Refugees and asylum seekers: develping lcal services and respnses Karen Mellanby Directr f Netwrks and Cmmunities Mind
Service develpment fr vulnerable migrants Our definitin: Thse adversely affected by circumstances leading t r resulting frm their migratin Asylum seekers and refugees Survivrs f trture Separated children Rma, Gypsies and Travellers Trafficked adults and children Peple in frced labur Undcumented peple Immigratin detainees
Factrs cntributing t vulnerability and ill-health 1 2 3 4 Higher incidence f mental health prblems than the wider ppulatin At significantly higher risk f unemplyment, hmelessness and pverty, which impact n mental health Scial islatin and stigma arund mental health can prevent peple speaking ut and is particularly acute in sme migrant cmmunities Services nt always culturally apprpriate, additinal language barriers
Mind s wrk n refugees and asylum seekers
Achieving culturally and linguistically sensitive services Take a multi-agency partnership apprach Capture need in Jint Service Needs Assessments and Jint Health and Wellbeing Strategies Review new and existing services Build capacity in migrant cmmunities t engage n needs, service specificatins, mnitring and prvisin f services Embed equality impact assessments at every stage f the prcess
Achieving culturally and linguistically sensitive services (2) Engage cmmunity services, advcates and migrants t define mental health utcmes Develp culturally sensitive services and interventins Develp lw cst, high impact culturally apprpriate health prmtin initiatives with cmmunity rganisatins Prmte infrmatin sharing and crdinatin between agencies
8 key lessns frm early pilts Engagement and capacity building with vulnerable migrants takes time and investment Many culturally specific grups are struggling t survive fllwing funding cuts, s can be hard t engage Time is needed t create a cmmn language and apprach between cmmissiners and cmmunities CCGs and Public Health must wrk tgether Transparency abut decisins is critical t build trust Imprtant t link influencing t natinal plicy and guidance Lived experience is crucial t bring issues t life Need fr VSOs t demnstrate utcmes
Lndn prjects (2015-17) Supprt cmmunity engagement and lcal influencing activities in Lndn Wrking with seven lcal Minds t raise awareness and t influence better cmmissining Engaging 100 vulnerable migrants and training at least 20 t becme cmmunity representatives C-prducing an Influencer Manual t empwer cmmunities t affect change
Prjects in Wales (2015-18) Three year prject funded by Welsh Gvernment t wrk with vulnerable migrants t c-prduce mdels f engagement and services mdels fr mental health Engaging with migrant cmmunity rganisatins t gain trust and build relatinships Establishing a cmmn language t discuss mental health Will feed int Lcal Health Bards t shape services
Example f tailred peer supprt Psitive Actin fr Refugees and Asylum Seekers (PAFRAS) is fr asylum seekers in Leeds waiting t access mental health services, many living in pverty and islatin Tw grups supprting males survivrs f trauma and trture (Iranian and Eritrean) Grup ffers practical tls and cping mechanisms t help deal with the asylum system and resulting anxiety and stress Grup members reprted better wellbeing and scial supprt
S what needs t change? 1 2 3 4 5 6 We need t develp better awareness and understanding f the challenges that vulnerable migrants face We need t understand that wrking with vulnerable migrants is cre business (equality duty) We need t prvide pprtunities t engage with cmmunities We need t develp a culturally cmpetent wrkfrce with the skills and knwledge. We need t build tailred appraches t supprting peple We need t fund services that effectively meet the needs f vulnerable migrants (including peer supprt)
Where t start? Mind s cultural cmpetency training Mind ffers training t ensure frntline staff have the capacity and cmpetence t supprt vulnerable migrants Our training lks at hw culture shapes the way we see urselves and thers, and hw t address mental health in cultural cntexts We als ffer specific training n Cmmunity Develpment fr Emtinal Health t infrm culturally cmpetent cmmunity interventins and explre ways t ensure effective engagement
Questins? Karen Mellanby k.mellanby@mind.rg.uk