Asylum seeker and refugee community report
Download (PDF 968.8 KB)Summary of report content
Healthwatch Blackburn with Darwen has worked to find out the views and experiences of asylum seekers and refugees, which will allow Healthwatch Blackburn with Darwen to influence local health and social care provision to best meet their needs.
The engagement took place over a 5-month period between August 2017 and December 2017, allowing Healthwatch Blackburn with Darwen to engage with 60 individuals.
Key findings are: Whilst 94% of asylum seekers and refugees are registered with GP and 76% have a good or average experience at their GP surgery. 18% have been referred/accessed mental health/counselling services, despite the fact that our findings show 76% had reported leaving their country of origin due to either state persecution, regional conflict or war. Language barriers and fear of stigma are factors in the reluctance of asylum seekers and refugees to share past and possibly traumatic experiences with health professionals. ‘Safe space’ environments such as the ARC and YMCA appear to be more conducive to asylum seekers and refugees sharing their experiences and stories.
Recommendations are: Health and social care providers to utilise available translation services such as Language Line to meet the language needs of asylum seekers/refugees in order to meet the Public Sector Equality Duty of the Equality Act 2010. Build on the ‘safe space’ atmosphere of organisations such as the ARC and YMCA to signpost asylum seekers and refugees to mental health/counselling (possibly self-referral) To build evidence of best practice to share across the public sector for meeting the needs of asylum seekers/refugees.