Debra Peter
Community Health and Wellbeing Worker (CHWW)
Key Issues
- Feeling isolated
- Difficulties due to language barrier
- Struggling to rectify benefit and utility bill problems
Outcomes
- Became an active member of her community
- Increased her physical activity
- Resolved Universal Credit and utility bill issues
- Formed new friendships, including with fellow Farsi-speakers
Overview
Alia is a 62-year-old resident living in North Westminster. With Farsi as her first language, she had found it increasingly difficult to engage with the services she needed, and before meeting her Community Health and Wellbeing Worker (CHWW) Debra, she had been feeling lost and isolated.
That changed when Debra knocked on her door.
“I felt glad that there was someone who may be able to help me,” Alia recalls. They booked a home visit, and from the outset Alia felt comfortable and at ease.
How Debra Supported Alia
Debra got to work quickly. She supported Alia with utility bills and the complex process of moving onto Universal Credit. Debra made countless phone calls on Alia’s behalf to navigate services that had previously felt out of reach. She also helped Alia access a free gym membership through her GP.
As well as solving these problems for Alia, Debra recognised something else. “I felt the main issue was [Alia] feeling isolated,” she reflects. Alia had only one friend who spoke Farsi, and her world had grown very small.
Debra invited Alia to join the CHWW team’s coffee mornings, where she was warmly welcomed by the other CHWWs. Then, when the CHWW’s new weekly lunch and learn event at the local community hub launched, Alia began attending every week.
The Impact
The impact has been transformative. At the hub, Alia has met many new people and, most significantly, another couple who speak Farsi. She has also discovered chair-based exercise sessions and has become an enthusiastic advocate, encouraging her new friends to stay and join in after lunch.
“Her confidence has grown so much in the time I have known her,” says Debra. “I am so proud of her and happy to see her so happy and integrated with her community.”
As for Alia, she sums it up in the best way possible:
“I love you Debra!”
A huge thank you to Alia and Debra for so generously sharing their story.
