Healthwatch Essex is an independent charity which gathers and represents views about health and social care services in Essex. Our aim is to influence decision makers so that services are fit for purpose, effective and accessible, ultimately improving service user experience. We also provide an information service to help people access, understand, and navigate the health and social care system.
The recent Covid-19 pandemic meant that some addiction support services were impacted causing them to temporarily shut down which heavily affected interaction with people in need of support. Subsequently, many people found their recovery journey more difficult with some relapsing during this period. This resulted in many falling into addiction which created a clear correlation with poor mental health either as a cause or effect of this. Healthwatch Essex captured the lived experience of those who are living with an addiction, who are in recovery and the ‘affected others’allowing them to share the support available and some of the barriers to seeking this support.
Please note that this report relates to findings and observations carried out on specific dates and times, representing the views of those who contributed anonymously during the engagement visits. This report summarises themes from the responses collected and puts forward recommendations based on the experiences shared with Healthwatch Essex during this time.
Stuart Pearson, head of business delivery at Citizens Advice Oldham, Rochdale, Trafford and Stockport, attended a sector event in London earlier this year. During a networking break, he got chatting with a group of peers over a coffee.
As the conversation moved from professional to personal, Pearson found himself growing increasingly uncomfortable.
After the event, he tweeted about it. “Does the charity sector have a class problem?” he asked. “As someone who grew up on a council estate, single parent family, free school meals, I rarely meet senior charity people with similar stories. I always find the small talk really alien.”
The tweet hit a nerve, garnering 148 replies, 159 retweets and more than 2,000 likes. “I was really taken aback by the response,” Pearson says. “Lots of people said they were also from a similar background and felt the same way.”
The responses to Pearson’s tweet, as well as similar experiences shared by others in the sector, suggest that perhaps the question is not whether the sector has a problem with class but how big the problem is.
Unfortunately, at the moment, there isn’t a clear answer to that question.
“We don’t have any good data around things like social background in individual organisations, or in parts of the sector, or in the sector as a whole, or on how it presents as a problem,” says Sarah Atkinson, chief executive of the Social Mobility Foundation. The charity runs the Social Mobility Index, a benchmarking tool that asks organisations a series of questions to gauge how they are performing on social mobility and where they can improve.
This set of downloadable ‘evidence cards’ highlights the contributions of and shocking inequalities experienced by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups approaching retirement age.
Older generations are becoming more diverse than ever. But also more unequal. There’s an increasing level of inequalities in terms of health, wealth and life circumstances.
The inequalities described in this set of ‘evidence cards’ are particularly significant as older generations also become more ethnically diverse: the number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people aged 50-70 is growing at a faster rate than the number of White people.
It’s vital that these inequalities are tackled so that no one misses out on a good later life. This means better paid work, more affordable and better housing, and targeted measures to reduce ill-health.
We recognise that grouping together Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups can miss the nuances of their experiences. However, this should not lead us to conclude that there are no shared experiences. We also reinforce our previous calls for ethnicity data reporting to be made mandatory in all official and statutory statistics and data monitoring.
Around 100 guests including, staff, trustees, partners, funders, NHS and councillors joined in
celebrating the official opening of the new One Colchester Hub in Long Wye Street, Colchester
on Friday 22nd
April. The Mayor of Colchester, Cllr Robert Davidson officially opened the event.
The Hub will be offering a wealth of services, activities and support for the Colchester
community.
Tracy Rudling, CEO at Community360 said: “I am delighted to officially open our doors in
Long Wye Street. The Hub will be a huge asset to the town as well as an important focal point
for our communities. The Covid-19 lockdown forced the Hub to pause its usual activities when it
opened in late 2021 and we had to adapt to support local communities in new ways. It is
fantastic that our wonderful staff can once again welcome the people of Colchester, to our
welcoming space where they can access a wide range of activities, programs, services, social
and wellbeing activities.”
She added: “A great deal of work has gone into reconfiguring the space which was the old
Poundland building. Upstairs has office space and training rooms which is available to hire, and
downstairs is our community area. I would like to thank everyone involved in this project for this
amazing new space, including our landlord, Custodian Capital PLC for their CSR (Corporate &
Social Responsibility) support.
Cllr Beverley Oxford said: “This is a fantastic community facility, which will serve and support
our residents for many years to come.
“The organisations involved already make a tremendous difference in our communities and to
the lives of our residents but having them working together under one roof is a real moment to
celebrate.”
The event also marked the official launch of the new Live Well Neighbourhoods Team.
The new Live Well Neighbourhoods Team for Colchester Central were on hand to talk about the
launch of Neighbourhood working. Neighbourhood working is a new way of working which will
bring communities, health, social care and voluntary organisations together to improve the
overall health and wellbeing of a local community.
Neighbourhood working was first discussed in October 2019, when local communities and
organisation came together to look at ways how they could work together to the benefit of the
local areas. From this work, The North East Essex Alliance Board agreed the boundaries for 6
new Live Well Neighbourhoods in North East Essex, which were designed to meet criteria
previously determined by the Alliance.
Pam Green Chief Operating Officer of the North East Essex CCG said: “The opening of the One
Colchester Hub comes at a crucial time to the launch of the Neighbourhoods Project, with a
Neighbourhood Connector, for Colchester Central working from the premises. Community360 is
an important part of the Neighbourhood Leadership Team and will be on hand to support this
new and exciting way of working.”
