To receive an update on work to tackle racism and inequalities in Haringey.
Minutes:
Charlotte Pomery, Assistant Director for Commissioning, and Geoffrey Ocen, Bridge Renewal Trust Chief Executive, provided an update on the nine actions agreed at the Health and Wellbeing Board meeting in May 2020.
1. Data and evidence – there had been good progress with the policy team and CCG colleagues to develop categories for ethnicity data collection which were more closely aligned with the categories used by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It was reported that the new data was starting to be used in areas such as Early Years and that the data collection changes were being discussed with other partners.
2. Funding – it was stated that there had been successful bids to the CCG Inequalities Fund. It was noted that a number of awards were going through to grass roots organisations and that the approach for the next round of funding was being considered.
3. Bereavement and Mental Health – it was noted that the Mental Health Programme had been running since July, with a focus on resident engagement through initiatives such as Community Mental Health Champions.
4. Domestic Violence – it was commented that there had been 1,700 responses to the Safety at Night Survey; these had not yet been fully analysed but it was noted that domestic violence and Violence Against Women and Girls were key areas of focus.
5. Communication and awareness raising – the importance of language and use of a trusted voice was acknowledged. It was added that the web pages for Black History Month were now live on the Council’s website and that this added to the bank of existing resources available through Haringey 365 (which celebrated Black history 365 days a year).
6. Prevention and resilience building – it was commented that there was some significant anxiety about the end of the government furlough scheme and about the reductions to Universal Credit.
7. Shielding – it was noted that the shielding programme for clinically (extremely) vulnerable people had been formally halted by the Department for Health and Social Care and that it was now important to ensure maximal uptake of the Covid-19 vaccinations across all communities.
8. Access to services – it was stated that officers were relying on the use of data, particularly more granular data, to monitor equity of access to services. It was noted that this had been used in a deep dive of the partnership programme plan on attainment. It was added that, through understanding the issues better, it was possible to provide a better response.
9. Digital Exclusion – it was acknowledged that many services and activities were still providing things digitally and that it would be important to ensure that people were as equipped as possible. It was added that digital inclusion would be a key underpinning factor for the local asylum seeker and refugee programme.
Geoffrey Ocen, Bridge Renewal Trust, noted that the digital inclusion work at Lea Valley Primary School was going well. It was highlighted that homework participation had increased from 10% to 98%. It was explained that this project provided devices and increased access but also involved support work with families to tackle wider determinants for educational outcomes. It was noted that improvements needed to be driven by funding and that the CCG Inequalities Fund was assisting in empowering community groups. It was explained that Council and CCG colleagues had attended the Voluntary Sector Forum in mid-September where thematic areas of intervention and appropriate mechanisms for delivery were discussed; this model was being developed with all partners.
The Chair noted that the Voluntary Sector Forum had discussed the importance of language, citing the anti-discrimination campaign as a strong example of incorporating those with lived experience. The Assistant Director for Commissioning explained that the campaign was in its early stages but would include a story-based approach, focusing on intersectionality, perceptions, and assumptions, as well as an information sharing approach to inform people how they could take action and when to contact the police.
Sharon Grant, Healthwatch Haringey Chair, noted that there was a project across North Central London to assist people in developing digital skills to access health and social care digitally. She explained that, although the project provided support to a number of people, it was suspected that many more people could be referred by GPs. Dr Peter Christian, CCG Board Member, suggested that he could mention the project at the next GP webinar.
In response to a question about the Welcome Strategy for refugees and asylum seekers, the Assistant Director for Commissioning explained that the support which could be provided depended on the resettlement scheme in question. It was noted that the Welcome Strategy provided a joined up approach and covered a wide variety of issues, including education, primary care, housing, and digital support.
RESOLVED
To note the update.