs held in a designated Reserves Account which can only be used with Board authorisation.
NASP’s main source of income continues to be grant funding from DHSC but one of its objectives over the next 2-3 years is to derive more income from other sources. The current funding agreement with DHSC means that any underspend of grant monies received from DHSC is carried over into the following year and offset against new grant funding monies due from DHSC.
Based on its current levels of expenditure NASP has set a minimum target of £350,000 to hold as reserves as recommended by the Charities Commission to cover 3 months of operating costs. As noted above NASP has exceeded this target.
Risk management
NASP management regularly reviews the Risk Register on a bi-monthly basis and reports this to our Trustees and on a quarterly basis to the Finance, Audit, Investment and Risk Committee (FAIRCO). At present the main highlights are around diversifying our income streams and ensuring we have robust processes and staffing structures and levels to meet our programme requirements. As the Risk Register is reviewed across the Senior Management Team and Board every 8 weeks this ensures that the leadership team are very aware of the risk and related mitigations in daily business operations.
The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate the impact or likelihood of occurrence of its major risks.
Plans for future periods
We have developed five longer term goals which will shape our priorities and outcomes for 2023-2026:
Raise the profile of how social prescribing changes lives and strengthens communities.
Boost investment in community activities directly supporting people’s health and wellbeing.
Strengthen the whole social prescribing system to enable easier access to activities and information.
Build the evidence so the best information shapes social prescribing policy, practice and research.
Forge local, national & international partnerships to drive new ideas and approaches.
The charity is a company limited by guarantee. The charity is governed by its memorandum and articles adopted on 25 February 2020 as amended by special resolution on 1 September 2020.
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
The appointment of new trustees is performed through national advertising when the positions become available. Trustees are offered induction training when they first join allowing them to understand and connect to the business fully. Regular meetings with respective staff members take place with Board expertise in specific areas being utilised.
Alongside NASP's Remuneration Committee (REMCo), NASP's Remuneration Policy clearly states that the policy and any changes in remuneration must support NASP's vision, purpose and values. A robust process around renumeration changes (e.g. acting up allowance, additional responsibilities), is in place which involves sign off at both Senior Management Team and Trustee level with a yearly review of all salaries scheduled in Q4. Annual benchmarking of salaries and reviews of internal bandings are completed in Q4.
None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up.
The Charity is governed by the trustees with day-to-day activities managed by an operational committee which is headed by our Chief Executive Officer, Charlotte Osborne-Forde, who commenced in April 2023. During 2022/23 the CEO was James Sanderson until he stepped down in September 2022, after which Jim Burt and Sunita Pandya (existing members of SMT) took up the post a joint interim CEO until 31 March 2023.
PKF Littlejohn LLP were appointed as first auditors to the company during 2020/21 by the Trustees. The Company is not required under its Articles to hold an Annual General Meeting. Accordingly, PKF Littlejohn LLP are re-appointed auditors to the Company.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
The trustees, who are also the directors of The National Academy for Social Prescribing for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company Law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period.
In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Opinion
In our opinion, the financial statements:
give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company’s affairs as at 31 March 2023 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the period then ended;
have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
Other information
The other information comprises the information included in the trustees’ report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the trustees’ annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit:
the information given in the trustees’ report, which includes the strategic report and the directors’ report prepared for the purposes of company law, for the financial period for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
the strategic report and the directors’ report included within the trustees’ report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the strategic report or the directors’ report included within the trustees’ report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
As explained more fully in the statement of trustees’ responsibilities, the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:
We obtained an understanding of the charitable company and the sector in which it operates to identify laws and regulations that could reasonably be expected to have a direct effect on the financial statements. We obtained our understanding in this regard through discussions with management, industry research and experience of the sector.
We determined the principal laws and regulations relevant to the charitable company in this regard to be those arising from Companies Act 2006 and the Charities Act 2011.
We designed our audit procedures to ensure the audit team considered whether there were any indications of non-compliance by the charitable company with those laws and regulations. These procedures included, but were not limited to, enquiries of management and review of minutes.
We also identified the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements due to fraud. We did not consider there to be any other area, in addition to the non-rebuttable presumption of a risk of fraud arising from management override of controls.
