ACC L African Caribbean Community Organisation Ltd
Community Magazine Issue 8 Spring 2010
Our NHS—Our Health
In this edition we focus on Health. There are many things that affect our health and our health is the most important thing we have. Find out more about some of the issues, organisations and services that are there to help us. Once again thank you to all those who submitted articles for this edition. Special thanks to the advertisers who have helped to make production of this magazine possible. If you wish to discuss circulation, and or advertising, please get in touch. We would like this magazine to be meaningful for you, if there is something you would like us to include or if you would like to contribute an article for future editions, please email me: afca.org@btinternet.com or call 024 7622 3020 Advertisers in this edition : Fostering & Adoption Team Enterprising Coventry Health Development Services (Coventry City Council) Wyken Adventure Centre
Disclaimer & Copyright
The views expressed by magazine contributors, do not necessarily represent the views of ACCOL, Those articles written by third parties are the sole responsibility of the writers and the writer will take full responsibility, liability, and blame for any libel or litigation that results from something written. All trademarks, design rights, copyrights, registered names, mottos, logos, used in this magazine are the property of their respective owners and have been reproduced in this magazine with their permission. 2
CONTENTS
Haiti appeal update
About ACCOL
4
Why You should vote!
5
Overview of NHS
6
Local NHS Services
7
Spotlight on Flora Samuels
8
About Prostrate Cancer
9
Age Concern & Fit as a Fiddle
10
Spotlight on Geraldine Williams
11-12
University Hospitals Coventry &Warwickshire NHS Trust
12-13
Healthy eating tips
14
Look after your mind
15
Enterprising Coventry
16
Haiti Appeal update
17
A view from the Boundary (West Indian Wanderers Cricket Team)
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CELEBRATING ACHIEVEMENTS 3
“I believe our community will flourish and prosper when all of our community organisations come together to develop cohesive strategies to support its people in the community. “We are not an island and need to capitalise on the support works available to make sure our community accesses the resources available to it” Isiah Williams - Chair of ACCOL Vision Statement ACCOL will be a holistic information, advice and motivation service for the African Caribbean community of Coventry. It will be a strategic service providing a wide range of information in a way that aims to build the capacity of all information recipients. Our Objectives
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To provide the knowledge, direction , support, understanding and clarity that will best enable community members to both understand their world and bring about to it the changes they believe to be in their long term interest.
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To foster active partnerships with individuals, community groups and statutory, private and voluntary sector organisations.
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To promote quality services and assist with the development of sustainable community led initiatives to address needs.
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To bring together African Caribbean Groups/Organisations/Individuals with a view to strengthen their voice and efforts against racism by providing guidance/support
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To promote events and activities which support African Caribbean Community Networks and prevent isolation.
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To promote activities which support community cohesion and tackle racism and discrimination
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Providing advice to public and private sector organisations in the city about tailoring of services to African Caribbean Community needs.
Amongst our plans for this year is a focus on A Focus on Health: the African Caribbean Business Community • Ensure that the African Caribbean Community • Liaise with main health agencies :• PCT is kept up-to-date with the development pro• Coventry City Council Health gress and opportunities available under the
Enterprising Coventry Initiatives. • • Work with the African Caribbean Business
Community to ensure that they are aware of all available opportunities & are in contact with main business support agencies
• •
Promotions Team Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership Trust Community Health Team Older Peoples Partnership Group
• Work with main health promotion agencies to • Liaise Closely with Recruitment Network
Members to ensure that the African Caribbean Community are aware of additional opportunities available • Work Closely with Coventry City Council
Employment & Skills Team to ensure that African Caribbean Businesses are aware of the opportunities available from recent government initiatives e.g. Future Jobs Fund, Employment Placement Scheme.
highlight issues of concern to the African Caribbean Community • Work with Community Based Initiatives to
improve the Health of the African Caribbean Community • Work with main health promotion agencies to
highlight issues of concern to the African Caribbean Community 4
WHY YOU MUST VOTE! The Independent on Sunday has launched One of the Above, a campaign to encourage people to exercise their right to vote – a right that people once died for. We support this campaign and would urge you all to turn out to vote on 6 May. Backing the One of the Above campaign, The Prime Minster, said: "Voting is not ultimately about the fortunes of political parties. It is about your job, your family, your schools and the sort of future you want for our country. "If turnout is low, the parties who benefit are those at the extremes, and so I'd encourage each and everyone to use their hard-won right to vote." It took centuries to get you a vote The British electoral system shifted from royal to parliamentary sovereignty over the course of more than 500 years. The following Acts of Parliament extended the UK franchise: •
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1432 Electors of Knights of the Shire Act: male owners of freehold land or property worth 40 shillings can vote. 1832 Representation of the People Act: the Great Reform Act. Uniform franchise introduced in boroughs for owners of land worth £10 or more. 1867 Representation of the People Act: the Second Reform Act. Male urban householders and lodgers paying at least £10 annually get the vote. Electorate almost doubles to 1.5 million.
