The work of health and wellbeing is both complex and extensive. Since its early days the team had grown from 2 of us to 8. Thankfully, the team is now a manageable 5 people with the young persons coordinator and the two community support workers now working with Sarah Mann, Training and Building Capacities Manager, although we all continue to work closely together.
Filmed by the Pfizer Foundation as part of their grants programme.
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The Health and Wellbeing Team, now consists of Avril, Lisa and Jazka. Avril works to involve Gypsies and Travellers into the local involvement networks (LINkS) and other health fora, as well as assisting Gypsies and Travellers with access to Adult Social Care. The LINks work is across 3 Strategic Health Authorities and we would like to hear from any Gypsies or Travellers in the East of England, the South West or South East who think they might like to get involved. Lisa and Jazka, make up the Mental Health Team and share the post of BME Community Development Worker. Lisa and Jazka are supported by Gemma, a well-being caseworker. The experiences that our clients face can be utilised to inform both practice and policy.
Through our work in the Health Promotion Team at FFT over the past 2 years it has become clear that Gypsies and Travellers have real problems accessing healthcare. In particular people living by the roadside and with no proof of address or ID find it very hard to register with GP Surgeries, get second appointments or be referred to other health care services like Occupational Therapists and Community Support Workers. Many people we support have told us stories of being refused short-term GP registration, of not being given proper support to ask for referrals and not understanding information about medications and treatments. Travellers have also experienced prejudice and discrimination from NHS staff and there seems to be a general misunderstanding of Gypsy Traveller culture amongst health workers.
Read about our volunteer programme here
We have carried out lots of awareness training with NHS healthcare teams over the past 2 years and are now focusing our effort on GP Surgeries. We have published a report that explores access to health care in Sussex. The report will give good and bad examples of access to GP surgeries with anonymous case studies of people’s experiences. The report makes recommendations to Primary Care Trusts and GP Surgeries on how to ensure Gypsies and Travellers have equal access to healthcare and also include Best Practise examples of GP Surgeries and outreach services that work well across Sussex.
“Fair Access for all? Gypsies and Travellers in Sussex, GP Surgeries and Barriers to Primary Healthcare: a report” Download as PDF.
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We are also developing a series of resources for Travellers on Wellbeing and emotional health topics: such as bad nerves, baby blues, eating problems etc. We will be producing leaflets, a CD and also a book, all on Wellbeing. We are doing this in partnership with community members and Wellbeing practitioners.
We are also continuing our work in our 2 local prisons. With the FFT Reaching Communities team, we are co-organising, with Travellers from within the prison, an event for Gypsy and Traveller History month in HMP Ford. This is to raise awareness of Gypsy Traveller culture within the prison and also provide a day of celebration for Traveller inmates. In HMP Lewes, we will be taking part in a research survey on the BME inmates within the prison and use this information to improve their Wellbeing services.
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The “Sussex Traveller Women’s Health Project’s Recipe Book” is now available.
The A4 book is a beautifully illustrated and contains a combination of traditional Traveller recipes, some healthy alternatives and some simply old favourites. Cost, £6.50. The book was launched by the Traveller women who contributed recipes. They displayed their cookery skills to the public, using recipes from the book.
