The council’s Public Health Division have developed a communication and engagement campaign to further support BAME, disabled and LGBT communities across the city during the coronavirus pandemic.
The detailed campaign seeks to:
- Further understand specific issues around COVID-19 faced by particular BAME, disabled and LGBT communities
- Work with Public Health England to develop appropriate messages to tackle the spread of COVID-19 and provide the most appropriate wellbeing advice
- Use effective and appropriate culturally sensitive methods, which do not rely on face to face engagement, to get these messages out into these communities.
- Public Health experts within the council have partnered with organisations to discover the best methods of reaching the community and understanding how they have been affected by COVID-19.
These include:
- Citizens UK, who have been awarded contracts to link with the Pakistani community and Migrant, asylum seekers and refugee communities.
- Chinese Community Centre Birmingham, who will be supporting the Chinese community.
- Polish Ex Pats CIC to support the Eastern European communities, including Polish.
- The Refugee Migrant Centre to link in with the Roma travelling community.
Black African and Caribbean communities which will be supported through First Class Legacy. - Deaf and hard of hearing community will be supported by Birmingham Institute for Deaf People
- Blind and sight loss community and people with learning disabilities will be supported by Birmingham Disability Resource Centre.
- All four groups within the LGBT community will be supported by Birmingham LGBT.
- Dr Justin Varney, Director of Public Health for Birmingham City Council, said:
“Birmingham is a hugely diverse city and we recognise there are specific concerns or issues facing different communities as a result of the coronavirus pandemic
That is why we have reached out to organisations in the area working within BAME, disabled and LGBT communities to help develop an effective campaign that will help us further understand sensitive issues have been going through and help develop appropriate messaging and further advice.
Local intelligence suggests that some communities may feel isolated or are not be following the latest guidance on social distancing, home working and self-isolation, due to the fact they may not have the information or means to do so, have access to the correct guidance or may not fully understand their implications.
Whereas other communities, especially LGBT, other wellbeing issues may be problematic such as lack of family support or living in the same household as family who do not accept their identity.”