Background

Macmillan Cancer Support provides comprehensive physical, financial, and emotional support to people living with cancer and their families, aiming to help them live life as fully as possible. For more information about how Macmillan Cancer Support can help please see the Macmillan Cancer Support website. Macmillan Cancer Support Website

The Macmillan Cancer Inequalities project

The Macmillan Cancer Inequalities project is a three-year project funded by Macmillan Cancer Support and delivered by NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire which aims to address health inequalities in cancer support and outcomes in marginalised communities. Health inequalities are avoidable and unfair differences in health status and care access between different population groups.

Phase one: Insight gathering

 

The initial phase of the project involved carrying out community research to understand, in more detail, the key barriers faced by people from two key groups in Worcestershire, the Pakistani and Bangladeshi community and the Gypsy Roma and Traveller (GRT) community.  The team conducted research with 40 participants using a range of methods. This included:

  • Community Reporting – a story gathering approach which collected 20 stories from Pakistani and Bangladeshi and Gypsy Roam and Traveller communities on their experiences and attitudes towards cancer.
  • Focus Group – this was a guided discussion with 12 Bangladeshi men from Redditch, aged 30 to 60, representing common UK occupations like catering and taxi driving.
  • Participatory Appraisal – a visual and interactive methodology at a Redditch library event with local Pakistani community members where 12 participants took part.

Community Research Insights

Phase two: Codesign

To build on the insights from community research we adopted a codesign approach. This is an approach which focusses on working together, emphasising collaboration between community groups and organisations. The next steps in the project were:

  • Stakeholder cocreation – together with stakeholders representing both communities and NHS groups, we envisaged different ideas to improve services, along with discussing what barriers might stop those ideas becoming a success.
  • Created early concept cards – to prompt generative discussion with community stakeholders, we turned the insights and ideas into 10 ‘early concept cards’ along with questions designed to give deeper insights in co-design conversations.
  • Community codesign – As part of a day-long wellness and art event at Redditch Central Mosque we held co-design conversations in ‘pop-up living rooms’ with 15 participants from the Redditch Pakistani community.

Codesign Insights

Below is a selection of reports from the second phase of the project which highlights some of the codesign methods in more detail.  

Results and outcomes

 

The University of Worcester evaluation identified three enabling factors which supported the Macmillan project team to codesign productively with communities. These were, (1) co-creating with trusted community organisations and community connectors, (2) co-creation activities that are aligned with community interests and concerns and (3) co-creation activities that are culturally appropriate and accessible.

The concept of coproduction within the project as a “catalyst for change that builds on existing aligned agendas, energy, and enthusiasm within the community to create change for its members” enabled the following outcomes.

Building community confidence to improve health outcomes with two codesigned training workshops and lesson plans tailored for the Pakistani and Bangladeshi community covering:

  • Community Cancer Champions (Level 1) – awareness raising of the importance of screening and seeking earlier diagnosis and
  • Community Cancer Champions (Level 2) – the skills required to provide emotional and practical support for people living with cancer.

Strengthening supportive community networks, and capacity and developing service opportunities including:

  • local health services benefitting from the insights and networks generated by the project.
  • facilitating visits by Worcestershire Outreach Service to local Mosques.
  • supporting access to appropriate resources, such as Urdu and Bengali cancer information.
  • supporting the Keralan Cultural Association of Redditch to host a community Health and Wellbeing Event.
  • supporting community-led groups such as Ansaar Hive to engage with their wider community and networks to further their longer-term vision.
  • 15 people from the Redditch Pakistani community trained as Community Cancer Champions.
  • Links with Gypsy Roma Traveller community group, Circle of Hope, and local GRT advocates.  

Community Cancer Champion Training

Other associated Training

University of Worcester GRT Awareness Training

Macmillan Professionals Conference