Improving Support Services for Pakistani Family Carers through Social Prescribing

This project uses qualitative research methods to explore how culturally appropriate support can address the health and wellbeing needs of Pakistani family carers.

Summary of the project:

Overview

This project uses qualitative research methods to explore how support for carer health and wellbeing can be improved for Pakistani family carers. This will help us to better understand and identify, how culturally sensitive social prescribing services can address the unmet health and wellbeing needs of Pakistani family carers.

Funding and Timeline

This project is funded for 12 months by the NIHR School for Primary Care Research (SPCR) and commenced on 1st November 2022.

Problem

Informal care can have a significant impact on the physical and mental health of carers across all ethnic groups, but higher levels of social isolation exist among Pakistani carers. There is a need for people from the Pakistani ethnic group to have better access to support services. The experiences of Pakistani carers differ as there are specific cultural and religious obligations attached to their caring responsibilities which can be complex. These cannot necessarily be changed or challenged but rather support services need to be designed and delivered with these complexities in mind.

About the Study

This project is a 12-month study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) School for Primary Care Research (SPCR). The study aims to explore how Pakistani family carers, can best be supported in their role as a carer.

Get Involved

If you identify as Pakistani (speak Urdu OR English) and are currently looking after/caring for a family member or have done so in the last 12 months, please take a look at the eligibility criteria and consider taking part in our study.

Take part in the study

We are now looking for people to take part in our study, which explores how support for carer health and wellbeing can be improved for Pakistani family carers.

We are looking for Pakistani family carers and stakeholders which include GP’s, other HCP’s, social prescribing link workers and voluntary and community sector organisations.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss the study in more detail, please get in touch with Sarah McMullen using the details below:
s.mcmullen@ucl.ac.uk
07741383814

Further information about the study

Informal care is described as care, which is unpaid, and provided by a family member, partner or friend. The Pakistani ethnic group has one of the highest prevalence’s of informal carers across England and Wales. Despite this, Pakistani carers are less likely to engage with support outside of their family networks and are often isolated.

Social prescribing programmes can help reduce isolation and improve mental health by enabling carers to access support and activities in their area. The role social prescribing can play in supporting Pakistani carers needs more exploration and research in this area is limited.

The research team will conduct semi-structured interviews to speak with up to 30 Pakistani men and women who have current or recent experience of being a family carer. We will also conduct up to 10 interviews with social prescribing stakeholders, including health professionals (e.g., GPs), social prescribing link workers and voluntary and community sector providers.

The interviews will explore how support for carer health and wellbeing can be improved and how culturally sensitive support services can be implemented to address existing needs. This will help us to better understand and identify, how culturally sensitive social prescribing programmes can address the unmet health and wellbeing needs of Pakistani family carers. Recruitment is expected to start from February 2023 following ethical approval.

Get involved if you are a Pakistani family carer!

We are conducting one-to-one interviews, which take up to 90 minutes. Interviews can be completed in person face-to-face, on the telephone or remotely via Zoom and can be conducted in Urdu or English. People who take part will receive a £50 shopping voucher as a thank you for their time.

Who can take part?

If you meet all the criteria stated below, we would like to hear from you!
•   You are 18 or over
•   You live in London or Sheffield
•   You identify as being Pakistani
•   You are looking after/ caring for a family member who cannot manage without your help.
•   You are currently looking after/ caring for a family member OR have done so in the last 12 months.

Further Information

Taking part in the study is entirely voluntary and it is important that you read through our Carers Participant Information Sheet before you decide.

This information sheet can be downloaded here.

Get involved if you are a stakeholder!

We are conducting one-to-one interviews, 30 minutes to 60 minutes long. Interviews can be completed in person face-to-face, on the telephone or remotely via Zoom.

Who can take part?

If you meet the criteria stated below, we would like to hear from you!
•   You work in London or Sheffield AND
•   You have experience of referring or receiving referrals among ethnic minority groups for social prescribing AND
•   You are a GP or other Healthcare Provider i.e., practice nurses who self-identify as having previously made referrals OR
•   You are a Social Prescribing Link Worker OR
•   You work in a Voluntary and Community Sector organisation who receive referrals from social prescribing link workers.

Further Information

Taking part in the study is entirely voluntary and it is important that you read through our Stakeholder Participant Information Sheet before you decide.

This information sheet for GP’s and other HCP’s can be downloaded here.

This information sheet for SP link workers and Voluntary and Community Sector organisations can be downloaded here.