About
Somerset Adult Social Care and the University of Plymouth have researched how the Talking Cafes in Somerset work, mapping where they are and how they function. This has not been done before. The Cafes are set up to support people to find help in their own community and stay independent for longer. They are run by Village Agents, who work for the Community Council for Somerset (CCS).
Visiting Cafes provided the unique experience of seeing community solutions, including social prescribing, meaningful support and advice. These visits made it possible for researchers to learn how well the Cafes work. Relevant information from the visits and from the Community Council for Somerset (CCS) were explored.
Because the Agents can change the Cafes to meet the needs of the people they work with, Cafes are run in different ways. Most Cafes are in places where people need more support. Researchers saw that Agents help people with loneliness, money worries, finding local groups and helping unpaid carers.
Because the Cafes are flexible, they can work in many different places and for different people. More research is needed so the people in the Cafes can say what they need. What the researchers have seen is that the people visiting the Cafes feel supported by them.
You can read the full report and findings below.
