Health and wellbeing for Tower Hamlets

We provide a range of services to vulnerable people in the community including Community Connectors, our Let’s Talk About It event series, Covid-19 Test and Trace, advice and guidance, mentoring and health and wellbeing awareness sessions.

Covid-19 Somali Test and Trace Partnership

Having identified the disproportionate inequalities locally, this unique partnership reduces the identified barriers the Somali community of Tower Hamlets experiences.

We continue to assist with public health messaging during the pandemic, to provide protection and prevention, while encouraging the uptake of the NHS Test and Trace services. This includes dispelling any myths or fake information. 

To do this we collaborate with with two other local partners and together we add value as trusted organisations using our networks:

  • Women’s Inclusive Team: women and their children. 
  • Somali Senior Citizen Club: elderly community members. 
  • Ashaadibi Education & Cultural Centre: fathers and young men.

We help with: 

  • Answering Covid-19 related queries 
  • Helping to book a Covid-19 test
  • Understanding Covid-19 through webinars and hosted events 
  • Welfare benefits advice
  • If you have to isolate, or have been unwell, or need some additional support

Information is provided in Somali, both written and verbal. 

Our COVID-19 information line:

Please contact us for any Covid-19 related queries Monday, Wednesday and Thursday on 07458 307355 

Let’s Talk About it

Through our partnership with the Ashaadibi Education and Cultural Centre, we deliver a community-led initiative to safeguard Somali young people aged 13 years and older. This is to increase knowledge and reduce the threat of radicalism within our community.

We deliver workshops and provide webinar conversations for parents as well as young people. Our content is based on the needs of our targeted community, providing greater awareness and understanding to protect young people from extremism.

“The real life experiences and examples were really great. This was a new thing for me as a parent to hear, I was not aware of it, so it was an important session for me to take back and use.” – A Let’s Talk About It parent of a 13-year-old

“The session with Brother Ali was amazing. For the first time my 15-year-old son was able to hear a first hand account of prison and the humbling truths that come with it.” – A Let’s Talk About It parent

Community Connectors

Our Community Connectors provide person-centred support, working alongside clinical and other statutory and voluntary sector services. We support people in achieving better mental health and wellbeing, while increasing independence and the reliance on services.

As part of a pilot project looking at a multidisciplinary approach, we’re working with a range of professionals across the primary care networks, including GPs, practice nurses, mental health practitioners, and clinical psychologists.

We can offer: 

  • One-off crisis support. For example, access to food, healthcare, medication or signposting to specialist support 
  • A support plan, using a holistic approach, this includes exploring barriers and challenges, while setting goals through an action plan, with the outcome of improving wellbeing
  • Wellbeing telephone calls, to support mental wellbeing, while identifying any additional risks, or vulnerability, which may be exacerbated through crisis or pandemic-related issues

Referrals: GP referral, social prescribers, voluntary sector organisation.

We are able to offer support to the community in community languages: Somali, Bengali, Hindi and English.

This service is based at both at our Mayfield House centre and CMHT (*Community Mental Health Team based in Bethnal Green)

Mentoring

We support and mentor women to better manage their own learning and development to maximise their own potential. Participants are supported to identify their goals, develop their skills, and work towards these to become the person they want to be.

Our mentoring programme matches women with mentors from various backgrounds and careers. We carefully match women with professionals who work with them on a one-to-one basis. Mentees receive two hours a month to work on their career goals and personal development.

Health and wellbeing awareness

At WIT we know that good relationships are important for maintaining good wellbeing.

We deliver a variety of health and wellbeing sessions throughout the year, these include raising awareness about the issues that most affect our Black and Asian community.

Sessions are co-delivered by Somali health or clinical experts to further encourage discussion, while engaging participants in a Q&A style facilitated both on-line and in-person. Topics include mental health, cancer, diabetes and more. 

Information, advice and guidance

We offer confidential and impartial one-to-one information, advice and guidance. This includes, welfare benefits, housing, money and debt, and domestic violence. Advice is provided over the phone, or in-person in English and Somali.

We also continue to partner with Tower Hamlets Homes as a dedicated resource for Somali residents.