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1872 Ballot Act: secret ballot starts.
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1884 Representation of the People Act: the Third Reform Act. Rural workers get the vote. Electorate increases to more than 5.5 million – 24 per cent of male population.
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1903 The Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) campaign for women's votes.
vote. Electorate triples from 7.7 million to 21.4 million. •
1928 Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act: vote for all adults over 21.
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1969 Representation of the People Act: voting age lowered to 18.
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1985 Representation of the People Act: "absent votes" allowed.
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1989 Representation of the People Act: expats can vote for 15 years after emigration.
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2000 Representation of the People Act: rolling registration system is introduced.
Recent research has shown large sections of society are disenfranchised, either because they are not on the electoral roll or, if they are they have decided to ignore the election: Young people 56 per cent of 18- to 24-yearolds are not registered to vote, according to the Electoral Commission, while polls show 25 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds and 25- to 34-yearolds say they are "certain not to vote"; Those on low incomes Polls show one in four people in social grade DE are "certain not to vote", compared with one in 10 in grade AB; Armed forces A new annual requirement to register means just 21,000 out of 240,000 service personnel are on the electoral roll, a fall from 139,000. People from black and ethnic minorities 31 per cent are not registered; Don't underestimate the power of your vote. Ask yourself which party/candidate's policies best reflect your own individual viewpoints and beliefs.
On May 6th, please vote. Vote to get the right 1910 Conciliation Bill, to allow women with people into office, vote to keep the wrong peoproperty to vote, fails. "Black Friday" riot outple out, vote for issues that affect you and your side Parliament. community's interests, vote for your children's future, vote for better opportunities for your1918 Representation of the People Act: all self. This is a right that has been afforded you men over 21 and women over 30 get the at a very high price -please don't waste it. 5
OVERVIEW OF THE NHS
Since its launch in 1948, the NHS has grown to become the world’s largest publicly funded health service
The NHS was born out of a long-held ideal that good healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth. That principle remains at its core. With the exception of charges for some prescriptions and optical and dental services, the NHS remains free at the point of use for anyone who is resident in the UK. That is currently more than 60m people. It covers everything from antenatal screening and routine treatments for coughs and colds to open heart surgery, accident and emergency treatment and end-oflife care. The NHS employs more than 1.7m people. Of those, just under half are clinically qualified, including 120,000 hospital doctors, 40,000 general practitioners (GPs), 400,000 nurses and 25,000 ambulance staff. Only the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and the Indian Railways employs more staff directly .
to choose a GP surgery, to state which GP you'd like to see, to choose which hospital you're treated at, and to receive information to support your choices.
These rights form part of the NHS Constitution. "You have the right to choose your GP surgery, and to be accepted by that practice unless there are reasonable grounds to refuse, for instance for example, you live outside the boundaries that it has agreed with the local primary care trust (PCT), or because it has no spaces left. Whatever the reason, the surgery must tell you why. If you can't register with your preferred GP surgery, the NHS will help you find another one.
If your GP refers you for treatment, you have the right for any non-emergency treatment that you need to start within a maximum of 18 weeks or for the NHS to take all reasonable steps to offer you a range of alternatives if this is not possible. You also have the right to be seen by a specialist within a maxiThe number of patients using the NHS is equally mum of two weeks from GP referral for urgent huge. On average, it deals with 1million patients referrals where cancer is suspected. every 36 hours, that’s 463 people a minute. If your GP refers you to see a consultant Each week, 700,000 people will visit an NHS you may have a choice of a number of dentist, while a further 3,000 will have a heart hospitals. You might want to choose a operation. Each GP in the nation’s 10,000-plus hospital that has better results for your treatpractices sees an average of 140 patients a ment than others, or one near your place of week. work. Ask your GP for more information or go to www.http://www.nhs.uk/servicedirectories/ When the NHS was launched in 1948 it had a Pages budget of £437million (roughly £9billion at today’s value). In 2008/9 it received over 10 You can view your personal health times that amount (more than £100billion). records. You don’t have to give a reason to Some 60% of the NHS budget is used to pay see them, just ask at your GP surgery. staff. A further 20% pays for drugs and other You should always be treated with dignity supplies, with the remaining 20% split between and respect, in accordance with your buildings, equipment and training costs on the human rights. This means, for example, that one hand and medical equipment, catering and your right to privacy should be respected. You cleaning on the other. Nearly 80% of the total budget is distributed by local trusts in line with should not have to share sleeping or bathroom facilities with members of the opposite sex, the particular health priorities in their areas. except on the rare occasions where you need very specialised or urgent care. The money to pay for the NHS comes directly from taxation. According to independent bodies You have the right to have any complaint you such as the King’s Fund, this remains the make about the NHS dealt with efficiently and “cheapest and fairest” way of funding health have it investigated properly. If you wish to care when compared with other systems. The make a complaint about an NHS organisation, 2008/9 budget roughly equates to a contribution of £1,980 for every man, woman and child contact them directly first. If you're not sure where to start get in touch with an NHS body or in the UK. independent regulator, the Patient Advice and Everyone who is cared for by the NHS in England Liaison Service (PALS) can help. It can help you to make a complaint and introduce you to has formal rights to make choices about the 6 service that they receive. These include the right agencies and support groups outside the NHS.
