Minority voices: Research into the access and acceptability of ... - MMC

Tier 1 servicesAt Tier 1, essentially, are allservices that work withchildren and their families.How effective they are inpromoting the mental healthof children and young peoplewill depend upon the extentto which these services areaccessible to BME familiesand have an understanding oftheir needs and the skills towork with them.Two projectsare given as examples: theMarlborough RoadProject and the NevilleStreet Project, both run byBarnardo’s.Good practice examples 4 & 5 - Barnardo’s projects in CardiffMarlborough Road offers a variety of projects,including supported housing for single young peopleand for young families; this includes specific projectswith Black and minority ethnic young people. TheCaterpillar Project is a mental health project for 16-25year-olds, who can self-refer or be referred by aparent or another agency. One-to-one work can becarried out as needed by any young person, and theproject will also work alongside statutory mentalhealth services to provide support. A PresentationGroup campaigns to help reduce stigma associatedwith mental health and to develop positive solutionsfor the care of young people with mental healthproblems. The group gets together regularly to writepresentations and to attend conferences and events.A CD has been produced for the Open University.Young people are given opportunities to expresstheir views and to feel listened to, which helpstheir confidence and self- esteem. Confidence, selfesteemand well-being are also promoted in agentler Girls’ Group. Staff from the Caterpillar Projectalso run a group for young people in the localTier 4 CAMHS unit.The Neville Street Project offers a range ofservices including an advocacy service for Black andminority ethnic children in education, including those atrisk of school exclusion or experiencing problems withracial teasing or attacks. Other activities include aBoys and a Girls Group, each for 11 to 16 year-olds,meeting once a week on different evenings. Boys’activities include: photography sessions, football andcricket, attending community based events and trips;girls’ activities include art and craft, eg. tie-dye, batik,games, trips and visits to places of interest withinthe community. (continued on next page)Elements of good practice1Projects and services atTier 1 include universalservices such as maternityand early years and youthservices, as well as thosethat offer help tovulnerable groups such asthe homeless and youngpeople leaving care. Inboth types of situation,mental health needs canbe identified by staff withthe appropriate skills andexperience in a nonstigmatisingmanner.Staff in these services ‘pickup’ on problems in aflexible and informalmanner and canthemselves carry out workin meeting mental healthneeds that are not severeor complex.They are wellplaced to advise andsupport young people infinding more specialisthelp as indicated.2 A key element in goodpractice by Tier 1 servicesis to foster a trustingrelationship and to engageclients with helpingservices. For young peopleand their families, servicesoften achieve this bypresenting a voluntarysector ‘shop window’, so asnot to be seen as offputtinglyofficial andformal.The service may belocated where local youngpeople generally hang out,and open as a drop-in athours that are likely to beconvenient for them.Theseservices are well used ifthey operate as a ‘OneStop Shop’, providing avariety of services underone roof, including socialand recreational facilities.Access to the service isnot limited to theduration of a ‘problem’,allowing time for needs tobe identified andacknowledged and for theestablishment of a securebasis for therapeuticintervention. In addition,access is not rigidly limitedby age so that youngpeople older than thecut-off ages for provisionby mainstream services,can find support otherthan in services for adultswhich may not be suitable.3 In promoting mentalhealth and earlyintervention, good practicein planning and provision oflocal services requiresmultiagency collaboration,including with BMEcommunity groups.Thismay require sensitiveproactive and painstakinggroundwork.4For BME young people,good practice in Tier 1depends upon widespreadcultural awareness amongstaff and close andrespectful workingrelationships with localBME groups and agencies.Wherever possible,provision should be by staffwho come from the localBME communities andBME voluntary sectoragencies. Otherwise,interpreters can breakdown the language barriersand empower families tochallenge issues that affectthem. Receiving help fromstaff who are interestedand aware of religious andcultural differences andneeds and who do notmake assumptions about ayoung person’s situation ishighly valued.A staffgroup that reflects thelocal communitygives a welcoming ‘feel’to the service.5 Tier 1 services shoulddevelop, in collaborationwith parents and youngpeople from the local(including BME)communities, written andother types of informationraising awareness of mentalhealth issues and explainingwhat services can do.10