Case Study: Creative Friendships on Prescription
Authors(s), Creator(s) and Contributors: Eleanor Shaw, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, PeopleSpeakUp LTD
Publication Date: 17/05/2024
Categories: Case Studies
Partner(s): People Speak Up - Design and Delivery Cavs, Lead/ Carmarthenshire United Support Project ( Carmarthenshire County Council, HDUHB, Age Cymru Dyfed, Carers Trust, British Red Cross)
Funder(s): Arts Council Of Wales, Carmarthenshire County Council/ West Wales Care Partnership
Introduction
Kreative Kinship on Prescription is an arts and health project seeking to explore how creative friendships can help alleviate loneliness and isolation and improve mental health and wellbeing for older people across Carmarthenshire on a referral basis from partners. Participants are matched with a skilled artist and volunteer who use creative activities in the participants’ home or care home to build confidence and wellbeing. In time, participants are encouraged to build new friendships and enjoy further creative activities at People Speak Up’s Arts and Health hub in Llanelli - The Ffwrnes Fach. Designed and delivered by People Speak Up and working in Partnership with The Carmarthenshire United Support Project.
The Challenge
The project was designed on learnings and needs from the previous project and from partnership meetings.
The Approach
The project delivered the following outputs across the duration of the project:
• 5 artists and 6 volunteers worked together to deliver sessions on the project
• 70 home visits were made with 20 individual isolated and lonely adults
• 20 sessions were run at care homes with a total of 66 participants
• In total, 86 participants benefited from the project
Timescale - March 2023 - September 2023
£50,000 - ACW £7,000 - Carmarthenshire County Council/ West Wales Care Partnership
The Impact
The following evaluation approaches were used:
Participant questionnaires key project outcomes:
- How did you feel before the visit? What was your favourite part of the visit?
- How were you feeling after the visit?
- At the end of the project participants were asked:
- If the project were to continue, would you be a part of it?
- Any highlights/lowlights?
- Any other comments
Artist/volunteer reflective diaries
Project artists & volunteers completed a reflective diary after each session with a participant providing a response to these questions:
- What did you observe? (incl. body language, engagement levels, changes in mood).
- Any comments from the participant?
- What, if any, relationships were formed?
- Any other comments
At the end of the project artists were also asked the following questions:
- How could PSU improve the project?
- A highlight?
- A lowlight?
- Anything else?
Most Significant Change (MSC) MSC -qualitative, story based method of evaluation seeking to understand the impact made by the project from the perspective of participants, staff & volunteers. It provides opportunities for participants, staff, volunteers and partners to reflect on these ‘stories of change’ in order to gain as much learning as possible from experiences of the project.
Full report https://bit.ly/4b0bOea
Lessons Learned
Team and partner meetings to discuss evaluation report and action points.
The Legacy
PSU has an excellent relationship with the local authority and we are currently in meetings to take the learnings from this project - adapt, react and upscale, grow for the next project. Taking into account CCC & HDUHB needs for their service and community
Website and Social Media Links
https://peoplespeakup.co.uk/kreative-kinship-on-prescription-report.html
Contact Details
Tags: Arts on Prescription Creative Prescribing Arts and Health Storytelling Friendships Ageing Well
