Launch

The Government has promised to respond to the All Party Parliamentary Group for Arts Health and Wellbeing’s recommendations for the role of culture in health and wellbeing when the results of the APPG’s inquiry is published next year. In the recently published Culture White Paper, the Government sets out a range of pledges to elevate the role of culture in supporting health and wellbeing. The National Alliance for Arts, Health and Wellbeing was instrumental in establishing the APPG in 2014 and provides the secretariat for the APPG in its current inquiry.

Public Health England has published a framework for evaluating arts activities designed to support health and wellbeing.

The document aims to “strengthen understanding of what works in specific contexts and enable realistic assessment and appropriate comparisons to be made between programmes.”

And is intended for:

The Local Government Association has published guidance for tackling loneliness including establishing community choirs and engaging with local voluntary organisations. The guidance is targeted at reducing loneliness among older people but can be applied across the population

http://www.local.gov.uk/documents/10180/7632544/L15-431+Combating+loneliness+-+a+guide+for+local+authorities/b4b88757-2623-4696-ae04-565892a58909

Over the next few months, LAHF is planning a series of roundtable discussions to explore specific areas of interest in arts and health to bring together people working in particular aspects of practice. The aim is to share knowledge and learning and to look at the ways LAHF can support those working in specialised spheres within the field of arts, health and wellbeing.

Biblio.life is a new digital service aiming to improve wellbeing by connecting readers with book curators who make personalised recommendations of fiction intended to offer them a fresh perspective on life.

The London Voluntary Service Council has published a map showing the different models of social prescribing in London as part of a wider review of social prescribing.

The map is based on the results of a survey of providers showing different prescribing models, how they operate, are funded or commissioned, work in partnership and monitor and evaluate the impact of their initiatives. It will be updated as current social prescribers develop, others come to light and new ones emerge.

An alliance of London health commissioners has published Better Health for London: One Year On analysing progress on linking health and social care in London.

The report shows progress against the ten ambitions for London’s health set out by the London Health Commission including improved outcomes in mental health and in children’s health.

https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/BHFL_one-year-on_WEB_1.pdf

Creative and Credible is a new resource to support evaluation activity across the arts and health sector, guiding people through arts and health evaluation, answering questions such as: ‘What is evaluation?’ and ‘How will evaluation benefit me?’

The Department of Health has produced new guidance for people working in the care sector to help people achieve control over their own care. The report, called ‘Voice, choice and control’ calls for the provision of “opportunities to take part in community life, including engaging in activities which match their interests, skills and abilities.”

The Alzheimer’s Society has published new guidance to help arts venues to make their facilities and services more accommodating for people affected by dementia.