NHS Coventry NHS Coventry (also known as Coventry Teaching Primary Care Trust) is the organisation responsible for making sure local people get the healthcare they need, when they need it. As the leading health organisation in the city it invests more than £500 million each year on health services on your behalf, whether this is a trip to the doctor or dentist or going into hospital for an operation. NHS Coventry is committed to
involving local people in the development of health services. This means keeping Coventry residents informed about health services in their area; consulting local communities about planned changes to health services; and involving communities when decisions are being made which will affect how health services are provided. They want to hear about your experiences and views on what works well and what could be
improved in your local NHS. They have a website http:// www.healthcareincoventry.nhs. uk/ which is one of the ways in which they invite us to share our views and give feedback. Use the online form on this website to share your views on local health services . Text the word “NHS” followed by your comments to 80039 for free.
Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Partnership Trust The Trust is the provider of metal health, learning disability and substance misuse services for the 850,000 population of Coventry and Warwickshire, as well as specialist services to people from a wider geographical area.
service, which is designed to help people who are feeling stressed, anxious or low in mood. IAPT offer advice, guidance on self-help and what is known as ‘talking therapies’,
They provide services from over 100 locations across the area, with a budget of around £140 million.
for people who suffer from common mental health problems in a way that is easy to access, closely linked to other services in the area, and close to people’s homes.
Psychological Therapy More than 2,500 people have already been in touch with the new Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT)
The service was launched late in October by the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership
NHS Trust in partnership with Coventry Mind. New government funding is behind the service, which is part of a pioneering project that is being watched closely by other parts of the country. The NHS Trust - who provide mental health, learning disability and substance misuse services across the area - believes that it is already reaching people who before might have not been able to find a service to help them.
West Midlands Strategic Health Authority NHS West Midlands is the Strategic Health Authority for the West Midlands. It is one of ten strategic health authorities created on 1 July 2006, to lead the local areas identified as a result of Commissioning a Patient-led NHS. It covers an area of 5.4m people across Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Herefordshire, Sandwell, Shropshire, Solihull, Staffordshire, Stoke on Trent, Telford and Wrekin, Walsall, Warwickshire, Wolverhampton and Worcestershire. As the local headquarters of the NHS in the West Midlands, it manages 16 Primary Care
Trusts (PCTs) and 1 Care Trust (which provide community healthcare such as Dentistry and GP services), 19 Acute Trusts (hospitals) including 9 Foundation Trusts, 7 Mental Health Trusts including 3 Foundation Trusts, and 1 ambulance service. We are responsible for ensuring that the £7 billion spent on health and health care across the West Midlands delivers better services for patients and better value for money for tax payers 7
supplements, she will first conduct a health profile Check. What she has noticed particularly with African Caribbean people is that there is a high Incidents of poor Glandular System, poor Cardio vascular and Circulatory systems, but there are small changes that people can make to make a difference.
FLORA SAMUELS As anyone from Africa /the Caribbean will know there are herbal or ‘bush’ remedies for just about any ailment you can think of. Flora Samuel is passionate about natural remedies. Flora was born in London but moved to Coventry in 1983. Flora’s background is in nursing from the late 70’s through to 1998. She thoroughly enjoyed nursing in those days, she loved working directly with patients, caring for their Well Being. “Nursing is different now. Nurses do not have time to engage with patients and build relationships with them”
When buying vitamins and Supplements what should People be avoiding? family also decided to make life Style changes in terms of diet and Look out for Sodium Bicarb, Starch, Cornflour, these do not nutrition. need to be in, they are just Flora attends monthly meetings of there as fillers and buffers. Health professionals to keep in touch with latest trends. She says Would you go back to working in the NHS? that “GPS do recommend and For the past four year Flora has prescribe Vitamins and Minerals Yes, offering Natural Health been doing complimentary Service, with using the Holistic for certain ailments for example approach. medicine on a part-time basis. Vitamin D, Calcium and MagneShe was introduced to herbal sium Tablets. Flora loves working with the supplements by her nutritionist who recommended it for a Flora stresses that people need to African Caribbean Community. helping them to take their particular condition she had at the think holistically “Look at our health more seriously. We are 3 time. At first she was sceptical, whole lifestyle, exercise, eating times more likely to suffer from but after using it for a while she habits, when you eat and what Hypertension, Cardio vascular saw a marked difference to her you are eating”. disease, etc than the other health, she then started using it communities. for various members of her family. When someone consults with Flora about natural remedies and At the same time Flora & her
WYKEN ADVENTURE CENTRE ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
AGE 5 YEARS TO 21 YEARS
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WESTMORLAND ROAD, WYKEN, COVENTRY, CV2 5BS Phone: 024 7661 4839 CHARITY NO. 1089626
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What is prostate cancer? Prostate cancer is a disease that affects men from the age of 45 years. The prostate gland, which is a small gland about the size of a walnut, positioned just beneath the bladder. It is responsible for producing fluids that nourish and protect sperm. African Caribbean men in the UK are 3 times more likely to develop prostate cancer than men of European origin. African Caribbean men also present with prostate cancer approximately 5 years earlier than white men. However, age remains the greatest risk factor for developing prostate cancer in all groups, including African Caribbean men. The reason for this trend is currently being researched. Despite their increased risk, African Caribbean men are less aware of prostate cancer signs and symptoms.
