Life Seeker is all about inspiring individuals and communities to lead healthier lives so what better way to introduce the new Community Development Outreach Team within Hywel Dda University Health Board. This team has been tasked with improving health inequalities in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities across the counties of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.
Since the Coronavirus pandemic hit, the health inequalities that exist across our society have been exacerbated by the pandemic and particularly so, the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic community. An already poor lack of data that exists for BAME communities in Wales leads to poorer health decisions, something we want to change.
In Wales, the First Minister set up a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic COVID-19 Advisory Group that published its report in June 2020, including recommendations for key areas including:
- Experiences of racism
- Communication of key health and social care messages
- Cultural suitability of health and social care services
- Security of employment and income
- Engagement with young people in BAME communities to promote health and wellbeing for future generations
As with anything, being proactive rather than reactive is always the better approach and this will be the main goal and driving force behind the actions of our team. We can’t change everything, but we will listen, learn and adapt to make our services and access to them fairer for all.
The report can be read here: first-ministers-bame-covid-19-advisory-group-report-of-the-socioeconomic-subgroup.pdf (gov.wales)
The team
This brand new team comprises Stepheni, Hassim and Joshua with Stepheni based in Carmarthenshire, Hassim in Ceredigion and Joshua in Pembrokeshire.
The public health approach
When we say we want to work with you, we want to tackle the problems from a public health perspective. Public health is about acting before something becomes a problem or stopping it from becoming worse. The best way to think about it is to provide an example…
If the roof of your house starts falling off, the longer you leave it, the more damage there will be to the house. This could be water damage, more of the roof falling off and the stress from thinking about it. If you recognise there is a problem and make steps to fix it, then you have stopped the problem from becoming worse, thus improving the house and your feeling. That’s the public health approach in healthcare and what we want to follow in this team.
Our work will involve:
- The sharing of key priority health messages as they emerge
- Providing information that people can trust
- Supporting people to be able to make informed decisions and myth busting untruths
- Promoting vaccine uptake
- Supporting response to COVID-19 outbreaks
- Addressing inequalities in health by focusing on discrimination and racism
What can YOU do as an individual or as part of an organisation?
If you are reading this and thinking, I’d love to help, we would love that too. You can do so either as an individual or as part of your organisation.
As an individual, you can;
- Attend training on cultural awareness and hate crime to better support people.
- Speak to families and friends about what you have learned and how they can too help support.
- Get involved in voluntary groups in your local community that help and support Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities.
As an organisation, you can;
- Set up a Staff Networks/Groups supported by Trade Unions in Local Health Boards that should be set up to allow a safe space for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Staff members to express concerns without the threat of unfair action by Line Managers and above.
- Consider training for employers and employees on the Equality Act 2010, cultural awareness training and consider how training can be used to improve working environments for BAME people with comorbidities.
- Create a Racial Equality Champion for your organisation, to drive structural and policy change in tackling race inequalities and systemic racism.
Contact
To find out more about the team, contact Joshua Beynon on Joshua.beynon3@wales.nhs.uk or 07802 761520.
