Ms Sue Windle:

Dr. Mbugua nailed it there. I wanted to talk about peer representation and how important that is when dealing with the migrant community. There is little point in somebody like me standing up in front of a group of women who do not look like me and telling them my experiences. We have run a number of workshops. Ms Fardin Tabrizi was part of a workshop. We have looked to run workshops with Doras where we have asked GPs who are from an Arabic and Muslim background to come in and give the talks, and the response was significant. We know that when somebody is representing people, it is much easier to take what is being given. I know from the work we do in Doras that migrant women tend not to look after their health or mental health. They are focused on family. The women themselves come last. The work we did was really important and highlights this.

It is the same in schools. Our client base is not represented in education. We have many migrant doctors. However, they are predominantly based in physical health, including many consultants. We need more consultants from migrant backgrounds in psychiatric and psychological fields. It is much easier to access care when an individual is not scared of the person who is trying to help them.

The Deputy mentioned the social capital issue with regard to the Polish chap who sadly had a heart attack and did not have anybody there. Many of our clients have that. Staff have had to attend really important medical appointments with clients. We get to the point in the form where a person lists next of kin and there is no one, so one of us goes down as the next of kin in case, God forbid, something was to happen. The reality with our client base is that many of them do not have any social capital. They do not have aunts or uncles. Doras is special in that they will access us as all of those things, then we point them in the right direction. There need to be more organisations such as Doras and more of all the things we do to provide that support.