Testing is recommended even if you have none of the above mentioned symptoms as men in the early stages of prostate cancer have no symptoms. The test for prostate cancer can be accessed at GP surgery. It is known as the PSA test and involves a blood test, depending on the result of the first test, the GP may need to carry out further tests. Depending on the results from the prostate cancer test, the GP will discuss the various treatment options available and will continue to monitor the progression of the cancer to prevent it from spreading. Although there is no known direct cause of prostate cancer, eating a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables coupled with exercise is a good way to minimalise the incidence or even prognosis of prostate cancer.
The disease is the most common male cancer in the UK with approximately 32,000 diagnoses each year. Of this Colin Powell retired Secretary of State has number, approximately 10,000 British men been diagnosed with prostate cancer and will die from the disease. is still living an active life. Early testing is recommended so appropriate treatment can be started if needed which increases Symptoms the chances of survival. • Frequent urination • Waking up regularly through the night For more information please contact your to pass urine GP surgery. Other useful resources can be • A sense of urgency in getting to the found at the Prostate cancer charity, bathroom in time Helpline 08000748383 or website • Hesitation before the urine begins to www.prostate-cancer.org.uk. flow. Less common symptoms include: • Pain while passing urine • Blood in the urine • Impotence (erectile dysfunction) (inability to sustain an erection) • Hip or lower back pain.
Please check the Coventry health hub (coventryhealthhub.nhs.uk) for information on male health and other illnesses and for upcoming Prostate Cancer Awareness days.
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Age Concern Coventry employs around 30 staff and has 300 volunteers. They provide a range of services to help older people manager their quality of life.
Fit as a Fiddle at the West Indian Centre
Initially age concerns services were targeted at the over 60s but now most of their services are open to anyone over 50. Nadia Mokrani and Sue Hart both work for Age Concern and tell us about the services that they are involved in: Sue Hart....Fit as a fiddle: By 2020, over half of the UK adults will be fifty plus. Age Concern has a unique programme for older people funded by the Big Lottery Fund. It offers a range of activities including; walking and chair based exercise, tai chi, indoor bowls. Nadia Mokrani....Information & Advice: The information and advice team currently have two people who specialise in working with BME Communities, Mahendra who deals with most South Asian enquiries and me who deals with all other BME groups. Nadia talks about the issues that particularly face BME older people, issues of isolation, multiple health problems, mobility, inadequate housing conditions, etc. At Age Concern we are able to assist people with all of these problems and if we can’t then we are able to sign post to other appropriate service providers. Other services provided by Age Concern include: Befriending: home visiting, telephone contact, support to help access social activities and locally based visiting groups. Advocacy: independent and confidential support to help older people to speak up for themselves, or to act on behalf of more vulnerable older people, Trading services, e.g. Insurance and funeral plans Craft & Computer Workshops: learning and leisure activities in a friendly and supportive setting. Volunteers are always needed to support all services. Training is provided and expenses paid, the hours are as few or as many as volunteers want to offer.
