SACMHA Health and Social Care: Free drop-in service launched for African Caribbean community

The Community Health Advisory Service – also known as Health Chat ‘n’ Check – is for African Caribbean people who have concerns about their wellbeing and has been launched by SACMHA Health and Social Care.

The team is made up of experienced African Caribbean Community Health Advisors who offer a confidential opportunity to listen to concerns and provide advice.

The advisors are also able to test glucose levels, check blood pressure, check weight, give diet advice and provide service users with Covid PCR tests.

After the Chat ‘n’ Check, those attending will be given a brief written overview of the conversation which can then be taken to their GP.

David Bussue, SACMHA’s service director, said: “The African Caribbean community in Sheffield has changed considerably over the last two decades; the community has dispersed across the city, fewer children are being born and we are an aging community.

"One of the effects of this is that the African Caribbean community tends to be forgotten in many areas including health. However, African Caribbean people are still overrepresented in numbers showing the prevalence of illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, and dementia.

"Added to that, as a community we tend to present our health concerns at the GP’s surgery when the condition has already progressed to serious stages which limits the range of help that can be given. Feeling unheard or not being taken seriously is a real issue of African Caribbean people once they do approach a medical specialist with a health concern.”

The community-based early help service aims to complement support from GPs and other health care professionals.

Health Chat ‘n’ Check is part of a new suite of services being rolled out by SACMHA including, the Winter Pressures project which aims to help to curb additional financial problems that people with health concerns encounter over the winter season.

The new Race, Equity, and Mental Health Service will challenge the differences in the treatment of ethnic minority people in the mental health system.

SACMHA also provides a new carers group which gives African Caribbean carers the space to share their experiences.

The organisation works with other organisations including SADACCA, SOAR, the Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group, Sheffield Health, and Social Care, and Sheffield Flourish.

The Health Chat ‘n’ Check service is available every Thursday from 11.30am to 2.30pm at the SADACCA Day Care, Windrush Way, Sheffield – just off The Wicker.

People can just drop in or make an appointment by calling 07845 359814 or by emailing [email protected].

For more details, go to www.sacmha.org.uk; follow @sacmha1 on Twitter; or Sacmha Sacmha on Facebook.