Latifat Honey Sarfo reflecting on the ways that the Newham Community Researchers add value to and can support the ways Newham Public Health gathers insights from our local communities.
This story is her reflection on the process of working with the Newham Community Researchers and what Honey learnt. The story was recorded after the team had attended the ‘Over 50s group coffee morning’ at the Katherine Road Community Centre speaking to 13 people who use the community centre about their views on the Newham 50 Steps strategy. The Community Researchers facilitated two focus group workshops with participants about their experiences of health and wellbeing in Newham and their feedback on the ’50 Steps’ Newham Public Health Strategy.
This video reflects on the process of the session and how the Community Researchers team can help to collect community insights and also help share our skills and approaches.
Newham Community Researchers Jiten Vadher and Ruby Nayyar
Newham Community Researcher Programme Manager Emily Ahmed
Newham Co-Production and Participation Officer Latifat Honey Sarfo
The Newham Community Researchers are local residents and community members that have been trained in qualitative research skills. They run their own community research projects, support the Newham Public Health team to gather insights and work with academic researchers to ensure that people and communities are at the heart of research in Newham.
To find out more contact Emily Ahmed, the Newham Community Researcher Programme Manager
Transcript
So today we've come to Katherine Road Community Centre, and we have been talking to a group of residents who are over 50 who usually attend an over fifties group. We've been talking to them about the 50 steps of refresh and the areas that they feel that we could focus on as a council. Areas that we could improve that would support them to access health services and to prove their overall health and well being. We've had a conversation, with the group, we split into two groups and we talked about people and who's most in need, health support services and we talked about places. Areas that we can deliver these services from, and make the most of the spaces that we have already in Newham. And partnerships, so how we can work better with the voluntary sector organisations and have those conversations.
So we'll be sharing ideas today and listening to what the residents have told us in conversation.
The Community Researchers were absolutely amazing. Really great at engaging in conversation and were able to use their their own skill sets and have been able to translate so from different languages.
And great at note taking.So we have been able to pick up all the things that have been said.
And I learned a great deal today in just watching how they interact with the group. I think that from what I believe, that normally might be a one on one situation where I might talk to somebody, have a one on one conversation. And navigating a group conversation, a group discussion. Keeping everybody on track in terms of the conversation. It was really great
And just thinking about different ways that, we can, we can capture what has been said so that it's not forgotten. So learning today that taking a voice note is really helpful afterwards, just so that you can put down your recollections all the things that you that have been discussed so that it's not forgotten.
Although looking back at notes and aPost it notes and things like that is great moving forward, but a lot of the essence might be lost. So taking a voice note immediately after the session will help you to keep everything fresh and and accurate. So that's a great lesson I learned today
And it was wonderful working with the peer researchers. I look forward to doing it again.
Great to hear what you've…
Great to hear what you've been up to in Newham :)