Integrated Care Systems Research Engagement Network Development: Community Research Champions
Our Health in Our Hands: Communities, Champions, Connections
Analysis of racism in UK health research brought together, for the first time, considerable evidence of systemic barriers to ethnic equality across UK health research. The Ethnicity and Health Unit wanted to address these inequalities and sought funding from NHS England's Integrated Care Systems Research Engagement Network Development (later titled NHS England's Integrated Care Systems Research Engagement Network) grant.
Having gained the £100k grant in round one, the Ethnicity and Health Unit partnered with local communities including: Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises such as CVS Brent and Ealing and Hounslow CVS, Integrated Care Board North West London, Primary Care Networks, Academic institutions and Charities, Imperial College's Patient Experience Research Centre, to engage Northwest London's most diverse communities in conversations around their health interests and research with a goal to develop a research network reflective of local communities’ challenges and needs.
Over the last three years, the EHU have secured £420k funding for the NHS England's Integrated Care Systems Research Engagement Network programmes to increase ethnic diversity in health research.
What have we done so far?
ICS REND I:
Within 3 months, alongside our partners, we ran 10 Health Roadshows, split equally between Brent and Hounslow. Residents from these communities who attended could engage in a variety of activities, such as:
receive free health checks
visit stands on the day and engage with local organisations
talk to health professionals and researchers about health issues
receive cost of living support
view healthy cooking demonstrations
receive emotional and wellbeing support
engage with fellow community members
1212 Brent and Hounslow residents attended health roadshows
597 residents had health checks
33 stakeholders attended our Partnership Forum
ICS REN II:
Delivered 28 roadshows in Brent, Ealing, Hillingdon and Hounslow.
2,278 community members attended the Roadshows
Conducted 1,200 health checks
785 feedback forms completed by Northwest London community members
192 attendees registered to participate in a NIHR CRN North West London research project
75% of people in attendance said they are willing to take part in research
Become a Community Champion .movLeadership in the Community
We recruited and trained six Community Research Champions for ICS REND I and a further 30 Community Research Champions for ICS REN II. Our Community Research Champions are passionate about their communities and understand their communities' culture and needs, enabling them to support the facilitation of the health roadshows.
We established a Partnership Forum, led by independent chairs, Sarbjit Ganger, director of Asian Women’s Resource Centre in Brent and Professor Patrick Vernon OBE, an independent adviser on equality, diversity and inclusion for the Crown Prosecution Service and Islington Council, giving a focus for the project and a mechanism to push the agenda forward.
A community research champions handbook was developed to share knowledge and learning within ICS REN II by Kabelo Murry from our Patient, Public, Community Engagement and Involvement theme.
The Impact of the Impact
ICS REND I
Working with our local partners, including the 62 different organisations that delivered 121 stalls across the 10 roadshows, we changed mindsets and supported the engagement of communities that are less involved in research and created an environment and foundation where they feel valued, understood and informed.
ICS REN II
Effective communication with our local communities and dissemitation of resources has not only increased diversity in research, but also has subsequently led to strategic influence of national ARC insights and opportunities.
Community Research Champions Graphic Illustrations (ICS REN II)
Ethnicity and Health Unit Brochure
Community Research Champions Handbook
Community Health Roadshows Highlight Northwest London’s Commitment to Inclusive Health Research
Ethnicity and Health Unit Conference
Health in Your Hands .movICS REN III
Looking to the future
The last three years have seen us secure substantial support locally, growing from two community boroughs to four with interest in connecting from Harrow. In total, 3487 community members attended our roadshows, with over 50% of attendees having health checks. Recruiting our community research champion members from the local boroughs and having them work alongside our local CVS', has helped us build relationships and trust within the community and opened the appetite for 8.4% to get involved in research then and there, with 75% of attendees sharing that they were willing to take part in research. Community Research Champions are excited to expand their time supporting future initiatives and opportunities of research within their local communities, with mamy continuing to work with their local CVS.
NIHR ARC NWL and the Ethnicity & Health Unit have successfully applied for £30k of additional ICS REN funding. We have also secured £10K funding from the NIHR CRN North West London to continue our partnership (2024/25). ICS REN III has applied for an additional £50K in funding to continue our work with young people from our local communities. The ICS REN Partnership Forum will continue.
Key Areas of Focus:
Strengthening Partnerships
Engaging Diverse Communities
Engaging the Voluntary Sector
We are excited for our next phase of work and welcome new connections, more champions and more opportunities of research reflective of representation from our communities.
Your Health is in YOUR Hands!
Legacy of Partnership Working .mov