With these inspiring words ringing in their ears, the delegates were let loose in East London, walking or on public transport to get a feel for the area. They were led by staff to meet some of the people behind these projects and some of those benefiting.
Returning to Toynbee Hall, a feedback session over lunch showed the tremendous value the delegates got from the opportunity to speak directly and in some cases experience some of the initiatives:
East London Dance
Championing East London’s dance scene, East London Dance is committed to co-creation, inclusivity, equity and accessibility and to representation of the diverse local communities, and social connection. Delegates were able to join in with a class and were struck by how emotionally involving it was: “It was great to see the emphasis on other forms of therapy, not just talking, also incorporating the arts.”
Hackney Quest
Hackney Quest aims to give young people, families and members of the community the practical and emotional support they need to develop and pursue their aspirations and deal positively with life’s challenges. The delegates that visited this service were impressed by the way young people felt represented, gained career advice, psychological support from non NHS counsellors, and made social connections along the way. Hackney Quest is linked to schools and other sectors: “They know the communities really well but need resources to measure their impact.”
Health E1
Health E1 is a medical centre for people who are homeless, in temporary housing or a sofa-surfers. The visitors heard about the tension between the outcomes sought by commissioners (eg. cholesterol management) versus the more pressing needs facing people who are homeless. They heard how lack of an address can be a barrier to accessing other services but that by funding mobile phones for people, the practice had increased engagement and follow-up: “The term ‘Rough Sleepers’ was not known to some of us before. Commissioners should spend some time with the team and its patients to understand their priorities.”
Royal London Pathway Team
The Royal London Pathway team are a multi-disciplinary team based at the Royal London Hospital in Tower Hamlets providing holistic care to homeless people who present in the A&E department or who are admitted into hospital. Delegates were able to join a multidisciplinary meeting to discuss management/option of anonymised individuals: “We had an interesting discussion on why fewer women present injured and homeless – better at keeping safe or staying in difficult/abusive situations.”
Mind City and Hackney
A long-standing non-NHS local mental health resource for residents in Hackney and Waltham Forest, delegates heard about Mind’s Community Connectors who work with the charity and the NHS. Noted that many have lived experience and all had a compassionate approach. Offer training and mental health support to people possibly not known to NHS services: “They make people feel they can trust the support on offer. A diverse team who have cultural understanding. Meet in ordinary places like coffee shops and can be innovative and work with what people need. Wonder about the risk but Mind will link with NHS services when indicated.”
Bags of Taste
A hands-on charity that aims to transform the lives of people living in food poverty with practical support to buy and cook tasty, healthy and affordable food. Delegates were struck by how passionate the organisers were to reduce health inequalities. Working from a house on a normal street, they strive to reduce food waste, improve family nutrition and hold cooking sessions: “It was inspiring. They recruit those who will benefit most and it’s evidence-based. There is a need to look ahead at creating greater funding security for the voluntary sector.”
Street Outreach (Greenhouse)
The delegates visited the ELFT-run GP practice for homeless people in Hackney and focused on the outreach work carried out by the team. They liked how staff built up trust with individuals to talk about their healthcare needs. They went out with a van offering tea, coffee and pet food. “Liked how the team go out on the streets to where homeless people are and visit hostels. All in the shadow of the financial district in the city. The team clearly have autonomy to act if they have an idea.”
Newham Transitional Practice - Vicarage Lane, Stratford
A GP practice for anyone not registered with a GP for any reason. No ID or address is needed. The delegates heard how the outreach team drive to key sites on the streets. People hear about the practice by word of mouth/network. Homeless Help Champions assist with establishing contact and trust: “It’s clear the team love their work though it is challenging. They are working with patients to improve engagement. They have a high population turnover with different groups going through the clinic.”
Compass Wellbeing Forensic Employment Support
The delegates met three young men currently supported by the scheme. The scheme offers training, work placement and employment preparation to enable them to apply for and get employment: “Lovely to meet three young men and hear about their experiences. The outcomes were very impressive. The young people reported an increase in their overall confidence. They have done a cooking course and even cooked together. It felt like there was a phenomenal culture of continuous improvement. The strength of values really came across.”
Tackling the Causes of Ill Health
The Trust moved towards adopting Marmot principles to address inequity in its communities but quickly realised it didn’t have the experience or the necessary networks to connect with local groups – but that local voluntary organisations did. So via its social enterprise arm, Compass Wellbeing, the Trust was able to inject money and resources into these projects and organisations to support them to engage with people in a range of innovative ways to support them in their lives.