What a warm welcome the team had in the wonderful Black Country. Last summer People’s Voice Media partnered with the Black Country Integrated Care System (ICS), the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) network and Wolverhampton Voluntary and Community Action (WCVA) to start the Black Country Integrated Care System REND Project. The project took 18 months to complete and trained 51 reporters and collected 38 stories. 

The aims of the project were to 

1.Build capacity: Enhancing the capacity of the VCSE Engagement and Partnership Team and Involvement Team to support a three-year programme focused on research within the VCSE. 

2.Gather qualitative insights: Increasing qualitative insight informal research to capture the diverse views within the community, specifically regarding access to healthcare services in the Black Country. 

3. Build community-led intelligence: Supporting the creation of a library/databank of community-led intelligence that can inform strategic decision-making. 

A key aspect of the project was to implement the Community Reporting method as a tool in targeted areas to undertake research into health inequalities. The project looked specifically at how people access health services (GP’s, hospitals, mental health services) across the Black Country. 

“Every time you go into a GP surgery you are seeing someone different. Which is never great for anyone, but for an autistic individual to actually open-up and talk about

what’s wrong, you know, it’s clear that you have to have a relationship with your doctor, that’s the whole point of the GP, and it’s not like its rocket science is it?”

Black Country Resident

This project started off in the summer of 2023 when we ran some taster sessions as part of a ‘Proof of Concept’ programme to test the water in Wolverhampton, Sandwell and Dudley. At the beginning of the year, we went to deliver 2 Community Reporter training programmes in Dudley and Wolverhampton. I had never been to Wolverhampton before, and I was very impressed with it. Especially the venue in which we delivered the second programme. The Bob Jones Community Hub is a great community space and was the perfect place to run the training. We trained people from vital voluntary organisations, such as BME United, Aspire4U, Dudley Voices for Choices and Smethwick Foodbank. 

The stories were shared at a ‘Conversation of Change Event’ in Wolverhampton in July 2024. This event brought together members of the BCICS, wider stakeholders and local people to explore the findings from the stories and identify practical ways in which the learning can be put into practice and shared within the system. The results of which have helped to inform these key recommendations. 

Improve communication and training: There is a need for better, specialised training and development for healthcare professionals on communication skills and cultural competences to ensure all residents are heard and understood within health settings. One person said that having English as a second language with no translators on hand and needing to fill out forms written in English created barriers for his family and community members. Moreover, opening conversations with residents with the question – What reasonable adjustment will help you access relevant support? – would support the creation and implementation of more inclusive and equitable health services. 

Address digital Inequities: Healthcare providers need to focus on bridging the digital divide by providing support for those with limited internet access or digital literacy. This could include simplifying the appointment booking process or involve offering alternative ways to book appointments. In-person assistance in navigating online systems should also be considered. 

Champion a person-centred approach: Encourage continuous community engagement through initiatives like Community Reporting that can help capture ongoing feedback from diverse populations. This will ensure that healthcare services evolve based on the community’s needs. This type of work should not be ‘ad-hoc’ or ‘one-off’ projects, but instead mainstreamed and embedded into the system as a continuous approach in the Black Country,  The people’s stories have informed this insight report, and the stories will be added to an insight library that the Black Country ICS are developing. It was such a privilege for us to listen to the stories that people took the time to share with us and others.  

Kath Peters – Project manager