Skip to main content Skip to navigation Skip to mobile navigation Skip to accessibility tools
West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership logo
nhsLogo.png
  • About us
    • About us
    • Our approach to working together
      • Our approach to working together
      • Bradford Local Plan
      • Calderdale Local Plan
      • Kirklees Local Plan
      • Leeds Local Plan
      • Wakefield Local Plan
    • Our partners
      • Our partners
      • Proud to be a partnership
      • Hospices
    • Our leadership, accountable officers and place-based leads
      • Our leadership, accountable officers and place-based leads
      • Integrated care system CEO-designate
      • Integrated Care Board Chair-designate
      • Our leadership and place-based leads at a glance
    • Independent Chairs and Members of Place-based Committees of the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board
    • Partnership Board
    • Our Race Equality Network
  • Our priorities
    • Our priorities
    • The difference our Partnership is making
    • Coronavirus (Covid-19) information and resources
      • Coronavirus (Covid-19) information and resources
      • COVID-19 vaccination programme
        • COVID-19 vaccination programme
        • Grab a jab
    • Cancer
    • Capital and estates
    • Children, young people and families
    • Digital technology
      • Digital technology
      • Local health and care record exemplars
      • GP Online Consultation
    • Hospitals working together
    • Improving planned care
      • Improving planned care
      • Our West Yorkshire commissioning policies
    • Improving population health
      • Improving population health
      • Climate Change
      • Diabetes Network
      • Review into impacts of COVID-19 for BAME communities and staff
    • Innovation and improvement
    • Maternity care
    • Mental health, learning disability and autism
      • Mental health, learning disability and autism
      • Transforming care for people with Learning Disabilities
        • Transforming care for people with Learning Disabilities
        • Learning Disabilities Challenge resources
    • Our work with the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector
      • Our work with the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector
      • VCSE Power showcase 2022
    • Preventing ill health
      • Preventing ill health
      • Healthy Hearts
      • Loneliness
    • Primary and community care
      • Primary and community care
      • Respiratory Care
      • Leaving a gap
    • Personalised Care
    • Stroke
    • Supporting carers
      • Supporting carers
      • Young carers action day 2022
    • Urgent and emergency care
      • Urgent and emergency care
      • Rotational trainee nursing associate apprenticeship course
      • Help us help you to get to the right place first time
        • Help us help you to get to the right place first time
        • Open letter from West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership
        • Together We Can
    • Workforce
      • Workforce
      • People Plan
      • Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub
      • System and Leadership Development Programme
      • Racial Inequalities Training
      • The Race Equality Network
  • News
    • News
    • Blogs
    • Podcasts
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19)
  • Meetings
    • Meetings
    • Upcoming events
    • Meetings affected by coronavirus
    • Supporting our ethnic minority communities and staff - review panel meetings
      • Supporting our ethnic minority communities and staff - review panel meetings
      • About this review
    • West Yorkshire and Harrogate Joint Committee of Clinical Commissioning Groups
      • West Yorkshire and Harrogate Joint Committee of Clinical Commissioning Groups
      • Previous meetings
      • Future meetings
      • Contact the Joint Committee of Clinical Commissioning Groups
      • Get involved
    • Our Partnership Board
      • Our Partnership Board
      • Partnership Board papers
      • Board membership
      • Ask the Partnership Board a question
      • Partnership Board webcast
    • NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) – ‘Shadow’ ICB Meeting, Tuesday 17 May 2022
  • Publications
    • Publications
    • People Plan 2021-25
    • Tackling health inequalities for ethnic minority communities and colleagues
    • Better health and wellbeing for everyone: Our five year plan
    • Our Next Steps
    • Other Publications
    • Ethical Framework for West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership
    • The difference our Partnership is making
  • Get involved
    • Get involved
    • Leaving a Gap
    • Check-in: staff suicide prevention campaign
    • The NHS Long Term Plan
    • Looking out for our neighbours
    • Health and Care Champions
    • Root Out Racism
    • Involvement framework
    • Connected on Inclusion
      • Connected on Inclusion
      • Race Equality Awards
      • Race Equality Network
    • All hands in
    • Check-in with your mate
  • Engagement and consultation
    • Engagement and consultation
    • Integrated Care Systems legislation
    • Draft Integrated Care Board constitution
  • Any questions?
    • Any questions?
    • You said, we did...
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Integrated Care Jargon Buster
  • Contact us

Solace - supporting asylum seekers and refugees

Solace - supporting asylum seekers and refugeesSolace was one of seven organisations funded through the Partnership’s health inequalities funds. They support asylum seekers and refugees across the area, including in Kirklees and Leeds. The impact of Covid-19 has had a major impact on the lives of those they help and support, resulting in fear and raised anxiety levels, with people saying they felt scared by not having a full understanding of the situation.

Many people were afraid to leave their homes, and there was anxiety arising from hearing the death rate for BAME groups was higher than in other groups of people.  This was fuelled by language barriers, not having access to the news and digital exclusion.

Lack of information impacts on anxiety levels because people are not clear on what the risks are, or how to mitigate them.  For example a client told their therapist that they were afraid to open the windows in the house because they thought it was unsafe to let air circulate. 

Most activities stopped during lockdown. This led to people feeling abandoned and isolated.  Solace therapists gave advice about setting a route or a time limit to build confidence for venturing outside.  They provided links to walking groups who provided safe routes.

Not having a break from parenting responsibilities, coupled with a lack of understanding of the risks in taking children outside for exercise, also led to anxiety.  Some families said they were coping better with family life because they did not have to interact with schools which can be stressful for some parents.

Solace therapists said they were writing more housing appeal support letters than usual due to employment uncertainty, with some saying the contact from their therapist has been a ‘lifeline’.

‘As team members we were worried about the people we support, when you speak on the phone you can’t pick up on body language.   
We are receiving lots of phone calls asking for help from clients, and also from organisations wanting to refer or ask for advice – there is very clearly a need for help’ said Reza, a local therapist.

The funds from the Partnership will be used to increase the provision of therapy throughout Kirklees, and to reduce the stress and isolation felt by refugees and asylum seekers.

Often they are not able to access services which are available to other people so the funding will help to train and support other mental health providers in Kirklees so that people who have suffered torture, or have come from war zones and refugee camps are able to get support. 

Loading Conversation

Our Partners

Wakefield Council
Wakefield CCG
Airedale Foundation Trust
NHS Bradford District and Craven CCG
Bradford Council: Home
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust
North Yorkshire CCG
Healthwatch
Kirklees Council
NHS Kirklees CCG
Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Leeds Community Healthcare (LCH)
Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Leeds City Council
NHS England
Health Education England
NHS Improvement
Public Health England
North Yorkshire County Council
South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust
Yorkshire Ambulance Service
Locala Community Partnerships CIC
Spectrum Community Health CIC

Footer information

West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership is hosted by NHS Wakefield Clinical Commissioning Group.
Privacy notice | Accessibility statement

Accessibility tools

Text size:
Contrast:
Frank Ltd.
Return to header