Referral guidance: Building buy-in and initial engagement

Abstract

The people involved in supporting a potential participant onto a greenspace programme will vary depending on where the programme is and who is running it. For example, they might be supported by their support staff to attend a programme internally (if one has been developed), or they might be directed to an existing programme external to the service by staff or external healthcare professionals. Regardless of pathway, this guide has been designed to help service staff, support workers, referrers (those directing participants to programmes), link workers (those supporting or 'linking' participants onto programmes), and/or other people working with potential participants, to build trust and engagement (‘buy-in’) for greenspace programmes, particularly for those unsure about them. It also provides insight into key considerations when signposting or ‘referring’ participants to programmes (whether internal or external groups).