About this blog

This blog is logging the progress of the research commissioned by NHS Mid Essex to better understand the health behaviours of Migrant worker communities.

The aim of the research is to develop recommendations on how services might be redesigned to better cater for the needs of Migrant Worker communities living in Mid Essex.

We are taking a collaborative approach and recognise that local people are key to understanding how communities work. We hope to bring together local people with professionals to work in close partnership to achieve the project aims.

This blog allows everyone involved in the project to keep up to date. For more information or to join in with the project contact mary@uscreates.com

Co-design event

On Monday (6^th April) we held a co-design event, bring together Migrant Workers, NHS Mid Essex and Council employees, community development leaders and designers. Together we explored four of the key findings from the research so far.

• Lack of trust and belief in GPs and Dentists

• Language barrier to accessing and using GPs/Dentists/Hospitals

• Lack on knowledge about the NHS system and entitlements

• Health apathy/de-prioritisation of health

Through a range of creative exercises, we generated initial ideas to address these points.  There were no boundries to the ideas at this stage, so they ranged from being expensive to free, tweaks to major overhauls, ridiculous to serious solutions – all have a lot of mileage in them, which we will be considering.  Below are a few ideas from the day.

 

… having bi-lingual dictionaries in GP/dentist waiting rooms

… using entry points to the UK as a place to provide information on the NHS system

… visual charts of body parts to be placed in GP practices

 

… showing information about the NHS on flights to the UK

… designing a campaign to squash myths about the way the NHS is run

… open days at GP and dentist practices

 

 

 

 

There’s gossip in town!

We found out from some of the community workers who are collaborating with us on this project that the Touring Café method has generated conversation within the migrant community. Many expressed positive feedback about their experience of being consulted at the Touring Café, and told friends and family, some of whom had already visited the Touring Café in another location. This is great news for us because it means that this methods has infiltrated into the communities with a much more branched out scope than anticipated. It is impressive that a touring caravan and word-of-mouth can create such a snowballing effect!

Touring Café round-up

The Touring Café visited its final destination on Saturday, the Polish club in Braintree, which was a great way to finish the week.  Over the course of the week we visited 12 workplaces (ranging from factories to care homes) across Chelmsford, Maldon and Braintree and spoke to over 100 Migrant Workers from the A8 countries. 

The Touring Café proved a great way to speak to a wide range of people, many of which said they would not have attended a formal style of consultation.  This ensures that the insight we have gathered represents the wider community and not just the ‘usual suspects’ who often have their voice heard. 

We are now analysing the data collected in order to segment the market and hold focus groups that will discuss specific issue that arose in more depth. 

Photos from the Touring Café

The Touring Café has been a success so far. This is the fifth day, and although we faced different obstacles on our journey, we managed to talk to a large number of people and learn many new things about the health and wellbeing of migrant workers. Below are some photos taken throughout the week.

Tomorrow will be a big day because the Touring Café caravan will be visiting a Polish Club event and we’re expecting to meet lots of new faces there! We’ll keep you posted…

Touring Café Resources

The Touring Café toolkits and resources are complete! We’re finally ready to hit the road on Monday and gather insight in a truly unconventional and engaging way. So keep your eye out for the Touring Café Team and we will be posting an update on how the first day goes.

Spreading the Word about the Touring Café

Today we posted over 200 flyers to 12 different workplaces and community centres in Mid-Essex who will host our caravan outside their workplaces. The flyers promote the Touring Café events that will be happening next week.

There will also be an open event on Saturday the 21st of March from 10 am to 12 pm for children, young people and families. So if you’re from: Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Hungary, Lativa or Estonia, you’re welcome to join us for some refreshments and a chat about health services. You’ll find us parked outside the Polish Club (Address: Carousel Children’s Centre, Chapel Hill, Braintree CM7 3QZ). It will be a true caravan café experience in all its little details: Sun awning, tables, chairs, blackboards, tea and coffee!

Link Tracing

Over the last 2 weeks we have been meeting key people that have provided insight into the health behaviours of Migrant Workers, such as Development Officers at Maldon, Briantree and Chelmsford District Councils, a local GP, and many employers of Migrant Workers.  To reach a wide range of people we have been using a process that we call ‘Link Tracing’, where we ask one contact to suggest other people we should talk to.

We have had great co-operation from the employers of local businesses and many have agreed for us to visit their workplaces with our Touring Caravan Café and gather insight from their employees.   This will take place the week beginning the    16th March.

Flyer Design

These are the flyers that we will be sending in anticipation of our visits next week.

Hiring the Caravan!

This is the vehicle we will be touring in next week. Although it won’t look like this by the time you see it! It will have transformed into a pop-up cafe, complete with awning, gazebo and cafe tables and chairs. Not to mention the tea and cake of course!

Touring Cafe

We will be touring various sites in our caravan cafe talking to migrant worker communities about their health. We will be serving tea, coffee and refreshments.

Mock-up of the Touring Café

This method of consultation is an adaptation of the World Cafe model. Some examples of previous consultation cafes can be seen here.

We are looking forward to getting on the road. If you have any good ideas about where we should visit e.g. workplaces, schools, community groups, public spaces then please get in touch mary@uscreates.com