This is a community focused project to engage with children and their families living in deprived areas of Stevenage about their health and wellbeing.
Background
Supporting the health and wellbeing of children is a national and local public health priority. Children and their families living in socio-economically deprived areas are particularly vulnerable to poor physical and mental health. Public engagement and research activities often fail to engage and hear the voices of children and families from deprived communities about their ‘lived experience’ of health and wellbeing.
In this project, key partners collaborated and shared their expertise on methods of community engagement and co-production and specifically, methods to facilitate sensitive conversations with children and their families about their health and wellbeing. Representatives from all partner organisations and community groups collaborated with the University of Hertfordshire to build a sustainable research partnership focused in Stevenage
Project aims
- The project aimed to build a sustainable multi-agency research partnership between regional and local statutory and community organisations who support vulnerable children and their families in Stevenage;
- Engaged and listened to the health and wellbeing experiences and priorities of children and their families living in the most deprived neighbourhoods of Bedwell and Bandley Hill wards in Stevenage, which rank within the lowest two fifths of LSOAs according to the Indices of Multiple Deprivation;
- Involved children and their families to co-design innovative and appropriate ways to talk about their health and wellbeing experiences and priorities;
- Created awareness and understanding among children and their families in Stevenage about opportunities related to participation and involvement in health and social care research.
Project activity
Form and build the partnership:
- Established steering group with representatives from all partners and local community representatives and hold first meeting
- Spent time in Stevenage and have informal conversations with children, families and staff in two play centres (see scale section) about the aims of project
Listen and learn from lived experience:
- Co-created space and creative opportunities to open conversations with children and their families about health and wellbeing issues that matter to them
- Engagement events, using co-creation methods such as art and music, incorporating a health and wellbeing focus to stimulate conversations. Four events were proposed.
- Second steering group meeting reflected and learnt from engagement activities
Feedback and community celebrations:
- ‘Celebration’ events with Easter theme provided feedback to children and families about health and social care priorities they raised and ideas for future co-designed projects
- Promoted awareness about opportunities for ongoing community engagement and involvement in health and social care research
Reflect, share learning and plans for partnership:
- Third steering group meeting
Reflect upon and share learning about:
Built research partnerships and engagement activities. As well as:
- Reviewed project and plan future projects
- Wrote and submited report to UKRI
Impact
- A sustainable multi-agency research partnership between regional and local statutory and community organisations who support vulnerable children and their families in Stevenage
- The generation of health and wellbeing priorities of children and their families living in deprived areas
- Awareness and understanding among children and their families in Stevenage about opportunities related to participation and involvement in health and social care research
Next steps
Project was paused after four months, due to COVID-19 restrictions. We had a no-cost extension from the funder (UKRI) until 31/05/21. The research partnership established by this project has supported the development and submission of a new grant application for a Citizen Science Collaboration Grant, submitted in September 2020, to the UKRI.
Who was involved?
Principle Investigator
Professor Julia Jones, University of Hertfordshire
Researchers and institutions
- Elspeth Mathie, University of Hertfordshire
- Wendy Wills, University of Hertfordshire
- Healthwatch Hertfordshire
- Stevenage Borough Council
- East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust
- NIHR Research Design Service (RDS) East of England
Contact us
Professor Julia Jones, j.jones26@herts.ac.uk
