We attend a monthly drop-in event run by Action Foundation at City Church Newcastle, alongside Healthwatch Gateshead. This event provides support for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in the form of advice, food, activities and access to professionals. Our engagement team assists attendees by providing information and signposting for local health and social care services, while recording feedback on those services.
At one of these recent events, Healthwatch Newcastle spoke to a man who was struggling with trauma and emotional challenges. He had accessed some online help through Vita but felt it wasn’t meeting his needs, and wasn’t sure where to turn. We listened, helped to clarify his situation and provided step-by-step guidance on how to self-refer to Talking Therapies for one-to-one support.
Later at the same drop-in event, Healthwatch Newcastle was able to connect him with a representative from Talking Therapies. After this conversation, he told us that he felt he finally had a clear path forward, and thanked us for facilitating the connection. This case highlights the value of being a consistent and pro-active presence in our local communities, with the ability to help people overcome barriers to accessing services.