Social Navigator and Buddying
Several communities described in the research the role of key individuals who went out of their way to help newcomers meet people, make friends and get involved in local social life. Often this is very informal and highly dependent on individuals who are willing to make the effort, but it was suggested that it could become more organised, with a welcoming committee of several people willing to be assigned to support specific new arrivals as ‘social navigators’ or buddies. One person envisaged a kind of ‘social passport’, based on information about the new person’s interests, giving them a list of activities to try and names of key people to contact.
Professional practice in remote and rural areas can feel quite isolating, so another suggestion was to link people up with a peer buddy or mentor in another remote area. This was not in the sense of a professional, work-related mentor – though that is also important for the NHS to consider – but someone who understands what it is like to be new and trying to manage the tensions of making friends where everyone is also your patient. Communities may know of a GP in a neighbouring community or island who might be willing to share experiences and be a listening ear.
There will always be a role for informal efforts by individual community members to make new healthcare workers and their families feel welcome and less lonely, from taking round a cake to inviting people to dinner or children to come round to play. The original inspiration for the Come and Work Here research was a story from one community about a family member of a newly arrived GP; when it transpired that this person liked playing Scrabble, the simple but powerful act was for a ‘social navigator’ in the community to find other people nearby who also liked to play a game of Scrabble and put them in touch. Importantly this can also help alleviate loneliness for long-term residents, seeing new arrivals as an asset for the social life of the community.
