'Saved our brother from unnecessary pain'

‘Saved our brother from unnecessary pain’

Harrow Association of Somali Voluntary Organisations (HASVO), established in 2004, is an independent not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting ethnic minority residents and the Somali community. They aim to strengthen the links between all community groups within Harrow.

During the Covid-19 crisis, HASVO supported 772 individual clients during the lockdown, focusing on helping young people and their families and vulnerable adults. Their target group is one of the poorest within Harrow and are within the reported socio-economically marginalised BAME group. These individuals are likely to have chronic conditions which put them at a higher risk of Covid-19 associated mortality.

HASVO began a project providing support and engagement to prevent clients from further sliding into poverty due to lockdown whilst looking out for their well-being. The project aims to help individuals as the country’s economy recovers, where unemployment rates may remain high within the supported group, and weakened welfare safety nets also threaten the health and social insecurity. One of the individuals helped by HASVO is:

Mr M, a 49-year old electrician and former Uber Driver, was diagnosed in 2018 with schizophrenia and early onset of dementia. Mr A underwent traditional healing in Somalia in 2019, and on returning, was admitted to Royal Free Hospital and since to a nursing home in Brent for long-term care.

The need for support: While at the nursing home, Mr M’s condition deteriorated, and the family began worrying about the level of care and support he was receiving. They were concerned with the long period of isolation he was in due to the restricted access.
Support provided: HASVO’s outreach worker, with the assistance of the Mind Somali outreach worker, was able to have the wish and needs of the patient reviewed. They successfully advocated for his care and the support offered by his family. This resulted in the family’s and patients wish to be granted, where he was moved to the family home with an additional care package to support the, which is currently being reviewed.

This support resulted in the family’s and patient’s wish to be granted, where he was moved to the family home with an additional care package to support them.

“We are now happier, and HASVO has saved our brother from the unnecessary pain and isolation that he was living in. His condition has improved, and he is now better able to respond to us.”

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