She added: “The first neighbourhood, Colchester Central was launched in December 2021
which sees a collaboration between the local voluntary sector, communities, leaders, boroughs
and health and social care.
In addition to Colchester Central we will be launching Colchester South and North and Tendring
West, East and South which will be rolled out over the course of the year.
All will have a dedicated Live Well Neighbourhood Team which is able to support individuals and
communities with whole population, urgent care, ongoing care and high needs in a joined-up
way. Our aim is to break down barriers and work more closely together to focus on the improved
health outcomes for local people.”
To celebrate the official launch there was also a community marketplace event where the public
met different groups, societies and support services in the area. A special High Sheriff
Certificate was also presented at the event by Nick Alston, the new High Sheriff of Essex to
Shelley Rudling who heads up the Community Account and Transport Teams at Commuity360
for recognition of her teams work during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Hub already hosts many different social groups throughout the week, including a Monday
morning friendship group, a board games group, men’s and women’s groups, a variety of
textiles activities and more. They offer drop-in advice and signposting and practical support such
as winter packs and slippers for those at risk of falls. The Hub also has a variety of spaces
available for groups and organisations to hire. Organisations such as Colchester Brough
Council, Peabody Housing, Independent Age, AFiUK, Ministry of Parenting, Mid and North East
Essex Mind, and Colchester Life in the UK are already using the space to host events.
Pam Donnelly, Chair of One Colchester, added: “The One Colchester Hub is a fantastic
facility that will be invaluable to so many people and provide vital help and support as our
communities recover successfully from the pandemic.
“As well as being a place where the community can come together for events and activities,
integrating a range of complementary services and activities into one building will enable us to
go even further to improve the health and wellbeing of our residents.”
The new community hub is open from Monday to Friday from 9am – 3pm
Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual event when there is an opportunity for the whole of the UK to focus on achieving good mental health. The Mental Health Foundation started the event 21 years ago. Each year the Foundation continues to set the theme, organise and host the week. The event has grown to become one of the biggest awareness weeks across the UK and globally.
Why loneliness?
Loneliness is affecting more and more of us in the UK and has had a huge impact on our physical and mental health during the pandemic. Our connection to other people and our community is fundamental to protecting our mental health and we need to find better ways of tackling the epidemic of loneliness. We can all play a part in this.
So, in May 2022, we will be raising awareness of the impact of loneliness on our mental wellbeing and the practical steps we can take to address it.
Reducing loneliness is a major step towards a mentally healthy society.
Get involved
There are plenty of ways for you to get involved in Mental Health Awareness Week. We’ll be adding more resources here, including posters and social media graphics, as we get closer to the week.
Grants are available up to the value of £500 to support celebrations, activities, or other community events considered appropriate by the applicant.
The Grants will be awarded weekly, on a continuous engagement basis until the Fund has been exhausted, and is a one-time-only grant available to Parish and Town Councils, Schools, Constituted Organisations and other Community Groups.
Examples of how the Grant could be used include and not exclusively:
Designing and printing costs for leaflets that provide key information to the community about the Ride London event.
Cost of materials for local decoration, community events/street parties (cannot be used for the purchase of alcoholic drinks).
Other related cycling activities
Before applying for the RideLondon – Essex ActivAtion Fund, please read through the criteria and guidance notes below.
Funding grassroots, neighbourhood-based community projects throughout the UK.
The Happiness Fund is available to enable and support projects which improve mental health and wellbeing, inclusion, learning and skills development in local communities. Ultimately it creates happier people and neighbourhoods – think Holly Willoughby meets Sponge Bob Square Pants.
£2,500 per quarter
The fund is intended to support the setting up of new groups and activities, but to be successful, applicants will need to indicate how the activity/group can become self-sustainable or able to attract funding from other sources for the longer term.
The fund will award £2,500 per quarter – allowing up to four different projects per year to apply. Each project and associated people can only apply once in a funding year.
Who can apply?
To apply for the fund your project must be: (applications are welcomed from individuals and small businesses)
Based in your local community
Non-profit
Non-political
Focused on longevity
Applications will not be considered for:
Large national charities
One-off events such as Christmas meals, day trips etc.
The Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Fund has become available following an announcement from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).
The MoJ confirmed that Police (Fire) & Crime Commissioners (PCCs/PFCCs) will receive £69.1 million ‘core’ funding, £27 million ringfenced funding to recruit and retain 700 Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) and Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) and £15.7 million ringfenced funding for domestic abuse (DA) and sexual violence (SV) support services.
On 25 March 2022, it was confirmed that this funding will be delivered over a multi-year basis until the end of 2024/25.
If you would like to apply for funding, you must complete a needs assessment form. This application should cover:
The allocation of funding for the DA/SV community-based services.
The assessment should cover needs for 2022/23 with any allocation of funding being assessed for allocation on a multi-year basis.
The allocation of funding for an additional 100 ISVAs and IDVAs posts to be recruited nationally in 2022/23 (£3.75 million).
Where posts are recruited in 2022/23, funding will be assessed for allocation for 2023/24 and 2024/25.
Applications need to be returned to the PFCC on the template below no later than midday on 25 April 2022