jazka atterbury wellbeing community development worker friends, families and travellers ...
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Jazka AtterburyWellbeing Community Development Worker
Friends, Families and Travellers
01273 234777
Friends, Families and Travellers
We are a national organisation who work with all Gypsies and Travellers regardless of their ethnicity or background
We employ national caseworkers, campaigners, a legal advice team, community development workers, outreach support workers, a young people’s co-ordinator, a health team and a training and capacity building team
Over half FFT staff are from a Gypsy Traveller background, we also pay volunteers from the community to facilitate workshops and training and consult on projects.
How We Tackle Mental Health Issues
At FFT we work in a holistic way to address the social causes of mental ill health.
Social Exclusion
High rates of illiteracy – 62% (Dorset 2007)
63% young Travellers bullied/attacked – (Childrens Society Report 2007)
Sites often isolated and on wasteland with little or no amenities or transport links
Mistrust of authority/society – night police raids/racist attacks/negative media stereotypes
Huge shortage of transit sites – nationally 25,000 people nowhere to stop legally or safely.
Health and Mental Wellbeing
Life expectancy 10-25 yrs lower than UK average (Sheffield report 2004, Baker 2005)
Heart Disease, Asthma, Bronchitis, Diabetes & long term illness significantly higher
Mothers 20 x more likely to experience death of a child
Sense of fatalism/low expectations of health,fear/lack of knowledge of statutory services means support often only accessed at point of crisis
High levels of stigma around mental health – not spoken about
Health and Mental Wellbeing
Stoicism and self reliance
High levels of Stress, Depression and Anxiety exacerbated by living conditions, social exclusion and criminalisation of lifestyle
Young people often living in isolation, boys and girls very often caring for younger siblings and acting as unofficial carers for relatives – impact on gender roles – women ‘care’, men ‘provide’
Victims of race hate crime – largely unreported
High levels of domestic abuse – men difficultyfinding work impacts on self esteem
Some of our Wellbeing Support, Projects and Events throughout Sussex
Outreach support staff work with Gypsies and Travellers across Sussex to access healthcare, give benefits and legal advice, translate letters and fill out forms, signpost services, advocate and support young people.
Wellbeing Workshops for Traveller women in Brighton and Hove including Indian head massage, aromatherapy, belly dancing, fist aid, homeopathy, street dance, ITC
Onsite Youth Bus
Onsite Advice and Information Bus
Onsite Clothes Making Workshop
Wellbeing Project for young Travellers in West Sussex included swimming, painting, wall climbing, dancing, manicures, dressmaking, healthy eating
Gypsy and Traveller Mental Health and Wellbeing Event
Food and Mood Information Booklets/Food and Mood Workshop
Storytelling Project in partnership with Action in Rural Sussex
Wellbeing CD – Travellers explore experiences of mental ill health and discuss with MH professionals
Wellbeing Book – Top tips from Travellers on staying well including fishing, healthy eating, poetry, flower arranging and traditional skills.
Information, Advice and Training for Statutory and Voluntary Organisations
Working with Gypsies and Travellers Health Practitioners Handout
Cultural Awareness Training delivered to;
Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust, CMHTs, CAMHs, Childrens Services, Schools, Youth CentresHealth Visitors/MidwifesMind/Rethink/Oasis/Red Cross/AiRs/Arun CVSFA&E DepartmentsSussex Probation Service, Prisons, Fire ServicesCommunity Safety Partnerships/Cohesion GroupsBrighton & Hove Parks StaffMediation Services
What We Can Learn From Gypsies And Travellers
Resilience/ability to adapt
Extended family very important – support and care - strong support networks
Highly skilled it traditional living – cooking, mending clothes, mechanics, farming, hunting, animal rearing, child rearing
Young people more able to share and better sense of community, positive intergenerational relationships, high respect for elders, politeconfident, not scared to try new things, use initiative, adventurous
What Works?
Almost impossible for statutory orgs. to reach Gypsies and Travellers without linking in with trusted orgs. i.e. FFT, LGTU etc – piggyback on services/introduction to community or individual through trusted person
Services designed and tailored specifically for Gypsies and Travellers work, services developed for public at large do not work
FFT works with organisations to develop bespoke cultural awareness and outreach training and help design services that meet the needs of Gypsies and Travellers.
What works?
Assertive outreach and flexibility with appointments – arrange meetings taking into account possible lack of privacy on site and in caravans, daily childcare/household duties
Give your client/patient a diary and help them write in your appointment.
Explain your policy on missed appointments – people may be moved on by the police or miss appointments due to family commitments (weddings, christening, funerals will always take priority and can last a number of days).
What works?
Send a reminder text/call day before meeting – older people will struggle to read a text so call day before
Never assume a person can read or that you are understood – use pictorial information, explain all forms, meeting, times, dates, prescriptions, medication instructions, side effects etc,
Involve family members in care, treatment and decision making process where appropriate. Extended family very important and will almost always be involved in healthcare.
What works?
Tackle the causes of mental ill health – prevention works.
Be sensitive to stigma around mental ill health – mental health is viewed in terms of psychosis and will not be discussed freely. Present your service in terms of wellbeing and general health
Same sex workers – do not discuss female health in front of men, men will often access healthcare via their wife
Creative/confidence building long-term projects – no quick fix!
THANK YOUTHANK YOU