SOCIAL ACTION FOR HEALTH
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Mission Statement
OUR MISSION AND VISION_ Our mission is to support and address the priorities of those most affected by health inequalities, and to champion the case for wider structural and societal change. Our vision is for a world where unfair and avoidable health inequalities no longer exist. BACKGROUND INFORMATION_ Our non-profit organization was established as the Tower Hamlets Health Strategy Group in 1987 and registered as a charity in 1994. The organization changed its name to Social Action for Health (SAfH) in 2000. We are based in the east London boroughs of Hackney and Tower Hamlets, with a geographic reach which extends to Newham, Waltham Forest, Islington, Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge, and Haringey. Our projects and services are mainly focused on people from Black, Asian, and Minoritised Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds who experience multiple layers of social and economic disadvantage, exacerbated by endemic health inequalities, made worse by the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus pandemic. About the social determinants of health: Commonly, there are thought to be five different categories of phenomena that determine our health: genetics, behaviour, social circumstances, environmental and physical influences, and medical care. These are known as the determinants of health, the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, and which are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels. About health inequalities: "Health inequalities are the preventable, unfair and unjust differences in health status between groups, populations or individuals that arise from the unequal distribution of social, environmental and economic conditions within societies, which determine the risk of people getting ill, their ability to prevent sickness, or opportunities to take action and access treatment when ill health occurs." WHAT WE DO_ Social Action for Health provides services and support to people most affected by health inequalities. We also take action on the fundamental drivers of health inequalities and to address how these translate into an unequitable distribution of resources that local communities need in order to live their version of ‘the good life’. This might be low income, poor housing, discrimination, abuse or oppression, or access to health services. We collaborate with health practitioners, community-based service providers, academics, experts-by-experience, and local residents, delivering direct and indirect interventions and front-line services in local communities using an asset-based community development approach. This includes delivering our activities in a wide range of community languages and placing the needs and aspirations of our beneficiaries at the heart of what we do. LOCAL DEMOGRAPHY_ In March 2020 Trust for London Inequality and Poverty Indicators reveal: - Hackney has high levels of poverty and inequality, particularly in how people access work and housing, 10.3% of the working age population claimed some sort of out-of-work benefit, the highest rate of any London borough. Hackney also has the highest rate of working-age adults who have no qualifications, and one of the highest rates of households living in temporary accommodation. - Tower Hamlets has the highest child poverty rate of all the London boroughs, with 57% of children judged to be living in households in poverty, compared to 38% in the typical London borough. Joint Strategic Needs Assessments (JSNAs) support established and emerging health and wellbeing boards in local authority areas (aka boroughs). The JSNAs for Hackney and Tower Hamlets reveal that modifiable risk factors affecting people’s health include poor diet, insufficient physical activity, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes, and psychosocial stress. These are just some of the social, economic, and health conditions our projects and services seek to address, the solutions we implement are holistic and founded on an asset-based community development and empowerment approach. OUR ASSET-BASED APPROACH_ We start by asking what makes us healthy rather than what makes us ill. This might be a set of networks or social relationships, a set of skills or knowhow, or a set of resources enabling the development of solutions rather than the amplification of problems. A ‘health asset’ can be thought of as any factor or resource which enhances the ability of individuals or communities to sustain health and wellbeing. We see this fundamentally as a process of empowerment through a blended mixture of mobilization, community development, and capacity building.
About This Cause
OUR ACTIVITIES_ Across all the projects and services we deliver, we focus on activities which support those who are most impacted by health inequalities, including: - developing the knowledge skills and expertise of people with long-term health conditions. - supporting vulnerable mothers who live in challenging social and economic circumstances. - providing accessible health and wellbeing courses, self-help networks, and peer support. - coordinating the delivery of delivering welfare advice in a range of community languages. - tackling loneliness and social isolation to help people improve their mental health and wellbeing. - partnering with academia in major research studies to examine and address health inequalities. - raising awareness of health inequalities and leading health promotion campaigns. OUR STAFF TEAM AND VOLUNTEERS_ Our tutors, front line staff team, and volunteers are representative of the communities we serve, the majority of our team have lived experience of the social and economic circumstances and/or the health conditions faced by our beneficiaries. Many of them initially joined as service users, became trained volunteers, and progressed into paid roles as valued members of our team. RECRUITMENT AND PARTICIPATION_ Participants are wholly involved in designing and co-producing health and well-being initiatives, with a focus on engaging communities and volunteers in delivering self-help and peer support. Participants include those who are entirely new to our organization; recruited from across our existing projects and services; referred by their GP or other health practitioner; referred through local social prescriber networks, self-referrals; word of mouth; and sign ups via our website and social media. Our monitoring and evaluation: We deploy multiple qualitative methods and quantitative measures to gather insights from our service users which helps to inform service design and delivery and test the effectiveness of our work. We utilise semi-structured interviews, focus groups, observational study, story-telling, user friendly questionnaires and surveys, and we routinely monitor and evaluate: - the frequency and quality of social interactions, including face-to-face meet ups and support. - change and improvements to functioning within community leadership role. - access and confidence to seek emotional support and tangible advice when needed. - the sense of belonging and feeling included. - access to trained volunteers and peer supporters to socialise with and confide in. - frequency of the sense of joy and fun in social interaction. - links within the community and levels of confidence