Some of the ladies who attend L to R back row: Doreen, Ann, Mrs Choonara, Pat, Geraldine, Mrs Matthews. Front row: Sheila, Joyce, Lyn, Lorna, Vinesser and Gwen
The Group was set up as a partnership between Cariba Women and Age Concern, but now runs on funds received from Heath of England Community Foundation. What the ladies say about the sessions held every Tuesday, led by Marva Al Ansaari. “It’s excellent and I look forward to coming”. “I got a wonderful welcome when I came and I enjoy coming.” “Having previously suffered from joint problems I find that the class benefits me both mentally and physically because after exercise I feel more alert and more mobile”. “I come because I’m dedicated, it gets me out of the house and I meet friends, have a chat and a laugh and a cup of tea!” I’m now also doing Tai Chi, Pilates, line dancing and swimming!!” “The instructor is a nice person and good at what she does”. “There is not much in Coventry for us older ones” “I couldn’t do without it, I look forward to Tuesdays” “If I don’t come I get depressed! It’s a chance to relax, socialise & meet new people” “You feel so much better and relaxed after exercise” “Would love to do have 2 sessions a week” you can lose weight if you come regularly!” 10
Geraldine Williams, Walsgrave Hospitals first black Midwife Born in the commonwealth of Dominica, Geraldine was brought up in St Kitts due to her fathers work. Geraldine had always wanted to be a nurse, therefore after leaving school she applied to train as a nurse. She had to do a pre nursing exam which she took and passed. She was told by the Matron that she would be on the waiting list to become a student. After about six months when she had not heard anything her father contacted a friend who had emigrated to England. “My fathers friend wrote to him telling him that England was a land of opportunity for young people if they had the ambition. My father came to England in 1959, not long after arriving he made an appointment to see the Matron at Gulson Hospital. He explained that I wanted to be a nurse, she gave him an application form for me to complete, and said that I would still have to take the GNC exam. My father then sent for me, of course my mother did not want me to travel on my own, so she came with me. They both planned to return to St Kitts once I was settled. Whilst making preparation to return my Dad took ill and sadly passed away 6 months after we arrived at the age of 46. This was very traumatic for us, he died in the same hospital where I was by then a student”. Traumatised by the death of her father Geraldine decided to leave nursing to pursue a different career. “I had done a typing course prior to coming to England so I applied to Alvis as a typist. I was offered an interview but when I arrived at the office, the interviewer looked at me as though she saw a ghost, then said sorry Ms Fry the job has gone. I asked why I was not told that at reception and she said we have not passed the message on yet. At that point I realised that nursing was the thing for me. Matron accepted me back to carry on and complete my nursing course I was successful in my qualification as a RGN. To gain more experience in nursing I did staff for a while then decided another qualification would be an advantage as I was planning on going back home! I applied to do midwifery which I did at Marston Green Maternity Hospital, where I got
first class training. In 1965 I qualified as a midwife and midwifery became my life for 32 years. I was also interested in the intensive care of the new born so I also did a 6 month course in that and was successful. As a midwife parent craft and family planning meant a lot to me so I also did courses in these subjects. I also did an assessors course so I was able to mentor and assess students nurses. I thoroughly enjoyed my time as a midwife it gave me so much satisfaction and lots of friendship especially from parents and grandparents. It made me feel ancient though when babies that I had delivered I also attended them when they were having their babies!” Do they remember you? “Oh yes, there is one in particular who is now 15, every year on Christmas eve I still receive a gift from her and her father. I am a great believer in home confinement (home delivery) as I feel that mothers are much more relaxed in the home environment and there is less medical equipment. I am very thankful to say that in my 32 years of midwifery, I was fortunate not to have had any mishaps. When I did my general training there were only 2 other black people both of which were African. I was the first black midwife in Walsgrave when it opened in 1966. In 1967 I was offered a Sisters post, but I declined because I would have had to work full-time, as I already had a family it would have been impossible. I worked on part-time for a long time and went full-time in 1984 as a Community Midwife. With the help of my husband and growing family I continued until I took medical retirement due to a road traffic accident in 1996. What was it like working for the NHS? “My boss once said to me your name appears in the Telegraph more often than any other midwife (I took this as a compliment), I have letters from the Chief Executive and others acknowledging my work. I found the NHS to be very flexible”.
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Would you encourage others to go into nursing? “Definitely, a couple of patients that I have delivered have gone into midwifery saying that I had inspired them. It is such a rewarding job, you get a lot of satisfaction from bringing new life into the world”. I always instilled in my 4 children not only moral values, but the fact that as a black person they had to be that little bit better than their white counterparts. Aim high with ambition and determination you will achieve whatever you want.
What’s Happening at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust – Equality and Diversity
At University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust it is recognised that understanding and embracing Equality and Diversity is vital in providing quality care to the communities that we serve. In order to ensure that we provide equality in terms of outcome for people with physical and or sensory impairments, we have heavily invested in a number of initiatives which include: •
language and easy to use touch screen. The Pods will be available at the Physical and Sensory Impairment Stakeholders Event 2010 for comments. •
In response to patient feedback regarding access to relevant and up to date informa- • tion about their diagnosis and treatment, we will be providing ‘Information Pods’ with instant and direct access to our internet and other key site such as NHS Direct. The Pods will be placed in prominent areas such as the entrance hall and are • appropriately accessible, including features such as age friendly design, height adjustable for wheelchair users, audio for hearing impaired, translations for people where English is not their first
All new staff must undertake Equality and Diversity training before they commence any work for the Trust. All existing staff must also attend mandatory Equality and Diversity training both of which cover all strands. An Accessible Communications folder for staff is being developed for improved communication of needs for people with communication difficulties to be launched April 2010 and will be translated into at least the 5 most used languages. Our website has been reviewed and is undergoing an update. All key information will be available in written format where the font size can be adjusted, audible for people with hearing impairments translations in to a variety of languages12
and will include British Sign Language (BSL). We have decided to include BSL in direct response to feedback from patients who previously experienced some difficulties accessing services.
staff for information and action. The Trust is developing an abbreviated version of the questionnaire for use on hand held devices which will be used by volunteers to interview patients/carers etc on the wards and in departments.
