Crisis communications and community engagement...to be read aloud in, Urdu and French. • Big Word...
Transcript of Crisis communications and community engagement...to be read aloud in, Urdu and French. • Big Word...
Crisis communications and
community engagement
Reducing community risk – August 2020
As coronavirus continues to impact our health and way of life we are left
wondering what the consequential effects or further shifts in the situation
will have. What we do know is that the considered steps we make now to
further mitigate the impact are crucial and must not be underestimated.
Through situation analysis and partnership working, the Communications & Engagement Team
at NHS Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group continues to support those that are more
vulnerable or at risk of becoming seriously ill, including:
• People aged over 70 and those with long term heath conditions
• Children and Young People
• First time parents/famillies – Mental Health
• Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities.
Introduction/Context
Understanding individual
behaviours, beliefs and
attitudes of our
communities ensures
communications
land in the right way,
place and time.
Understanding our community
Bolton Council
NHS Bolton Foundation Trust
Bolton at Home
Hindu Forum
Bolton Families
Information Service
Equalities Target Action Group
Public Health Bolton
Interfaith
BAMER Alliance
Bolton CVS
UCANs
LGBT+
Maternity Voices Partnership
BCoM
Bolton Health Watch
Community Asset
Navigators
(Primary, Secondary & Further Education
Libraries
Asian Elders
Age UK
Key messages need to be understood and recognised by all…
• Browsealoud (service that supports the translation of our website) has seen a considerable
increase in languages being read aloud by the text to speech software.
At times of UK Government briefings there has been increased requests for website information
to be read aloud in, Urdu and French.
• Big Word telephone translation services. We have extended the use of our Big Word telephone
translation services to support our community without English as a first language. This provides
commissioned services access to essential telephone counselling sessions during this pandemic.
• Sign Health and Interpreter Now
The use of face coverings and PPE has created a difficult environment for our deaf community.
We have worked with Bolton Deaf Society to identify resources and services that can support
equitable access for deaf people in Bolton.
The introduction of the Interpreter Now service will compliment our face-to-face translation service
from Action On Hearing Loss.
Our approach
Accessibility
Bolton has significant levels of deprivation and more than 12,000
children (around 20%) live in low income families (CYP
Transformation Plan refresh 20/21).
There was a concern early on in the pandemic that there was a risk
some vulnerable families would become ‘hidden’ to the services that
were there to help them and that the reduction in face-to-face contact
would be detrimental to their progress and development.
There were also concerns about the mental health and wellbeing of
such families and of children and young people themselves.
Considered communications:
Children and Young People (CYP)
As a CCG we work
with our partners
to ensure that our
children and young
people have the
best possible
start in life.
‘Considered’ communications
Children and Young People (CYP)
Social media
graphics
Supplied copy
for printed
publications
www.bekindtomymind
website – adding HC
Professionals section
CYP Newsletter
highlighting
available
‘support’ Instagram
Social
Campaign
**Planned Parent-Infant mental
health communications**
As Covid-19 hit, those who were aged over 70 and people
classed as clinically extremely vulnerable were particularly at
risk of becoming seriously ill if they contracted the virus.
These groups were asked to isolate or shield, which meant
they had very little – if any – interaction with other people.
While a lot of people older people are tech-savvy, there
remains some who do not have access to the internet or
regularly access information online, in these case digital
exclusion means we engage and communicate in different
ways.
Considered communications:
Over 70 and at risk
Like lots of
localities we
have an ageing
population, many
with serious long
term health
conditions.
‘Considered’ communications
Over 70s and at risk
Social graphics
communicating
health risks and
support
Local media
coverage
(online
and printed)
offering
reassurance
& signposts
Printed communications to ensure
no one is digitally excluded
With many of our BAME populations living in large multi-generational
households and in key worker, or low paid roles (where they are less
likely to be able to work from home or socially distance at work) we
have seen a rising transmission of covid.