in navigating the local area outside the home. OUR THEORY OF CHANGE_ Short term impact: • Individuals become better and more confident in managing their finances. • Including more diverse voices/perspectives in community conversations. • Empowering community leaders through mentoring and structured training. • Generating opportunities for more peer support in disadvantaged communities. • Building trust and mutual understanding between different cultural and ethnic groups. Medium term impact: • Increased and / or improved engagement with health services and other institutions. • Improved health outcomes and increased wellbeing. • Facilitating more collaboration between local organizations and key stakeholders. • Creating opportunities for cultural diversity in service design, and decision-making. • More empowered individuals and organizations – upskilling, knowledge sharing. • Increased levels of community cohesion between different groups. Long term impact: • Influencing policy and decision makers to shift priorities. • Enabling fairer, effective, and more appropriate service provision. • Achieving progress towards addressing the wider determinants of health. OUR CURRENT PORTFOLIO OF PROJECTS AND SERVICES_ Good Moves - healthy lifestyle and physical activity courses for people living with one or more long term health conditions. Good Friends - intensive 1:1 befriending and peer support groups to reduce loneliness and social isolation. My Moves - utilising narrative therapy, storytelling, english language classes, cultural food, music and exercise, fostering community cohesion and improving overall health and wellbeing. Change for Good - culturally appropriate weight-management courses tackling obesity, including peer led support. Sure STEPS - 1:1 support and peer mentoring for vulnerable and isolated pregnant women and mother of a new baby (or babies) living in challenging social circumstances. Advice Project - an advice service partnership co-located in GP surgeries involving the delivery of welfare support. East London Genes and Health Project - lead partner in a major research project examining the poor health outcomes experienced by communities of interest, including a youth led communications campaign to engage young people in delivering key messages. Community Insights - working in partnership and collaboration on a series of health awareness initiatives which amplify the voice of local people and which encourages active citizenship. INVALUABLE INSIGHTS AND FEEDBACK_ Good Moves – healthy lifestyle and self-management courses: Evidence shows that Good Moves increases participation in physical activity, leads to effective weight management, reduces obesity, decreases the likelihood of hospitalization, encourages self-advocacy, improves mental health and wellbeing, and impacts positively on patient relationships with primary care providers. “I feel very motivated. “I feel I have more energy”. “I am much more aware of my health and impact of being overweight”. “I have the confidence to achieve my goals. The group has motivated me”. “My weight loss has been significant since starting the course” Good Friends – reducing loneliness and social isolation: “These sessions have definitely improved my wellbeing and mental health!! I love having these sessions and really look forward to them. They have enabled me to develop new friendships, which is really important for my wellbeing, particularly during this very bleak lockdown, and this would not have been possible outside this project.” “I have met others who also have their own problems and difficulties, so I don’t feel that it’s just me! This befriending project is very beneficial to people like me who spend a lot of time alone. The group members encourage one another to do the things that we once enjoyed, but no longer do, for whatever reason. I had lost interest in most things but I’m beginning to feel motivated and supported by a good group of people who are now friends.” Change for Good – addressing obesity and associated co-morbidity health conditions: “The main thing I wanted to get out of this was having a support network. Ladies that I can relate to. I have always felt like it's only me in this.” “I have surprised myself in still attending the course! I think I have stuck to it mostly because I feel comfortable with the group and that others are going through the same challenges.” “Other courses I have done only celebrate weight loss. This one is about genuine encouragement in a non-judgemental space. It is about being realistic. I have not been made to feel like a failure.” Sure STEPS – peer support for vulnerable pregnant women and mothers: “Thank you, so much Sure STEPS team, for working with me and my family. I cannot honestly explain how much you’ve all helped me. It has been the best journey I‘ve come across on providing this support, especially meeting my allocated mentor.” “I feel a lot different now, before I use to panic a lot when something new was coming; now with Sure STEPS support I have seen progress in myself, I feel much more in control. Before my mind was killing me, now I can feel some order.” Advice Project – delivering accessible social welfare support in GP settings: People are facing health issues and changes in their personal circumstances, including becoming unemployed. Due to COVID-19 more people are now facing financial hardship leading to pressure especially on our client's mental health. There is an increased need for intensive 1:1 support in helping clients to improve their understanding of personal finance and budgeting, to manage their debt, find suitable housing, and to access new employment opportunities. Case study insight 1_ ‘The client was assisted with housing needs, benefit claims, form filling, and contacting the relevant Council services. The client is extremely grateful that despite the fact that we are working remotely she is still able to access our service and speak to someone in her own language to get advice and support as and when it is needed.’ Case study insight 2_ ‘The client was supported with his benefit claims and his application for housing, he is now waiting to hear from the relevant council department and should soon be offered suitable accommodation in a locality which is close to his friends and support networks.’ HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR SNAPSHOT SURVEY_ In our internal survey of service users in 2021, 100% of respondents stated that participating helped them to achieve their personal development goals; 88% rated their experience as excellent or very good; and 90% would recommend taking part to someone they know - a friend or family member. Personal development goals include: • Becoming physically active, doing more exercise, or losing weight. • Developing a healthy lifestyle, eating well, taking better care of yourself. • Feeling happier or improving mental health and wellbeing. • Meeting new people and making friends. • Raising awareness of issues relating to health and wellbeing. • Improving the way you manage your long term health condition or illness. • Professional development and improving career prospects. • Helping others and becoming more active in the local community. We welcome the opportunity to share more information about what we do and what we achieve, please get in touch for further insights, we would love to hear from you_