So we are here in Clacton-on-Sea and so we are going to be meeting with Lord Patel and
the Breaking Barriers team with whom we are partnering to take forward some community-based
projects to explore the opportunities of using employment as a very powerful vehicle to support
people struggling with mental health challenges.
They struggle to access the services — it's very complicated for people.
So the summit is a mental health advocacy organization.
That return is going to be different for every person.
Yes.
The return that I've got from Nick and meeting everyone through this is different to what
Kevin's got in return, different to what Ricky's got, so you can't box anything.
We've been listening to Kevin, to Bob and also to Ricky.
They are three people from this local community, who have experienced different challenges
ranging from homelessness, mental health difficulties, and how they've been supported.
The walk and talk service is part of the support offer.
So, we're going to do a walk and talk to listen to Tanya's story.
Think about all the, all your amazing successes that you've done since, really, what over
the year?
How often do you go on your choir?
Well I've been once a week on a Wednesday.
Is that in the day?
In the day in the morning.
So, what you've got planned for the rest of the day?
Not quite sure yet — probably, oh yeah, got to go to college — interesting it is.
Is it?
Yeah.
And you know, before you started, you know, working with them, Shona and colleagues in
the summit, tell me what are things like for you?
What was it like, what was?
It's okay.
Oh bless you.
It's okay
Oh.
It's all right, it's okay — what do we always say sometimes?
It's healthy, isn't it?
Yeah it's our body's response and it's okay and I'll tell you what's going to happen by
the time we've got to that wheel of fortune and we're back you'll be laughing, yeah?
Oh look!
So we know that healthcare inequalities are driven by the wider determinants of health,
education, employment, income, housing — these are the big drivers of health inequalities.
Yeah so we're going to try over here.
Brian's looking to see if there's any work opportunities.
Wish I did have the internet but I haven't got the internet.
For interviews and for things like fixing up big forward computers because when you're
on your own it's not so easy.
So I'm going to set you up with a basic email account so you'll be able to log in now when
you go if you're searching for a job or a volunteering opportunity or to see what's
on in anything really that you sign up for now you need an email address you've got that
so that's really good.
All this time, despite having a pandemic, things have kept moving and I think things
have kept moving because of the people around this table and others have joined in.
A lot of people want to work locally who live locally and therefore the importance of bringing
jobs here — is really fundamental.
I think it would be great to explore what those opportunities are because what you're
saying there is creating the conditions locally for high quality jobs.
I mean we're talking about jobs, employment, we're talking about infrastructure, because
of health.
Yeah.
We don't do that but health never talks about jobs infrastructure — it mends ill people.
What we've absolutely confirmed today is that employment as a wider determinant of health
is a powerful contributor to health inequalities — if it is lacking.
And so to have people in the room today from the NHS, from the construction industry, and
other industries, in the same room, having a conversation about how do we create employment
opportunities, apprenticeships, how do we map the roots into employment and find the
barriers along each one of those routes and take collective action to remove those barriers.
Because we see now the role and the contribution that good employment, work experience, apprenticeships
— the contribution all of that can make, not just in terms of income, but absolutely
addressing health inequalities and improving people's health overall.