Contents
- Lifestyle related illnesses and hypertension
- Cancer
- Mental health
- Immunisation
- Maternity services
- Children and young people
- Rough sleepers and homeless community members
- Introduction to the Roma health guide
- Barriers to healthcare for the Roma community
- System barriers
- Language barriers and communication
- Cultural barriers - Common health problems and vulnerable groups:
- Lifestyle related illnesses and hypertension
- Cancer
- Mental health
- Immunisation
- Maternity services
- Children and young people
- Rough sleepers and homeless community members
Case studies
Click on one of the headings below:
Roma Support Group's Mental Health Advocacy Project
Roma Support Group’s multi-year project, funded by the City Bridge Trust, is a voluntary sector led project to remove barriers to accessing mental health services and communicating about mental health for the Roma community in East London. The project forms part of Roma Support Group’s holistic advice service including finances, housing and immigration status.
Two mental health advocates with community language skills conducted one-to-one mental health advocacy sessions with Roma beneficiaries, assisted with referrals to mental health services, requested language support for medical appointments and communicated with service providers and health professionals about beneficiaries’ cultural backgrounds. Other project activities included peer support group meetings with Roma beneficiaries, Roma cultural awareness training for health professionals, and distributing information about mental health issues within the Roma community.
The project has worked with Roma community members to overcome the stigma attached to mental health issues, and has succeeded in shifting perceptions of mental health in the local community and helping community members to develop their knowledge and vocabulary related to mental health problems.
For more information about this project, see the Roma Mental Health Advocacy Project Self-Evaluation Report (2021).
Two mental health advocates with community language skills conducted one-to-one mental health advocacy sessions with Roma beneficiaries, assisted with referrals to mental health services, requested language support for medical appointments and communicated with service providers and health professionals about beneficiaries’ cultural backgrounds. Other project activities included peer support group meetings with Roma beneficiaries, Roma cultural awareness training for health professionals, and distributing information about mental health issues within the Roma community.
The project has worked with Roma community members to overcome the stigma attached to mental health issues, and has succeeded in shifting perceptions of mental health in the local community and helping community members to develop their knowledge and vocabulary related to mental health problems.
For more information about this project, see the Roma Mental Health Advocacy Project Self-Evaluation Report (2021).
Redbridge Specialist health visitor project
This NHS project led by Redbridge CCG in 2015, provided health services in a comfortable and familiar environment, aiming to increase uptake of services including routine childhood immunisations. The London borough of Redbridge had a large Roma community with not many Roma accessing health visiting services and low immunisation rates.
A health visitor assisted by a bilingual advocate conducted street outreach to raise awareness of health services among Roma women, reaching mothers in front of the school gates or in children's centres. The project also offered in-home delivery of services including immunisations to better meet clients’ needs and preferences.
The project successfully increased uptake of services including immunisation, and evaluation showed that service users trusted project health visitors more than staff at GP practices or hospitals.
A health visitor assisted by a bilingual advocate conducted street outreach to raise awareness of health services among Roma women, reaching mothers in front of the school gates or in children's centres. The project also offered in-home delivery of services including immunisations to better meet clients’ needs and preferences.
The project successfully increased uptake of services including immunisation, and evaluation showed that service users trusted project health visitors more than staff at GP practices or hospitals.
Pacesetters Project with Roma Support Group, East London Foundation Trust and NHS Newham
In a project owned equally by the NHS and voluntary sector, Roma Support Group worked with East London Foundation Trust and NHS Newham to reduce health inequalities in the Roma population in East London. The aim was to improve GP registration in the Roma community, and improve patient and public involvement in the design and delivery of services.
A Roma health communication worker, integrated in the community and embedded in the health system, was employed to provide practical support with GP registration and increase awareness in two areas: of health and health services in the Roma community, and of the Roma community among health workers. Roma volunteer patient representatives were involved in developing activities, culturally sensitive messages and methods of delivery.
A conference for staff and Roma community members organised by Roma Support Group to improve communication between the community and health service was supplemented by a staff training programme. A DVD was produced in community languages on how to register with a GP, and how to best use A&E, pharmacists and the PALS service. Community events were held on heart disease, smoking cessation and a child immunisation programme.
For more information about this project, see p. 121 of the Pacesetters Programme evaluation report (University of Sheffield, 2010).
A Roma health communication worker, integrated in the community and embedded in the health system, was employed to provide practical support with GP registration and increase awareness in two areas: of health and health services in the Roma community, and of the Roma community among health workers. Roma volunteer patient representatives were involved in developing activities, culturally sensitive messages and methods of delivery.
A conference for staff and Roma community members organised by Roma Support Group to improve communication between the community and health service was supplemented by a staff training programme. A DVD was produced in community languages on how to register with a GP, and how to best use A&E, pharmacists and the PALS service. Community events were held on heart disease, smoking cessation and a child immunisation programme.
For more information about this project, see p. 121 of the Pacesetters Programme evaluation report (University of Sheffield, 2010).
Roma Women's Health Champions
The Big Issue in the North was commissioned by Roma Matrix to recruit, train and support Roma women in Yorkshire to act as health mediators within their own communities. A key component was a process of empowering women to disseminate learning to improve the health and lives of their families and communities.
The Health Champions were involved in co-design of training and information sessions with health professionals on topics such as antenatal health, children’s health and smoking cessation. These sessions included overcoming cultural barriers by addressing taboo topics with the support of a health champion.
After the sessions Roma women were more aware of services available for treatment or prevention, and felt more empowered to identify and access appropriate healthcare services for themselves and their community. Agencies also reported that they faced fewer difficulties when engaging with the Roma community.
For more information about this project, see The Big Issue in the North: Roma Women’s Health Champions Evaluation Report (2014).
The Health Champions were involved in co-design of training and information sessions with health professionals on topics such as antenatal health, children’s health and smoking cessation. These sessions included overcoming cultural barriers by addressing taboo topics with the support of a health champion.
After the sessions Roma women were more aware of services available for treatment or prevention, and felt more empowered to identify and access appropriate healthcare services for themselves and their community. Agencies also reported that they faced fewer difficulties when engaging with the Roma community.
For more information about this project, see The Big Issue in the North: Roma Women’s Health Champions Evaluation Report (2014).
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The Roma Support Group is a registered Charity (No. 1103782)
and a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and Wales, (No. 0464598). Registered office address: 17 Old Ford Road, London, E2 9PJ |
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