Black Health Workshops 2024-5

The Black Health Workshops formed part of Healthwatch Islington’s Community Research and Support programme, which aims to gather insight from residents experiencing health inequalities while also providing information and signposting. These specific workshops focused on members of the Black African, Caribbean, and Somali communities, and were delivered in partnership with Choices CIC and the Islington Somali Community. Eleven workshops took place in familiar community settings, with interpreting available where needed. In total, 205 residents attended.

The workshops had three core objectives: to equip residents with information to support their health, to strengthen their ability to influence and navigate health and care systems, and to build the capacity of partner organisations to use workshop insights when engaging commissioners.

Workshop topics were informed by community priorities and included cancer awareness, diabetes, hypertension, menopause and women’s health, mental health, winter wellness, special educational needs (SEN), and immunisations. Each partner was required to run at least one immunisation workshop, and clinicians with relevant expertise or cultural competence were invited to participate.

Participant feedback was highly positive. All attendees found the information helpful, and almost all felt able to act on what they had learned. Workshops had topic‑specific impacts—for example, nearly all cancer workshop participants reported increased confidence in recognising symptoms, all diabetes and hypertension participants committed to lifestyle changes, and every attendee at the SEN workshop reported a better understanding of available support and greater confidence in accessing it.

Immunisation workshops revealed particularly strong community concerns. At the Choices CIC workshop, many participants expressed deep mistrust of the NHS, shaped by negative experiences during the COVID‑19 pandemic and longstanding structural inequalities. Some participants believed COVID‑19 vaccines had been inadequately tested, worried about links with Long Covid, or felt fatigued by repeated vaccination campaigns. Although only a minority changed their minds about vaccinations, most participants left feeling more confident in how to access reliable information.

In contrast, participants at the Islington Somali Community immunisation workshop responded more positively. Concerns focused on perceived links between the MMR vaccine and autism, a belief that autism is more common among Somali children, and the need for clear information—including non‑porcine vaccination options. Having a Somali‑speaking GP present was highly valued, and most participants reported that they were now more open to vaccination.

A workshop on Special Educational Needs highlighted that Somali mothers in particular felt unheard, dismissed by schools, and lacking confidence in advocating for their neurodiverse children. All participants left with a better understanding of available services and improved confidence, and several intended to access support from SENDIASS or Centre 404.

Case studies included in the report demonstrate longer‑term impacts, including increased help‑seeking among Black men after prostate cancer workshops, and improved wellbeing and confidence among women who attended the menopause workshop.

Equality monitoring showed that the workshops reached a wide age range but predominantly women, and that a majority of participants were from Somali, Black African, and Black Caribbean communities.