Best Practice
Visits - Executive Summary
Aims and objectives of these visits
It was decided that there needed to be a change in methodology, which
would allow us to cover the experiences of those communities we were
not able to access so easily in Cardiff, such as the Chinese and Vietnamese
communities. As a result, a number of visits to organisations that worked
with these groups were arranged.
As well, we decided to then cover other organisations that were models
of good practice, such as the Chinese and Vietnamese organisations.
Included in this was the Franz Fanon centre, working with Afro-Caribbean
and African communities and Asian Services, working with people from
South Asia.
- The purpose of these visits is to include minority ethnic groups
who we have not been able to target in Cardiff. This has been due
to a lack of community organisations and community workers, who might
otherwise be able to offer us access and entry to those groups. This
is the case for the Chinese and Vietnamese communities. If we had
not participated in the visits, these communities would have been
excluded and not represented. This strongly goes against the ethos
of the project
- Some of these groups have not been accessible because the population
numbers have fallen dramatically and no organised groups exist to
meet their needs. For example, the Vietnamese community have faced
re-dispersal and the Vietnamese organisation set up for them in Cardiff,
closed down
- Visiting organisations outside of Wales, has allowed us to see how
the needs of such communities can be met and to capture what those
needs and key issues are in establishing and maintaining such a service
- It has allowed us to make contact and create a dialogue with organisations
that have been recognised nationally for their work. This includes:
1. Asian Services (Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health
Trust)
2. Chinese Mental Health Association (London)
3. Franz Fanon Centre (Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health
Trust)
4. Swansea Chinese Community Coop Centre (Wales)
5. Vietnamese Mental Health Services (London)
Many of the individuals involved in these organisations have been
key players in the writing of documents such as "Inside Outside"
and "Breaking the Circles of Fear" and it is good for them
to know about the research Awetu has commissioned as the only Black
and Minority Ethnic Mental Health Group in Wales.
How these visits were conducted
Initial contact was made with the managers and directors of the projects
and I explained about the BE4 project, Awetu and why we would like to
come and visit the project. Permission was gained and a date arranged
to visit the project, as well as material exchanged about the two projects.
Staff viisited the project and did one to one interviews, or where this
was not possible, had a meeting with the manager / key worker and raised
questions about the project, its aims and objectives and the issues
that arose for that community group. Interviews were tape recorded and
the main set of questions were used, with minor additions, where additional
historical information was required
The audience
The report is aimed at those individuals responsible for planning,
providing and delivering services, in particular those working with
Black and Minority Ethnic people. This includes members of the National
Welsh Assembly Government, those working in the NHS, social services,
nursing and professional bodies, those working in primary care, the
Black voluntary sector and other organisations. It is also for users,
carers and other family members who are affected by their significant
others being ill.
Key findings from the visits
- Services identified by each of the organisations and why this was
significant for that particular community group
- Key issues and difficulties faced
- Examples of best practice identified that would fit in with issues
that have arisen from the literature review. These include the following:
- The need for an advocacy service for BME patients, to equip them
with support to deal with health care professionals and empower themselves
with knowledge about their illness, medication, welfare rights and
other services of a therapeutic nature
- Need for bi-lingual workers who have the ability to communicate
effectively with patients and professionals and who are recognised
as skilled workers by hospitals and other health organisations
- Need for a physical space where people can gather and create social
contact with staff, other users and be understood, in relation to
language, ethnicity, culture
- An opportunity for carers, those with a lived experience of mental
distress, to discuss and share feelings, worries, concerns, through
a newsletter or magazine
- Mental health promotion - to help educate people about mental illness
and well-being and help break down stigma and encourage social inclusion
and participation of people in society
The significance of this? AWETU comissioned the BE4 study. As well
as providing a context in which to analyses the studies primary data,
the documenting of these visit gives AWETU the opportunity to reflect
on what has been acheived to date, and where it could develop in the
future.
The aim of the document
The document will suggest ways in which services could improve for
the groups identified, taking the principles of the National Welsh Assembly
Government's relevant strategies. Placed alongside documentation on
the specific needs of Cardiff's residents, the aim will be to map the
way forward with specific reference to what is happening in other areas
of the UK and local need.
Recommendations
We are currently in the process of analysing transcripts and identifying
key issues. The main areas that need to be looked at are in relation
to:
- Ensuring a workforce that has appropriate skills in relation to
language, mental health and community work
- Ensuring access to information in relation to medication, the health
care system, health care professionals and different therapeutic interventions,
that do not always include medications
- The need for interventions that address the needs of specific groups
within those communities
- The need for culturally sensitive and anti-racist services
- Capacity building between community groups and those that address
the needs of people experiencing illness
Kalbir Kaur-Mann
BE4 Research Assistant
04 November 2003
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