Insight report – Accessing health and social care services: Asylum seekers (Leicestershire)

This report is by Healthwatch Leicester.

The access to Health care project aim is to listen and explore how people have been accessing their health care and what that experience has been like for them. Healthwatch Leicester have identified groups and will seek to listen and outline what the specific issues are for those communities.

Our focus for this project was to engage with asylum seekers who have been accommodated in hotels in Leicestershire. 

In July and August 2023, we visited five hotels in Leicestershire and spoke to 85 people.

There are recommendations in this report.

1. Better and more informed communication of how our health systems and other available services work. Consider regular information sessions from health care service providers to provide up-to-date information on local services. Consider 

the introduction of mobile community-based services, including those with health information, to regularly visit the hotels.

2. The local authorities to understand to what extent asylum seekers’ needs could be met by involving local voluntary sector organisations. Asylum seekers are to be made aware of local opportunities and encouraged to get involved with the 

local community. 

3. That all residents are provided with an information pack explaining what local support services are available and where they are located. Explore the use of phone apps such as Joy Marketplace to provide relevant local information. 4. Voluntary sector organisations are invited to join collaborative discussions about how they could potentially extend services and activities to support the needs of asylum seekers. 

5. There is a need for wider use of interpreting services with those trained in medical and social care areas. Ensure that the residents who need translation services for appointments are aware that interpreting services are available. 

6. Hotel staff to use language translation services to support residents in contacting health services, particularly if residents are struggling with follow-up appointments or accessing hospital services.

7. Ensure all accommodation is decent and clean. Ensure accommodation meets required standards by national guidelines on cleanliness, being safe and free from hazards and equipped with reasonably modern facilities. 

8. Ensure that the health needs of pregnant women and those with young children are being met. Ensure that people are aware of local maternity groups and support available. 

9. Consideration is given to providing culturally appropriate food choices and having food available during religious holidays.

10. Ensure that snacks are available for children throughout the day and food for toddlers is available. Ensure that families who need a fridge have access when needed.

11. That effective complaint and safeguarding mechanisms and processes are put into place for residents’ safety. Ensure residents can raise concerns without fear of repercussion. 

12. Listen to the experiences of women. Explore the options for having female-only and family-only accommodation. Lone women are vulnerable in all current settings. 

13. Joint approach from the local authorities and the Voluntary and Community Sector to assist in providing support services at the hotels for residents, including ESOL lessons and culturally appropriate mental health support services. Involve Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust in exploring how this can be implemented. 

14. Work with the local authorities to explore options for providing ongoing access to leisure centres and gyms for all residents to help people with their physical and mental health. 

15. Consider the transport options for residents in rural hotels to enable people to travel easily into the towns. Explore providing more bicycles for all residents to use. 

16. Explore options for using community spaces in the areas surrounding the hotels for organised joint activities.

17. Ensure that people are aware of local volunteering opportunities that are available to help people improve their English and develop skills and knowledge.

There are follow up actions in this report. The piece will be shared widely and there is an aim to continue to work with this group.