• UHCW NHS Trust works in partnership with a
number of groups and organisations such as the Physical and Sensory Impairment Group, a local charity for Asian women and the Equalities and Cohesion Theme group which is part of Coventry’s Local Strategic Partnership. We also work closely with our Translation and Interpretation service provider and have posters across the hospital, which have been translated into our top 5 used languages.
• A Patients’ Council was established in
September 2002 and made up of lay people and former patients. The Council acts as in an advisory capacity to the Trust on a wide range of issues. The majority of members are also members on the Trust’s Committees providing a lay perspective. Members of staff are welcome to refer issues/topics to the Patients’ Council through the Patient Involvement Facilitator.
• Producing 10 Equality and Diversity guidance
booklets for staff covering all legislated • In December 2006, the Trust established a equality themes looking at terminology, Community Engagement Committee. The legislation and best practice in relation to both Committee ensures a two way dialogue staff and patients including ethnicity and between the Trust, its patients, their carers and translation and interpretation the community it serves and provides a mechanism by which community groups have • Responding to local, regional and national coneasy access to Trust Forums. sultation regarding all aspect of equality and diversity including the proposed Equality Bill. • The Trust has a Patient Engagement and Experience Committee chaired by the Chief • Working in partnership with other Trusts, local Nurse. The Committee oversees all aspects of community groups and public bodies to patient engagement within the Trust ensuring identify and respond to needs of various action plans etc are taken forward. communities. • The Trust has set up a Dementia Care Group • Offering twice weekly evening surgeries for and a Learning Disabilities Group with reprefamilies /Carers to improve access to sentation from Trust staff and relevant local communication and provision of information third sector organisations e.g. the Alzheimer’s Society, Age Concern, and Grapevine. The • Health promotion events at local shopping remit of both groups, using the members’ centres and University Hospital Coventry & expertise, is to improve the care of these Warwickshire NHS Trust. vulnerable patient groups e.g. production of two separate resource folders (for staff) are • A number of posters around the hospital have now available on all wards detailing all aspects been translated into the 10 most used of caring for people with dementia and languages. learning disabilities. • Patients approached PALS about the lack of
seating for patients waiting to collect medication to take out from Pharmacy. Extra chairs have now been made available. • In conjunction with a company called Lepidus,
The Trust will be continuing to work with partners and patients to ensure that we build on the progress made so far. Our commitment to providing accessible services for the community will continue to be demonstrated through our actions and welcome any and all comments and support that will enable us to fulfil this aim.
the Trust has developed an on line patient, carer, relative satisfaction questionnaire called Impressions. The system affords the Trust an Barbara Hay in depth insight into patient, carer, relative Head of Diversity experience and satisfaction. Impressions allow respondents to give feedback in their own words and these are sent out on a daily basis to relevant members of staff allowing for timely action, if required. Reports are available at the touch of a button and are sent to appropriate Trust forums and members of
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Healthy Eating Tips
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Look after your MIND ! Mental illness can strike anyone at any time. It can be the result of a traumatic event, injury or illness, or have no apparent cause or reason. Symptoms usually begin to appear in the twenties, but may not become marked until much later in life. With hindsight, there may also be some clues that were quite subtle in childhood. Although the cause and cure for mental illness is not known, it is known that mental illness is a biologically based disorder in the brain. With effective treatment, recovery is possible. Treatment is a holistic process that includes such measures as medications, psychotherapy, nutrition, community and family support, and lifestyle changes. Mental ill health is a subject that is not talked about much with the Caribbean community. But it is something that affects everyone. Q. How would I know if I was suffering from a mental health condition? Some symptoms to look for that can indicate a possible mental illness include: • • • • • • • • • • •
depression or apathy overwhelmed and unable to cope with daily problems inability to complete tasks of daily living (grooming, bathing, eating) marked personality changes extreme highs and lows grandiose or strange ideas paranoia abuse of drugs and/or alcohol uncontrolled anxieties extreme anger, violent behaviour, hostility changes in sleeping patterns
Getting help If you need help then you can go to your doctor and ask to see either a Community psychiatric nurse (know as a CPN); ask to see the Counsellor that is attached to your surgery; you could ask for your doctor to refer you to the Tamarind centre a confidential counselling and emotional support service. There are other ways to get help from much closer to you. You could talk with to a trusted friend or family member, take up a hobby, volunteer help others, visit friends and join support groups.
