#SpeakUp: SAVTE
Download (PDF 839.45 KB)Summary of report content
Through their #SpeakUp community grants programme, Healthwatch Sheffield worked with SAVTE (Sheffield Associated for the Voluntary Teaching of English) to explore the experiences of using health services from the perspective of English-language learners, and what language support is needed to help people manage their health and wellbeing independently.
Healthwatch Sheffield's #SpeakUp grants programme offers funding and partnership work for local voluntary, community, and not-for-profit organisations. The purpose is to reach out to people across the city, and hear what matters to them in relation to health and social care.
This project involved working with SAVTE's learning groups, which include refugees, asylum seekers, and other new arrivals to Sheffield, as well as people who have lived in the city for longer and would like to improve their English skills. Between November 2023 and January 2024 they spoke to 35 people across 3 different learning groups.
Their key findings included:
- Problems understanding: Language barriers pose many challenges for learners. This includes understanding what services are available to help them, as well as understanding what healthcare professionals are saying to them. Not many people knew about their rights around professional interpreters.
- Lack of confidence: Speaking over the phone was a key issue, and caused particular concern for people when they thought about what they'd do in a health emergency.
- A desire for independence: Not having the language to describe health problems or understand the health system means people don't have privacy or autonomy when they need healthcare. There was a strong desire to learn more in order to access support independently.
The second strand to this project was developing new language-learning resources, so SAVTE could support more people in the city to talk about their bodies and any health symptoms, and understand the different health services available in the city. They produced a range of vocabulary cards, information sheets, and a role-playing exercise for people to practice calling services like 111 and 999.
The report makes recommendations to the local Integrated Care Board and other system partners, about the ways they can support people to understand healthcare systems, and access the medical support they need.