Funded project spotlight: Black Voices in the City

Through Shape Tomorrow Together, Leeds Institute for Societal Futures funds innovative, collaborative projects that bring together researchers, communities, policymakers, businesses and creative partners to address real-world societal challenges. The programme supports new ideas, partnerships and approaches that have the potential to create positive change, generate lasting impact and help shape a fairer, healthier and more sustainable future.  We will be sharing information on each of the projects in a regular blog.  With thanks to Sharon Prince of Synergi Leeds Partnership.

Introduction

Black communities continue to face significant inequalities in mental health care.  National and local evidence consistently shows that Black people are more likely to experience coercive interventions, less likely to access psychological therapies and more likely to report negative experiences of mental health care *.

Despite these longstanding inequities, Leeds currently has no dedicated, community-led Black mental health advocacy model through which Black communities can collectively influence services, policies and decision-making. As a result, opportunities to shape solutions alongside the communities most affected remain limited

In response, Synergi Leeds is leading a pioneering project to co-produce a Black Mental Health Advocacy Model for Leeds in partnership with Black communities, grass roots and voluntary sector organisations, researchers and statutory partners. Through a programme of community engagement, creative consultation and co-production workshops, the project will develop an evidence-informed, culturally grounded framework that reflects the experiences, priorities and aspirations of Black communities across the city.

Find out more about Synergi Leeds through the website.

This work comes at a critical moment. Across the country there is increasing recognition that mental health services must become more equitable, culturally responsive and accountable to the communities they serve. National priorities relating to anti-racist practice, health inequalities and community-led decision making are creating opportunities for meaningful change. This project seeks to ensure that Black communities are not simply consulted on that change but are actively shaping it.

What’s happened so far

The project has established a multi-agency steering group bringing together expertise from across community, academic and statutory sectors. Key partners include Leeds Involving People and Healthwatch Leeds, organisations with extensive experience in community engagement and co-production.  The work is further supported by the Synergi Leeds Partnership; a city-wide racial equity mental health programme, alongside creative leadership from Dr. Khadijah Ibrahiim and academic expertise from Dr. Ghazala Mir and Dr. Nick Cartwright.

Key milestones achieved so far include:

• Establishment of a project steering group and developing governance structure.
• Completion of a literature review examining Black mental health advocacy approaches and models across England.
• Identification of focus group participants, including faith leaders, Black professionals working within health and social care, and community members with lived experience.

Looking Ahead

Although this is currently a small seed-funded project, it represents the first step towards a much larger ambition; the creation of a sustainable, Black-led mental health advocacy infrastructure for Leeds.

The project will generate the evidence base, partnerships and governance framework needed to attract future investment and support long-term development. It is intended that the work will provide a foundation from which a coalition of grassroots organisations can secure additional funding and establish a co-ordinated, city-wide approach to Black mental health advocacy.

Ultimately the vision is for a Leeds where:

• Black communities have a meaningful and influential voice in shaping mental health priorities and services.
• Mental health systems are culturally responsive, anti-racist and accountable.
• Prevention, early intervention community wellbeing are prioritised.
• Power and decision-making are shared more equitably with communities experiencing the greatest inequalities.

By building stronger connections between communities and decision-makers this project seeks to lay the foundations for lasting change and improved mental health outcomes or Black communities across Leeds.

* Words of Colour Briefing Papers

Find out about the other funded Shape Tomorrow Together projects here.