Black Caribbean people are less likely to be offered counselling or talking therapies by their GP, and research shows that sometimes if counselling is offered, then there could be less need for medication. Generally, people from BME communities are poorly served by mental health services. Treatment and supportive services are often based upon inaccurate assumptions and prejudicial stereotypes including, for example, ‘aggressive black men’. Several studies in the 1980s showed that Black people were more likely to be detained under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983. (Section 136 allows a police officer to arrest an individual he or she believes to be suffering from a mental disorder in a public place and take them to a ‘place of safety’). By the late 1990s, research into this issue, looking at both race and gender, discovered that similar worrying patterns had continued. The Mental Health Task Force Project (a research project supported by the then NHS Executive – a branch of the DH) reported that African-Caribbean males were overrepresented among those formally detained in acute inpatient units, and were more likely to be 'taken to a place of safety' under Section 136. They were also up to three times more likely to be sectioned than their White counterparts. Black women also fare extremely badly, with a staggering 18 per cent likely to be held under this particular Section, compared with just two per cent of their White counterparts.
Organisation that can help Tamarind Centre www.tamarindcentere.co.uk 02476 227712 It is a culturally sensitive service for Black Caribbean, African, Mixed Race and Asian people in Coventry who are experiencing stress; feel under pressure anxious and depressed. Offer counselling, outreach and emotional support. IAPT (improving access to psychological therapies) It is a service for people in Coventry and Warwickshire who are feeling stressed, anxious, low in mood or depressed. 15 http://www.coventrymind.org.uk/content/iapt-
Enterprising Coventry
offer a range of free flexible support to help people living in the city who are currently unemployed and on benefits get into work.
Enterprising Coventry is a government funded initiative which aims to promote and encourage prosperity in Coventry by providing a wide range of support services, including a full recruitment and selection service and guidance on staff retention, training and property relocation as well as advice on business growth and diversification, to help fledgling businesses, assist existing organisations and aid individuals seeking to move into work. Enterprising Coventry is also participating in the government-funded Future Jobs Fund scheme and the locally funded Employment Placement Scheme. These schemes aim to provide suitable candidates to employers on six-month fully funded placements, which will allow people to learn valuable skills and increase their future job prospects while providing employers with an additional member of staff at no additional cost to the business. Sherril Donaldson, Employer Engagement Manager for Enterprising Coventry, said: “We are in difficult economic times but we are determined to do whatever we can to help businesses in Coventry succeed. “The reliable, informed advice and support we offer can provide organisations with solid foundations on which to base crucial business decisions that could determine the future success or failure of a company. “The fact that our service is completely free also means businesses have nothing to lose so we would urge people to get in touch and see what we can do for them.” Trevor Howard, Employment & Community Regeneration Manager said: “There is no doubt that the more successful businesses are those that look outward as well as inward and seek professional support, advice and input where available. I would urge anyone running a business at the moment to take time out to think about the future as well as the here and now. “I hope our business leaders and managers take time out to get in touch with their local Enterprising Coventry service.” For more information contact Enterprising Coventry’s recruitment development officers on 02476 831205.
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Following the devastating earthquake which took place in Haiti earlier this year a number of organisations and individuals came together to set up the Coventry West Indian Haiti Disaster Appeal. The West Indian Centre was the collection point for goods and cash donations, and just over ÂŁ2,500 has been raised. It was felt that whatever contributions we as a community would be able to make would be less than a fraction of what would be needed, it was therefore agreed that it would be better to concentrate on supporting a particular project or organisation. Weston Williams, who is at the time of writing, still in Haiti has identified an orphanage which the group has decided to support for the time being. The building in which the orphanage was housed no longer exist but Weston informs us that they have “managed to get a piece of land, about an acre, donated by an old lady for free for 2 years for the orphanage. away from the centre of Port Au Prince and with about 10 Mango trees!! Once the new orphanage has been rebuilt it will house 200 orphans.
