Narratives of refugees in Lancashire

Healthwatch Lancashire wanted to gain insight into the lives of refugees, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This piece of work is part of a wider project which aims to raise awareness of the concerns and inequalities faced by different communities in Lancashire, by looking at the experiences of black, minority and ethnic groups. The focus of this section of the project was understanding refugee’s experiences of health and wellbeing in Lancashire.

They interviewed eight refugee families in October 2020, using semi-structured interviews. The interviews were between one and two hours long.

Participants expressed that they have struggled with the restrictions that were put in place due to lockdown. There were concerns for their children who they felt were going backwards in their education and learning of the English language, because they were not attending school and socialising with their peers. There were further difficulties in following lessons online due to language barriers. In addition, support provided by schools, such as receiving vegetables and vitamins, was reduced, or not being offered during this time. Participants expressed fear around catching Covid-19 and that they struggled to understand the Government guidelines. It was highlighted to be an isolating experience for participants, especially with not being permitted to see friends and family.

For the participants, the transfer of many services to online, including ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) and health appointments, made these services harder to follow than the previous face to face interactions and learning environment.

Financial difficulties meant that some participants struggled to attend various appointments or connect with family and friends. It also meant they were sometimes unable to have dental appointments due to the cost of attending and paying for treatment.

Case workers were praised for their support and referred to as a lifeline by some. However, it was felt that case workers should be more available and more accessible for a longer period.

Mental health was often not accessed by participants, not available or misunderstood. This caused serious implications for participants and results in the potential for deepening deterioration in their mental health and wellbeing.

Participants were not always aware of services available to them and to others in the community, particularly advocacy and mental health and wellbeing services.

The report contains a number of recommendations to address these issues.