The new NHS 10 year plan is ambitious on prevention and on shifting services to community level. Investment in other areas of policy and practice will be required to achieve this.
Adult learning, with its strong track record in supporting people with their health & wellbeing merits investment. Adult learning can provide essential information on topics such as nutrition, exercise and managing mental health and studies show the actual process of learning is beneficial in itself.
In the WEA’s recent survey of learners, 75% reported an improvement to their wellbeing by taking part in a face-to-face courses, and 80% from online courses.
More than 4 in 5 (84%) people with pre-existing mental health conditions say that taking part in adult learning improves their wellbeing.
And most adult education is hyper-local – it is already based in community venues with learners travelling no more than a mile or two to their courses.
Specifically, investment in social prescribing would have huge benefits. Social prescribing is where GPs suggest non-clinical approaches to help patients manage their conditions (especially around mental health).
Signposting to adult education courses is already established in social prescribing. Increasing investment to more social prescribing through the health budget – couple with reversing the planned 6% cut to adult education in the Education budget would help the new Plan meet its ambitions.
