Let's Talk Inequality
Islington is a borough of stark inequalities. We want to see services and support designed around the needs of those residents experiencing this inequality.
Islington Together describes Islington Council's strategy to create, over the next decade, a more equal borough, where all residents have an equal chance to thrive.
Healthwatch has responded to the latest call for evidence, sharing examples of inequality that we have come across in our recent work.
Examples of inequality include:
- Lack of transparency in eligibility criteria for essential services. This disempowers residents and widens health inequalities. There are also many services that residents are simply unaware of, that are not well promoted within the community.
- Putting benefits and other essential services online means that residents need to access them via a smartphone or computer. This puts extra pressure on small community organisations to provide additional support to help digitally excluded residents with housing and welfare issues.
- People are struggling to access NHS dentistry, meaning that residents who can't afford private dental care experience poorer dental health.
- Residents consistently tell Healthwatch that they want to look after their own health. A number of barriers make this harder; income, number of hours spent working or caring, lack of information, and lack of personal knowledge about what’s on offer.
Examples of support that residents value:
- Services that are holistic and responsive, that keep residents updated on the progress of their queries proactively, and keep chasing for a resolution. This should be the ambition for all our statutory services.
- Vulnerable residents continue to value community services that provide a space where they feel welcome