As in all of our audits, we addressed the risk of fraud arising from management override of controls by performing audit procedures which included, but were not limited to: the testing of journals; reviewing accounting estimates for evidence of bias; and evaluating the business rationale of any significant transactions that are unusual or outside the normal course of business.
Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.
A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.
Use of our report
This report is made solely to the charitable company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone, other than the charitable company and the charitable company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
Grants
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.
All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
The National Academy for Social Prescribing is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)". The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £1.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
The financial statements have been prepared on the going concern basis. The trustees have considered relevant information, including future cash flow forecasts and the impact of subsequent events in making their assessment.
Based on these assessments and having regard to the resources available to the entity, the trustees have concluded that there is no material uncertainty in relation to the appropriateness of continuing to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the annual report and financial statements.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Income from government grants is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Expenditure relating to charitable activities is included in the Statement of Financial Activities on an accruals basis.
Support costs include amounts incurred in respect of the running of the charity as an organisation, including general management, administration and the finance function. The bases on which support costs have been allocated are set out in note 8.
Governance costs include staff costs incurred to support governance and legal and professional fees. The bases on which support costs have been allocated are set out in note 8.
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:
The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in net income/(expenditure) for the year.
At each reporting end date, the charity reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand and deposits held at call with banks.
The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument. Basic financial instruments are measured at transactions price and are subsequently measured at their settlement value.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
Grants
Grants receivable
Natural England
NHSEI
Other
Natural England
NHSEI
Other
Other income relates to grants issued by the charity to other entities, where at the conclusion of the grant period, the recipients of the grant held funds unspent which have therefore been returned to the charity.
Promotion of social prescribing
Thriving communities programme
Sports England
Promotion of social prescribing
Thriving communities programme
Sports England
Other costs
Promotion of social prescribing
Promotion of social prescribing
Grants made to individuals in the comparative period related to the NHS England Social Prescribing Student Champion Scheme.
Time spent
Other costs
Direct
Depreciation and impairment
Direct
Governance costs includes fees to the auditors of £16,200 (2022 - £12,090) (net of VAT) for audit fees.
None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration or benefits from the charity during the year. None of the trustees received any reimbursement for expenses.
Average number of employees for the year were
Included within wages and salaries are employment costs associated with staff seconded to the charity from other organisations. The payroll for such staff remains with their substantive employer, therefore while the charity is liable for the costs of their employment, it does not pay social security or pension contributions to or on behalf of the seconded staff. The analysis below separates only the social security costs and pension contributions related to direct employees of the charity, with the full employment cost of seconded staff being included within wages and salaries.
Deferred grant income relates to grants where the income has been received but it is to be used in future periods. All of the deferred income brought forward from the comparative period have been released to the Statement of Financial Activities during the year to 31 March 2023.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)
This grant is to support the continuation of the core work of the charity in 2021/22. Broadly, this funding is to increase the numbers of people able to access social prescribing, the range, availability and quality of community-based activities, and to support people to connect to these activities in order to improve people's health and wellbeing, in line with the charity's strategic plan.
Sport England
This grant is a multi-year funding agreement to support the charity's Physical Activity programme, including funding a National Lead for Physical Activity role within the charity. This funding is to support the Thriving Communities programme, in addition to the wider NASP/Sport England partnership.
DEFRA
This grant has been provided to support the charity's contribution to the Green Social Prescribing scheme.
Independent Age
This grant has been provided to support the charity's work promoting better outcomes for older people through social prescribing. The grant also funds a National Lead for Older People role within the charity.
Natural England
This grant is for a package of work to support Green Social Prescribing (Social Prescribing in Natural Environments) through the development and provision of evidence, sector engagement and best practice in Green Social Prescribing.
NHSEI
This funding is from commissioned work from NHSEI via Capita, to develop Link Worker resources, support social prescribing Champions, and to refresh and review guides and other resources, as well as a comms campaign.
The Lego Company
This funding represents a grant to develop, implement and evaluate a feasibility pilot for 'Prescription for Play' in the UK.
The Utley Foundation
These monies resent a one-off grant to employ a consultant to support the establishment of the Music Investment Partnership.
Arts Council England
This grant has been provided to support the charity's Art and Culture programme.
Other
These represent unspent monies on various commissioned projects.
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the period.
The charity had no debt during the current or comparative periods.