Throughout the pandemic we have, and continue to work hard to
ensure all communication pathways are open, reactive and
responsive to the conversations we have.
Whilst social distancing has changed the way we would typically
engage within our communities, our commitment to ensure our
communities voice is heard remains the same.
Considered communications:
Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic (BAME)
Sadly it
is evidenced
that those
from a BAME
background are
adversely
affected by
Covid-19
Community engagement
Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic (BAME)
Bolton Council of
Mosques (BCoM)
Bolton Hindu Forum
Befriending Refugees and Asylum Seekers
(BRASS) Asian Elders
Flowhesion Foundation
Interfaith Forum
Europa
Bolton Solidarity
Community Association
Forging new relationships
and strengthening others within
our BAME communities has
become a key objective
during Covid.
Community engagement
Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Emerging themes…
There are still low levels
of literacy. Even if you
produce materials in other
languages, you should
consider other formats.
We find it hard
to attend online
meetings…
How do we risk
assess for our
community spaces?
‘Considered’ communications
BAME partner reassurance
‘As trusted partners in Bolton,
we wanted to take this opportunity
to write to you about how we can all
work together and get through this
unprecedented situation stronger,
together.’
Joint messages developed and shared
socially and on partner WhatsApp
groups, including content on:
Being Stronger, together
Rumours in the community
(dispelling myths and untruths)
Thanking the community
for their efforts to date
‘Considered’ communications
BAME health information
Series of online
video content
and printed
news pieces
Series of ‘here
for you’ videos
subtitled and
transcribed.
Radio script, including
key messages,
produced for
translation by
key partners.
Translated
banner stands
for areas of
high footfall
** Video content **
for face coverings
in development
Understanding the enormity of risk associated with Covid-19 and our BAME community,
key partners in Bolton have come together to form an alliance.
Forming an alliance ensures that work untaken is now given a much bigger platform.
Considered communications:
BAMER
The newly formed BAMER ALLIACE is a collective of public, voluntary and community organisations
that have an interest in engaging with Bolton’s BAME population.
The Alliance recognises that BAMER communities with high rates of deprivation in Bolton faced
already evident, significant inequalities before the pandemic. The BAMER Alliance is working to:
BAMER Alliance
The Power of Partnerships
The newly formed BAMER ALLIACE is a collective of public, voluntary and community organisations
that have an interest in engaging with Bolton’s BAME population.
The Alliance recognises that BAMER communities with high rates of deprivation in Bolton faced
already evident, significant inequalities before the pandemic. The BAMER Alliance is working to:
BAMER Alliance
The Power of Partnerships
Share
communications
& key messages
Pool local
resources and
budgets
Develop key
learnings
Develop a deep
understanding to
respond to need
Through existing work, specialisms and expertise across the partnership the alliance will feed
intelligence in and coordinate a strategic response collectively.
Bolton at home – Engage with thousands of tenants locally. Including the management of resident
community asset navigators (community champions) and UCAN Centres.
Bolton CVS – Hold positive relationships with many volunteers across local community and charity
organisations including the CCG’s Equality Target Action Group (protected characteristic group).
Bolton Council/Public Health– Direct link with council public health team and council leadership.
Large humanitarian response across the town with relationships to feed into the work and channels of
reach.
NHS Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group – Many positive BAMER relationships already
established across Bolton which inform and respond to population need.
BAMER Alliance
The Power of Partnerships
Sourcing message champions
Key members of our BAME community and other community leadership have been identified to
disseminate key messages to their networks as ‘Message Champions’.
Community Webinars
A space for community discussion, including a panel of Public Health, NHS Bolton, Bolton CVS and
Bolton Council representatives who are able to take questions and respond immediately.
COVID Video content – Series of Explainer Videos created and disseminated.
Whilst still in it’s infancy, the BAMER Alliance
will strive to build on collective efforts to date
and to strategically respond on a much larger scale.
BAMER Alliance
Key outputs to date