Children in one of the MSDEH orphanage tents. MSDEH is the orphanage that will be supported by the fundraising efforts
Thanks to the generosity of the community 24 barrels and one trunk packed with clothes, toys, tents, tools and food was transported to Tanspakship who very kindly agreed to ship your donations Free of Charge to Haiti, the goods should arrive in Haiti sometime around the first week in May. Once again a huge thank you to those who have supported this appeal
Life in tent city
A date for your Diary
Coventry Caribbean Festival Saturday 31 July 2010 Fresh Enterprise Association Ltd Tel: 07506 754026 Email: caribfest@uk2.net 17
A view from the boundary By Steve Smith aka The Great Mule Managing Director of Cricket at Coventry Copsewood West Indian Wanderers
It is with the express wishes of the President of Coventry Copsewood West Indian Wanderers Cricket Club, and the first Captain, Mr Lenford Jacobs, co-founder and pioneer that I give this interview on behalf of our cricket club. This club was started in 1963 and we currently have a committee of 10 members, and an exceptional Treasurer Esther Tull, without her efforts and hard work we would not be this far. Newcomers like Clive Tennant have been a breath of fresh air and the old guards Barrington Kelly, Dwight, Ken Matthews, Vic Sharma, Mikey Lee, Steve Silcott, Chris Brooks, Evris Sams, Ryan Wellington, Glen Goddard, Mick Rose, Carlton Hayman, Rupie Baldeo and the ever youthful incomparable Kenneth Cupid and the humble Mr Tony Clarke, plain talking Mr Lester Gibson, our groundsman, and number one supporter Mr Jeff Harris. If I have not mentioned you it’s because I’ve run out of space. It’s with thanks to you all that we are still here today. The Club has a constitution and a business plan that has transformed the fortunes of this great West Indian heritage which was bestowed onto us. It is through the efforts and the belief of our Chairman, Lloyd Jackson that this club could be and will be one of the finest clubs in England if we pull together. He believes with our President that this is the only club where it does not matter where you are from, what you look like, how able you are, or what gender you are, you will fit in here. This is the only place where you feel you truly belong. We have members from Sri Lanka, India all of the Caribbean Islands and Europe even as far as Australia. We have produced many outstanding players like Alfie Sams who played cricket for Warwickshire County Cricket Club, and others like Marlon Black, who played for the West
Indies. We also produced Jordan Clarke a teenage defender who signed his first professional contract for Coventry City FC at the start of the 2000/2010 campaign. He came on as a substitute in the Championship fixture at Ipswich in August and then made his debut for England under 19s. We currently have Sanjay Sharma who is only 13 he is a brilliant right hand bat and off spin bowler and is currently a Warwickshire Bear. Elliot Webster who is 18 a brilliant wicket keeper batsman is another one for future. We are currently embarking on a youth academy, with the help of Gary Steers and Ed Mcabe at the Warwickshire Cricket Board also Joe Davenport, Senior Warwickshire Cricket Coach, and our own youth liaison officer Darren Jackson, who at just 19 will be a qualified youth coach for the club, and Ryan Wellington who is our senior first team coach. Our current set up is under 11s, under 13s, under 15s youth cricket teams, we are also looking to recruit female cricketers of all ages, we have a total of 6 we need to increase this to 36. Women in sports are important the current world cricket champions are England’s Women’s team. So come on girls England and your local club Coventry Copsewood West Indian Wanderers needs you to keep this trophy. We are also actively looking for and recruiting senior members the recruitment number to call is 0777 552 4211 and ask for Mr Mule or 07577 917 008 ask for Sharleen Smith our club Secretary. We are the host and the organisers of Coventry’s Official sports culture music and food event days 23/30 & 31 May 2010 we hope to attract somewhere in the region of 3-5 thousand people this year. Several celebrities have been invited including Collis L King, West Indies and Amir Sohail, Pakistan. Come and wave your flag wherever you are from and enjoy some music, food, etc. And one final thing together we will win division 18 four this year.
Its here again! Coventry’s most popular annual outdoor event Community Sports, Culture Food, & Music 3 Day event: 23/30/31 May 2010
A GREAT FAMILY DAY OUT ADMISSION FREE, ALL WELCOME
Copsewood Sports & Social Club Allard Way Binley Coventry, CV3 1JP Car boot sales 8am-8pm To book a stall or for further info contact: Mr Mule 07775524211 or Mr Cupid 07944245805 WI Wanderers Youth X1 V Warwickshire Youth X1 May 23rd
The George Rodridques Memorial Twenty20 National Club Cricket Knockout Cup
The Ken Matthews, Coventry Junior Netball Cup 2010
20 Teams from across the country 1 Cup £150.00 winner takes ALL for their chosen charity Jordan Clark Youth Challenge Cup under 12 Knockout Tournament, Sunday May 23rd
Wallace Juniors Under 12s Tesco Challenge 2009 Winners
Special guests who have been invited: The Lord Mayor of Coventry Collis L King West Indies, Barbados, Glamorgan, Natal, Worcester Suraya Oliver World Olympic Ultra Tri-athlete Clinton Morrison & Jordan Clarke, Coventry City Football Club Amir Sohail & Mustaq Mohamed Former Pakistan Cricket Captains Bill Hall Our own West Indian Community Champion Ray King Timeless Caribbean performer 19
Contact us at: African Caribbean Community Organisation Ltd c/o Coventry West Indian Centre 159 Spon Street Coventry CV1 3BB T: 024 7622 3020 M: 079 0386 8802 Email: afca.org@btinternet.com Website: www.accol.org
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