Abstract:

The launch of “The National Framework for Social Prescribing in Wales” (Welsh Government, December 2023) not only underpins the sustainability of the services’ functions of Local Authorities and Health Boards in Wales but also provides the fulfilment of Well-Being for people across the nation in Wales. Dr Rogers, the Project Director, under the auspices of the Coleg-y-Cymoedd, Nantgarw Campus Directorate, now drives forward, with her Team of Facilitators, therapeutic creative and digital activities for Health and Well-Being in the community. This college-based project aims to foster intergenerational engagement including grandparents, parents and learners together with an all-age, multidimensional focus on Creativity with an emphasis on encouraging Lifelong Learning. In so doing, the project also aims to promote, through Lifelong Learning, the increase of an individual’s Cognitive Reserve that research evidence shows is less likely for the occurrence of an early onset of Dementia. Dr Rogers’ Research, now in its fifth year, explores perceived Critical Success Factors (CFSs) that Service Providers in Wales, UK regard essential for the sustainability of Social Prescribing (SP) Art-on-Prescription (AoP) for Health and Well-being. AoP is seen as a cost-effective alternative, adopting non-drug, non-health-service interventions, within community settings, to improve and manage the health and Well-Being for those with usually long-term mental conditions. The Study is supported by The Academic Supervisory Team, i.e. Director of Studies, Professor Carolyn Wallace, also, Director of The Wales School for Social Prescribing Research (WSSPR), Professor Steven Smith and Dr Sarah Wallace. Understanding the concept of well-being within the context of this research provides clarity on how both service providers and service users interpret and recognize meaningful aspects of Well-Being, that needs clarification as shown by Alexandrova, (2014, p.10) in the following quote:
“Perhaps the most remarkable fact about [all] this [well-being] research is how many different definitions and measures of well-being coexist at once.. . . ”

In Wales, this aligns with involving local voices to reduce health disparities through culturally relevant artmaking. The question then arises as to “How do philosophical perspectives support sustainability?”

Four determinants may be identified i.e.:
(i) Encourage reflective practice among researchers, artists, and clinicians
(ii)Support ethical funding and policy decisions that prioritize well-being holistically
(iii)To justify the value of Art-on-Prescription beyond clinical outcomes
(iv) Help build inclusive, person-centred models that resonate with diverse communities.

A mixed methods methodology implemented Group Concept Mapping (GCM) (Kane & Trochim, 2007), using GroupWisdomTM software as a versatile research tool. During the first four years of the project (2021-2025) ‘low risk’ ethical approval was granted for a sample population of Service Providers. By online brainstorming qualitative data was elicited, which was then quantified through bivariate ratings, giving cluster mappings and go-zone areas with interesting results. A successful Transfer Viva from MPhil. to PhD. Candidature explores expectations/desires/perceptions of Service Users themselves. Work-in-Progress may then triangulate data to see whether the perceptions of Service Users match those of Service Providers.

Keywords:

Group Concept Mapping, Social Prescribing, Art-on-Prescription, mixed methods, critical success factors, Lifelong Learning, Cognitive Reserve, Well-Being, intergenerational access, sustainability, creativity, GroupWisdom™.