Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 5
5
Deferred
Expedite Awaab's Law implementation and extend safeguards against health hazards to private tenants.
Recommendation
It is welcome that the Government’s has proposed measures to protect social sector tenants from the worst impacts of unhealthy homes, via the implementation of “Awaab’s law”. We recommend that the Government act quickly on the outcome of its consultation on this topic for social sector tenants. It should also consider how similar safeguards could be extended to tenants in the private rented sector who are affected by housing hazards, such as damp and mould, that can pose an immediate danger to health. (Paragraph 19) 26 Prevention in health and social care: healthy places
Government Response Summary
The government deflected the recommendation by discussing the growth and delivery of social prescribing initiatives and related targets, rather than providing an update on 'Awaab’s Law' consultation outcomes or considering extending housing hazard safeguards to the private rented sector.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
National ambitions for the delivery of social prescribing have been set out in the NHS Long Term Plan. Thiscommitted to rolling out social prescribing across primary care networks (PCNs) in England so that over 900,000 people were referred to social prescribing by 2023/24 with 1,000 link workers in place by 2020/21. This supported a wider effort to roll out personalised care commitments. Social prescribing has grown significantly across England since 2019. There are now approximately 3,600 social prescribing link workers and have been over 2.5 million referrals to social prescribing in general practice since 2019, exceeding NHS Long Term Plan commitments. Published Guidance on supporting high frequency users and our Delivery plan for improving access to primary care already sets out strategic direction for the integration of social prescribing within existing care pathways. Social prescribing enables GPs, PCN staff and all local agencies to refer people to link workers who can work with them to access, through personalised care and support planning, different ways of meeting their needs. Social prescribing within PCNs is a universal offer but works particularly well for people who need support with their mental health, are lonely or isolated and/ or have complex social needs which affect their wellbeing. Link workers connect people to community groups, activities (such as health & wellbeing, sport and exercise and the natural environment) and agencies for practical, emotional and social support. We recognise the potential benefits of social prescribing to different population groups. As set out in the Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service (DES) Guidance 2023/24, PCNs must provide access to a social prescribing service to all patients who could benefit, and deliver a proactive social prescribing case-finding service, typically delivered through employing social prescribing link workers either directly or through contracting arrangements with a local VCSE provider. We are now seeing social prescribing developing across other parts of the NHS and with children and young people also. We have also piloted the delivery of social prescribing schemes exploring links between physical and mental health and the built and natural environment, including cross- government Green Social Prescribing pilots and Department for Transport (DfT) Active Travel Social Prescribing pilots. Integrated Care Systems (ICS) are also developing social prescribing in secondary and community care to support self-care and provide support to addressing the wider determinants of health. NHSE has developed further support for the national infrastructure for social prescribing, such as an Information Standard for social prescribing and a national workforce development framework. BUILDING HEALTY PLACES FOR THE FUTURE System-level support for healthy placemaking