6. What kind of support do people want and how do they want support delivered? A combination of strategies and Restorative support – services and ¤ support types are needed support that help people get out of an established habit of disconnection. For Our research suggests that there is no one ‘ideal’ some, this level of support might require service for people who are feeling lonely – just as fairly intense confidence building, particularly there is no one pathway towards loneliness, or if issues of self-worth have set in. Others way of experiencing it. might simply want a ‘nudge’ in the right A mix of support for different stages of loneliness direction, something to do, and support to is needed (i.e. across preventative, responsive, sustain positive social connection. and restorative services and support); support that is participant-centred and tailored to the needs of the groups they are serving; and at least Preventative support some element of face-to-face connection, even Of course, loneliness cannot always be if users are also engaging digitally in some way. anticipated: for some, a range of complex barriers There was no strong participant preference about may mean that loneliness emerges or worsens who delivered these services and support, but in unexpected ways. However, in other cases experts stressed that partnership and resource-we can anticipate key life events or transitions sharing across deliverers (e.g. businesses and that this research has shown to be risk factors employers; community groups; charities and third for loneliness – e.g. retirement or motherhood. sector bodies) was key to ensuring that services Having an awareness of the key triggers or and support were sustainable in the long term.‘stress points’ was crucial to delivering support The format and type of service that participants before loneliness became a chronic problem. thought would have been most useful to support Participants experiencing loneliness and experts them varied widely. How ‘intense’ they needed thought more should be done to help people the service to be, and how they wanted it to be develop a ‘plan for action’ to prevent loneliness delivered (e.g. by an informal network, experts, or from setting in during stress points. Key elements peers) depended largely on where the participant of preventative support suggested by experts was on their journey of need for connection. Therefore, rather than focusing on one kind of and participants were the early recognition of service or support, there is a need for a mix of loneliness risk, signposting and more effort provision, extending across:from others to connect. This support would anticipate life stages, such as retirement or young Preventative support – support to help ¤ motherhood, to identify potential support users, anticipate potential ‘risk’ points for loneliness, and help build resilience and skills for changes develop strategies to mitigate loneliness, and to their circumstances that may make them ensure that there is support available if things susceptible to loneliness. get tough; The need for raising awareness of the potential Responsive support – support at critical ¤ to become lonely following a life event, and moments of transition: particularly if the life normalising those feelings, was also noted by event is caused by potentially traumatic experts. For participants experiencing loneliness, events in their own right such as the death of it was often the unexpected arrival of these a loved one, or a divorce. Participants noted negative emotions which caused distress, with that having support during these difficult many stating that if they had felt ‘more prepared’ critical moments could have helped them or spoken to someone who had previously been cope better in general, and also tackled the ‘in their shoes’ they would have made time to loneliness that began to creep in during these prepare. This would allow timely interventions difficult times; What kind of support do people want and how do they want support delivered? 38