2 July 2021

The CNWL Health Inequalities team (as part of the Brent Health Matters programme) was set up as a partnership between CNWL, London North West University Healthcare Trust, North West London Clinical Commissioning Group, Brent Council and various members of the community. The team works with local communities and organisations to mitigate short term impacts of COVID-19, raise awareness of services and tackle long term health inequalities in Brent. You can find out more about the Brent Health Matters (BHM) Programme at either of the following links:

The Vaccination Drive

As part of the ongoing work carried out in the community, it was found that many people were hesitant to accept the COVID-19 vaccines due to concerns over safety and difficulties accessing vaccination centres or booking appointments online. Public Health Brent and the team decided to bring their services closer to the community and found several sites to set up vaccination buses. Initially, people voiced concerns but this provided an opportunity for conversations to take place between clinicians, community connectors, champions and members of the local community.

Jenny Lanyero, Team Manager for CNWL Health Inequalities team, said: “you can’t just dismiss these concerns. You have to explore them with people as much as you can and understand where they’re coming from, whilst also promoting the message that vaccines are a positive thing that will protect them and their loved ones. Our community connectors and volunteers are recruited from the local communities and speak additional languages. This has facilitated conversations and a deeper understanding of some of the concerns people had. We have been able to validate them, build trust and encourage uptake of vaccinations. Staff have found this connection with the communities very rewarding’’.

Jenny recounted an experience she had at a vaccination bus. “A lady started talking to me who was quite nervous. She knew that Covid was real but she had needle phobia and a lot of concerns about the vaccine’s safety. A colleague of hers had died of Covid and she’d developed depression as result. So, we talked about mental health and I gave her some information and pointed her towards Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) and our out of hours services. Eventually, she agreed to have the vaccine. I stayed with her in the queue for a while before wishing her luck and saying goodbye. The following Saturday, I saw her again and she said: “thank you so much. You helped with my anxiety, I didn’t feel the needle at all and took your advice about managing side effects. I’m now encouraging people I know to take up the offer as well.” I was so pleased for her and it was brilliant to hear about her inspiring others to accept the vaccine.”

Vaccination myth busting materials, leaflets and videos were produced and are made available online to allow individuals to make informed decisions about the vaccine.

Pictures of the vaccination hubs set up in Brent by Public Health and supported by the Health Inequalities Team.

Brent Talking Therapies Service (IAPT)

Meanwhile, Sepideh Mhojatoleslami, a Senior Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (working as part of the CNWL Health Inequalities team and Brent Talking Therapies Service) works closely with Dr Said Aris Tarabi, Outreach & Wellbeing Lead for CNWL Talking Therapies Service Brent, to raise awareness of local mental health support available in Brent.

CNWL Communications got them in touch with k2k Radio (a Kilburn based radio station) where they could talk about the services they offer and encourage people to refer themselves if they needed support. They emphasised how people from Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority groups were less likely to come forward and accept therapy when they need it. This has inspired a push to address barriers and make services more culturally competent and accessible for all. You can listen to the entire radio discussion by following this link.

Aris said: “a lot of people still assume that everything is remote and that services are partly closed. Our services are open as usual and we are offering face-to-face treatment now. To ensure we are meeting the needs of our community, we have created a specific pathway for people struggling from the long-term impact of COVID-19.”

Despite the challenges of COVID-19, Brent Talking Therapies delivered a number of timely mental health and wellbeing workshops in the community consisting of anxiety and stress management workshops, mindfulness, tips on sleep, managing low mood and general mental health wellbeing during COVID-19. A couple of these were in Arabic and Somali, delivered by native speaking therapists. Those interested in attending the workshops that are delivered can query this by getting in touch. Further information and contact details can be found here: https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/services/mental-health-services/adult-and-older-adult/brent-talking-therapies.

Brent Talking Therapies Service screens a combination of self-referrals and GP referrals. Sepideh said: “the referral pathway is very easy. People can either call in or fill out a short referral form online. Within a few days, our service gets in touch with them to discuss next steps. We have a diverse team of staff speaking different languages and we work closely with interpreters to ensure we are not excluding service users who do not speak English. As much as possible, we have looked at ways we can accommodate the needs of our service users; whether that is offering a combination of face-to-face and Zoom sessions or early morning or evening appointments. We have a good system in place to ensure people are not waiting too long for an appointment and aim to see everyone within 6-8 weeks. During this time, we stay in touch with those on our waiting list to reassure them that they will be offered an appointment soon.” 

Further Progress

The CNWL Health Inequalities Programme is intent on developing services that are accessible to the Borough’s diverse population. The aim is to ensure services (both mental and physical health) are culturally competent and meet the needs of the local population. So far, they have established relationships with local organisations and services, and together they have:

  • Delivered various emotional wellbeing workshops in Brent.
  • Co-produced materials for Ramadan with faith leads.
  • Co-produced materials for Diwali with a Gurjarati speaking volunteer from one of the temples.
  • Co-produced simple Covid cards on how to keep people safe and translated them into six different languages.
  • Commissioned a local tailor, sourced materials to produce washable face coverings and distributed them to the local communities via mosques, churches, community centres and partner organisations.
  • Supported a partner organisation to apply for funding to employ a Somali speaking community connector.
  • Delivered Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Training to the Somali and Gujarati communities at two of the local temples and recorded a video that was shared online. IPC Video link: https://vimeo.com/473418852
  • Recorded a Podcast with ‘Good Thinking’ to support young people’s mental health:  https://www.good-thinking.uk/podcast-brent-medical-practice-yolanda-agyemang-baah/

There have been several articles in the Brent and Kilburn Times on the team’s work and recently Jenny Lanyero was nominated to represent CNWL at a reception at 10 Downing Street.

Jenny emphasises how important it is for communities to feel connected to their health services: “if people feel that going to a mental health unit or a community mental health team is too daunting or stigmatising, then they won’t come to us until they are at the point of crisis. The hours that services have offered have also been found to exclude people who want to be seen at the weekend or in the evening. With these lessons, the onus is on the health service to collaborate with the community and develop an offer that feels more accessible and culturally sensitive. Eventually, when the community feel heard and are part of the decision-making process, they are empowered. They will no longer be passive recipients of services designed and delivered by professionals. They can take control, make their own decisions, plan and deliver services and interventions that meet their individual and collective needs.”

Beyond CNWL

Recently, Brent Council was successful in its bid for a share of Community Champions funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Over the past few months, the BHM Programme has handed out a quarter of a million pounds in grants to local organisations to combat health inequalities.

Similarly, the recruitment of scores of Community Champions and Health Educators across the borough is making a significant difference to the impact of BHM’s work. Responses to feedback from the community have included the launch of a health and wellbeing telephone advice line, myth busting communications, PPE supplies and webinars about the COVID vaccine.

The success of the programme has also relied on the role of the Community Forum who meet monthly to inform and plan BHM’s work on a regular basis. You can read more about the Community Forum here.