Men, Health and Hope

 

Last week saw International Men's Health Week celebrated at St George's Crypt in Leeds (from Monday 9 June to Friday 13 June). The aim was for homeless men in Leeds to receive a week of wellbeing and health actions and events, an idea formed by Kim Parkinson at the Crypt. Kim is the training and housekeeping mentor and a great force for good among homeless people. This idea led to an initial meeting with Andrea North and myself from Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust (LCH), Alan White, Professor of Men's Health Studies at Leeds Metropolitan University, Jade, a social work student at Big Issue in the north, and Kim to plan and design the format and spirit of the week. Rob Newton from the Institute of Health and Wellbeing and the Health and Wellbeing Board at Leeds City Council and Karl Whitty, research officer in the Centre of Men's Health at Leeds Met joined us shortly afterwards.

 

We, as a meeting of forces, representing the local authority, health, third sector, faith sector and education, were able to create an amazing week of events. The week included massage, meditation, podiatry, theatre, physical fitness, haircuts, song and pamper bags for the men. Running throughout were a series of positive and yet serious health messages. Health professionals from a variety of LCH services (including Tuberculosis service, Community Dental, York Street, Healthy Lifestyles Service) attended, offering connection and conversation. We deliberately moved away from a model of formal structured consultations to conversations over food and coffee - to share, engage and listen. Age UK Leeds joined the week as did Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Our Primary Mental Healthcare Service provided information leaflets.

 

The event was opened by Cllr Roger Harrington, Chris Fields, CEO at the Crypt and Professor White. On Thursday, Cllr Lisa Mulherin, the chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board visited the event in support. Lisa has consistently supported these events and we are grateful for her support and voice for the poor and vulnerable of our city. Andrea North and Catherine Hall, two other great supports of these initiatives at LCH also, in their busy work lives, attended to support. A big thank you too to Sarah Elwell, the new communications officer at LCH who did an incredible job managing the photography, press release, partnership agreements, Twitter, Facebook and other media actions in such a professional and helpful manner.

I was in London for the first two days at health events so missed the start of the week. I did attend the last three days and was touched by many things. Three themes shine through. The first was the theme of 'space and place'. The Crypt is an incredible centre of welcome and wellbeing. They are one of York Street's best partners and we always try to support their good work. This brings home to me one of the key aspects we use at York Street as part of our model of work.  The people who come to the Crypt and York Street are those who often have no positive space or place in their lives. From the asylum world, they may be people who have been tortured, imprisoned or raped. In the indigenous homeless world, the vast majority of those we have the honour to try to support have problems going back to childhood. We work to create what the theorists call 'psychologically informed environments', places and spaces where people can feel welcome and accepted. The Crypt and York Street are such places as are many places in this city. The creation and development of these spaces is crucial to the human development and recovery of the homeless and vulnerable.

The second theme was that of the homeless people themselves. On Wednesday when I arrived, I sat down and  looked out at a sea of faces, each etched with stories and I'd guess, in most cases, pain and loss. It was at that moment that a former client of mine came up and gave me a big hug. I had worked with her a number of years ago. As I sat with her and listened to her present story I heard of  the struggles and setbacks as she was trying to build a more positive and healthier life. In the centre of the difficulties and pain there was also hope. This was not someone giving up but keeping on to try to get to where she needed to be. In this woman, there was the courage, the hope and belief that things, including her own life, could get better. This is what inclusion and wellbeing work is all about. It's when people can find their hope and strength that changes can really start to happen. Talking to men over the three days I had the same experience. Sensing the heavy issues people carried yet a not giving up spirit - a hopefulness against so many odds. If we ever lose sight that is what our work is really about, then that will be a really sad day. If we forget the people, we lose our way. Isn't that what the tragedy of Mid Staffs teaches us? On the Monday evening I was at an event in London with the top 50 nurse leaders in the UK, truly amazing people. I was there as guest of my good friend and mentor, Yvonne Coghill, the national lead for inclusion at the NHS Leadership Academy. Yvonne walks the national stage in the NHS. She is one of the leaders in this great service of ours. Although she never mentions it, she also makes time, again and again, to reach out and support people in the most vulnerable positions. If we ever wish to know what 'best leadership' looks like, this is it. Concern for people has to be at the heart of what we do.

The third aspect was how we all working together made a difference. Apart we are little. Together we make a powerful impact. Sometimes people see effective partnership work as some arcane art that 'business gurus' can teach us to generate. The truth is much simpler. Good partnerships happen when people who care connect. This is what happened at Men's Health Week at the Crypt. People who cared enough to put aside time to meet and act came together to do something. My mind fills, as I try to write this, with images of this in practice. Professor White sat with homeless men at a table talking about their health. Alex Hammond and his team from Healthy Lifestyles Service going straight into action connecting with men about how they can make positive changes. Dawn and Gill from the Community Dental Team at Armley smiling and talking about dental care to the men. Urban Spawl and Opera North offering arts, drama and theatre. Dr Phil Commons from Leeds Met with physical fitness. LYPFT were represented by my friend and colleague, Ken Cattle. Ken is a former mental health service user and now has dedicated his life to working with people in the community with mental health problems. Ken was an amazing presence talking to and connecting with the men there. Talking about mental health is not always easy but Ken did it again and again. The week made me proud of what we can do together, what we can be together. We have in Leeds 12 integrated care teams bringing together health and social care. These teams work to provide the best, quickest and most effective responses to those in the community. I saw at the Men' Health Week the same spirit, promise and potency. This city has a great health and wellbeing vision - 'that Leeds will be a caring and healthy city where the poorest receive healthcare the fastest'. I saw that happen at Men's Health Week. It really shows we can do it. If we can build on these experiences we can realise the vision and then Leeds may end up as, not just best city for health and wellbeing in the UK, but in Europe too.

The late Maya Angelou once wrote that, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." I doubt any of us who participated in the week will forget how we felt in trying to make a difference. I also don't think we'll forget those faces looking to us for support and help.

 

John Walsh, York Street Practice