Pathways to Wellbeing

Pathways to Wellbeing is a two-year project running until July 2024 as part of Mental Health Foundation’s Covid Response Programme. We’re partnering with organisations to increase their capacity, resources, knowledge and confidence to support the mental health and wellbeing of people they work with from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds, who were among the most adversely impacted by the pandemic. 

Six organisations across Scotland are participating in the project: 

• Amina – Muslim Women’s Resource Centre 
• Article 12 in Scotland
• Community InfoSource
• Empower Women for Change 
• Minority Ethnic Carers of People Project (MECOPP)
• SCOREScotland

Each organisation has tailored their project plans to meet the needs of the people they work with, staff and volunteers. This has included training, developing peer support, and organising community events and activities. 

Supporting organisations to better serve the mental health needs of minoritised communities is an ongoing process that requires a multi-pronged approach. The complex layers of discrimination and hardship faced by many of their service users result in equally complex needs around mental health and wellbeing. Pathways to Wellbeing supports these charities to prioritise a mental health “lens” through which to examine operational practice and service delivery. Alongside cultural competency, community partnerships, advocacy, research, and sustainability, this can empower these organisations to effectively address the mental health needs of marginalized communities. This helps to contribute to a more equitable and inclusive society. 

Tailored training

The partner organisations requested training and support around a number of topics and these were addressed through a mixture of joint training interventions and specifically tailored responses. Training addressed the following subjects, among others: 

• Trauma-informed practice 
• Raising the topic of mental health in a confident manner 
• Supporting the self-management of emotional well-being 
• Mental health as a governance issue 
• Organisational sustainability 

Alongside the training and mentoring delivered throughout the project, we have facilitated peer support groups for the partner organisations to come together and learn from each other. These lively, interactive sessions have helped develop a sense of camaraderie and increased connection between the partners. Representatives from the organisations are now used to comparing strategies to enhance mental health and wellbeing for their audiences. This allows them to replicate good practice and avoid duplicating methods that have been shown to be unsuccessful. 

Working as a partner in the project has had a specific impact on the organisations’ activity relating to the wellbeing of their staff, volunteers and service users: 

The program is all about boosting mental wellbeing through different activities. Signs of its success include staff coming up with new ways to promote mental health, learning from each other. Positive feedback from both staff and those benefiting from the program highlights its positive impact. Moreover, the program's influence extends to the organisation's big picture, as mental wellbeing becomes a key part of strategic planning. In a nutshell, the program is helping staff, engaging participants, and shaping the organisation's focus on mental wellbeing. 

- Amina

MECOPP also documented benefits of working in the partnership environment: “As a result of this partnership, the inclusion of wellbeing in our strategic plan and increased confidence to discuss mental wellbeing, staff morale has increased.”

Olivia's story*: Practical support for mental wellbeing – tackling loneliness and isolation - Amina

Olivia participated in many Amina group activities and made friends along the way, which helped her build confidence and connections. She would happily take the bus and attend these sessions weekly. However, recently Olivia suffered from a stroke. This meant she had to take time out of the activities, which led her to feeling isolated and lonely. Loneliness and isolation are two interconnected phenomena that can have negative effects on an individual's emotional and psychological well-being.  

Olivia found it difficult to get back into her previous routine as she lost her confidence in taking the bus to the group activities held by Amina. Initially, when coming back to the group she would get someone to drop her although this was not reliable. Once reconnecting with the group members and being part of the weekly sessions, her confidence was slowly building up again. It is essential to recognise and address loneliness and isolation to prevent their negative effects. Social support, meaningful activities, and community involvement can help individuals overcome loneliness and isolation and improve their overall well-being. Through encouragement from peers in the group, she was able to take the bus home one day and felt extremely happy when she had achieved to overcome this difficulty she was facing.  

Pat's story*: Implementing learning gained through peer networking as part of the project - SCOREScotland

Pat, 42, is enjoying her first time in employment as a sessional Women’s Support and Outreach Worker. She is also a mum of two and is currently at college. Through Support and Supervision, it was flagged up that she was experiencing high levels of stress, and confidence issues due to the competing demands of these multiple responsibilities. Her supervisor was able to use techniques learnt in the Pathways to Wellbeing peer learning network to support her in feeling more confident, less stressed and better supported. 

* Names have been changed

The project is funded by the Mental Health Foundation with support from the Scottish Government.

The project will come to a close in 2024 when we will report on our findings from the work delivered by all the partners.

For more information, please contact Tim Street (Project Manager) at [email protected]