Sandwell Council vaccination outreach programme wins award
A Covid jabs effort that saw vaccines given at mosques, gurdwaras community centres and The Hawthorns has been given an award.
Sandwell Council focused its outreach programme on black, Asian, and minority ethnic groups, which traditionally have lower vaccination uptake rates.
And now it has been rewarded at The Local Government Chronicle Awards - the most sought-after accolade in local government – which celebrates the finest examples of innovation and quality delivered by councils.
Dr Lisa McNally, Sandwell’s director of public health said: “This is how we do public health work in Sandwell. Everything is in partnership with our community.
“Our voluntary sector and faith groups have enormous expertise and influence that we could tap into. No words can express how grateful I am to those community leaders for their support.”
“I’m also in awe of the work done by the Black Country and West Birmingham CCG and the Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospital Trust. The effort, energy and enthusiasm put into this by everyone involved was immense.”
To reach out to hesitant communities, the campaign joined forces with voluntary and faith organisations alongside the NHS, to provide the service in a variety of community environments where people would feel more comfortable.
The initiative provided vaccine clinics in mosques, gurdwaras, and community centres, while a vaccination bus regularly rolled up at The Hawthorns Stadium.
The public health team also trained up influential people in the community to support people to get their jab through the Community Vaccination Leaders course.
Through this, they trained around 180 local people including including faith leaders, community organisers and voluntary sector workers.
In fact, the course proved so popular that other council teams in the UK came to Sandwell to learn how to deliver the course in their areas.
Sally Roberts, the chief nursing officer for the Black Country and West Birmingham CCG, said: “I would like to congratulate Sandwell Council on this well-deserved award.
“The team’s strong ties to the local community and commitment to putting Sandwell people at the heart of all they do, has played a key role in boosting uptake of this lifesaving vaccine in the borough.
“The vaccination programme continues at pace, with boosters now available at locations across Sandwell for everyone who is eligible, so we look forward to continuing our work with the council to protect the most vulnerable in our community.”
Mel Roberts, chief nurse at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, added: “Vaccination is the single most important step in our response to COVID-19. We see first-hand the difference it makes to patients who require hospitalisation and critical care support due to this virus.
“Remaining unvaccinated is a frightening gamble with potentially deadly or life changing consequences.
“We appreciate the response and support from our partners across health in helping both to get the message out and to ensure the vaccine is delivered to those who need it, thereby saving lives across our communities.”
