Education plays a vital role in shaping our health over time. When people have the chance to learn, they often feel more empowered, connected, and able to take charge of their lives. Social prescribing supports this by linking people to learning and community opportunities that help them live healthier, more fulfilling lives.
Social prescribing connects people to non-medical community support - from local groups to advice services and adult learning. It is a practical, person-centred approach focused on what matters most to each person. At its heart are Social Prescribing Link Workers (SPLWs), who take time to listen, understand people’s circumstances, and support them to take meaningful steps forward.
In my role leading engagement with SPLWs at the National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP), I hear every day about the transformative difference this support makes. Many people come to social prescribing feeling stuck - managing long-term conditions, loneliness, financial pressure, or low confidence and connection. Learning may not be the reason for referral but is a prescription that can help patients with the issues they may be facing. Time and again, we see that health and wellbeing improve when people feel heard, supported, and able to access the right opportunities.
Link between lifelong learning and social prescribing
As links between health and work gain recognition, learning should be more consistently embedded in link worker conversations. The Mayfield Review, Keep Britain Working helps push this conversation forward highlighting how learning is also important for health, confidence and wider communities, recognising the support provided by SPLWs. In addition, The Campaign for Learning highlights in its “Skills Not Pills: Adult Learning and Social Prescribing” report that learning can reduce loneliness, improve mental health, and increase a sense of control. This mirrors the issues that link workers see people facing every day.
Supporting people across the life-course: encouraging lifelong learning.
SPLWs are perfectly positioned to encourage learning for people across the life course. For children and young people, the evidence is growing with a recent national review finding that social prescribing boosts confidence and reduces anxiety. For adults, small steps - understanding a health condition, building skills, or joining a creative class can be life-changing. In later life, learning can be a lifeline, helping to reduce isolation and support cognitive function.
Across all ages, the message is clear: when learning reflects the principles of social prescribing - personal, welcoming, and shaped around individual needs - it can spark confidence, connection, and lasting change.
While evidence shows both learning and social prescribing improve health and wellbeing, more can be done to bring them together. Any lifelong learning strategy should be rooted in a core social prescribing principle: start with what matters to the individual.
The potential
With over 3,300 link workers across England, alongside experienced providers like the WEA, strong local partnerships, and growing national interest in health and lifelong learning, we have a solid foundation. The next step is to bring this together intentionally - embedding learning in link worker conversations, sharing local successes, and aligning strategies across health, education, and employment so people do not have to navigate fragmented systems.
Making it a reality
To achieve this, link workers need time and capacity to explore learning opportunities, not just respond to urgent needs. Expanding the workforce would support this, alongside enabling stronger connections with learning providers. A shared cross-sector language is also vital, particularly for capturing outcomes and demonstrating impact. This reflects findings from NASP’s response to the NHS 10 Year Workforce Plan, which highlights the need for stronger workforce capacity, clearer role understanding and improved evidence to support impact. Crucially, community-based learning providers need to be sustainable, and able to provide free or affordable courses to remain accessible to link workers. Embedding these foundations will make learning a core part of SPLW conversations - helping people thrive.
This Social Prescribing Day, we should commit to embedding learning in social prescribing so more people can connect, grow and thrive.
