Agenda item

Majella Kikey, University of Sheffield - Ethnicity and Unequal Ageing: Experiences in Rotherham and Sheffield Project – to present

Majella Kilkey, Jo Britton, Lois Orton and Aneta Piekut, University of Sheffield, were in attendance to present the UKRI-funded research project ‘Ethnicity and Unequal Ageing’ led by the University of Sheffield, co-produced with community partners including Rotherham Ethnic Minority Alliance (REMA).

 

The Board received the following powerpoint presentation:-

 

Ethnicity and Ageing in Rotherham

-        Rotherham was ageing – 1 in 5 people were aged 65 years and older

-        Rotherham was a diverse place with 252 unique ethnic groups

-        5% of households with at least one member whose main language was not English

-        Rotherham’s diversity had grown over time

-        The increasing diversity of Rotherham would change who was ‘older’ in the town

 

Not everyone in Rotherham reached older age in the same position.  Census date tell us that:

-        The Roma and Irish Traveller ethnic groups were consistently excluded across most aspects of society

-        Chinese, Indian and Bangladeshi groups were doing well in education and employment outcomes

-        Ethnic inequalities were consistent across age groups demonstrating the enduring effect of ethnicity across the life course and over generations

-        Need to unpack the census data to see what drives the outcomes

 

What did this project do?

-        A multi-methods intersectional, life course framework, combining quantitative analysis with qualitative participatory methods

-        Primary data collection in Rotherham and Sheffield:

·        Go-along and life history interviews with 80 people (37 in Rotherham/43 in Sheffield) aged 50+ identifying as Muslim, African, Roma or Irish, men and women

·        Creative co-production involving participatory arts-based workshops (12 in each place) with 40 of those individuals

·        Stakeholder engagement involving 15 individual interviews and 3 group meetings

 

Project Findings for Rotherham

-        “Racially minoritised people/communities”

·        Individuals and communities minoritised through social, political and cultural processes of power and marginalisation linked to racialisation

·        ‘Minority’ in terms of position of powers not in numbers

·        Often majority populations, globally

 

Loneliness and Social Isolation was a Key Challenge

-        Issues specific to racially minoritised communities in Rotherham

·        Some were new arrivals – challenges of rebuilding lives in new places (especially in later life)

·        English was not first language including for longer established communities – barrier to participation and accessing services and support

·        Stereotype of close knit family life in some communities – stigma around loneliness and assumption that intervention was not needed

·        Economic induced constraints to participation were likely sharper due to inequalities in socio-economic status

·        Health-induced constraints to participation were likely sharper due to accumulated life course disadvantage

·        Places where some racially minoritised communities lived contributed to isolation

·        Racism, and fear of, limited where people ‘felt safe’

 

Sustaining Community Assets – BAMER-led voluntary organisations were lived-experience ‘assets’

-        Addressing Health Inequalities – saving lives during Covid-19 pandemic and support for ongoing health issues e.g. Dementia, Diabetes

-        Community Wellbeing – tailored activities to combat loneliness, isolation including community outreach

-        Citizen Advice and Advocacy – support with legal help e.g. pensions, citizen rights and in financial difficulties

-        Translation and Interpretation – providing free of charge language services for meetings and documents

-        Other Voluntary Work – older residents as community leaders and work to maintain clean and safe environments

 

In need of adequate financial recognition

-        Provide key services free of charge

-        Financially struggling, many ceased to exist putting pressure on those remaining

-        Felt as they were not seen as equal partners

 

Challenging Loneliness through Social Connection

-        The experience of having recently arrived in the UK/South Yorkshire often meant the loss of social networks

-        Being racially minoritised could further contribute to feelings of social isolation

-        Many older people taking part in the project highlighted the importance of:

·        Engaging with friends, family and members of the wider community of all different ages

·        The opportunity to connect with people from different backgrounds (Muslim, Irish, Roma, African, Caribbean) that they would not normally come into contact with

 

What older people told us needs to change – ‘We need more spaces for people of all ages and social groups to come together’

-        Both younger and older people felt they wanted regular opportunities to reap the benefits of coming together

-        They said it was important that opportunities were created for children and young people to come together with older members of the community

-        They wanted more of the kinds of activities – creative sessions, performances, debates etc. – that had happened as part of the project

 

Project’s Key Message

-        Loneliness and isolation was a universal challenge.  Our findings highlight complex intersectional dimensions to this experience for racially minoritised populations, necessitating an approach that was proportionate to the high level of need

 

Project’s Key Recommendations

-        Funding and support to allow ‘BAMER’-led community organisations to work together and with statutory services to achieve long term and sustainable change

-        Making mainstream services e.g. libraries and initiatives e.g. social prescribing more inclusive (language, anti-racist, safe spaces)

-        Catalysing connections across diverse older groups and younger generations including through arts and creative activities

-        Recognising the importance of language inclusion: embedding language inclusion across health and wellbeing strategies; investing in ESOL for older people; valuing heritage languages; supporting multi-lingual arts and culture

-        Addressing racially motivated hate crime that contributed to social isolation and reinforcing anti-racist practices in all services and spaces for older people

-        Fostering age-friendly places and services through prioritising accessible, affordable spaces and inclusive public transport, in local planning

 

Discussion ensued on the presentation with the following issues raised/clarified:-

 

-        The work of the project could inform the loneliness action plan

-        Feeling that ‘white British’ should be included on the slide headed up “Challenging Loneliness through Social Connection” as the project was about the whole of Rotherham getting together and not about different ethnic groups

-        The project funding had now stopped.  It may be possible to apply for funding from the University of Sheffield to ensure the findings have some impact

-        The creative workshop had met the previous day and wanted to continue but there were not the project resources to do so, however, conversations were being facilitated with other funders

 

Resolved:-  That the project’s recommendations be endorsed.