We are delighted to announce the launch of an Inclusion Health Audit Tool to measure the engagement of voluntary organisations with Inclusion Health groups. We have led this work in partnership with Homeless Link, as part of the Health and Wellbeing Alliance. The tool was created to help VCSE organisations audit and improve their engagement with Inclusion Health groups.
Inclusion Health groups are the communities which experience the poorest health outcomes across a range of indicators, including self-reported health, life expectancy and morbidity. Among these communities are the four most vulnerable groups to health inequalities: sex workers, vulnerable migrants, homeless people and Gypsies and Travellers.
The audit tool introduces the principles around Inclusion Health, asks a range of questions about your organisation and provides a bespoke guide to maximise your organisation’s engagement with socially excluded groups while also embedding the principles behind Inclusion Health into your everyday activities.
Speaking about the new audit tool, Sarah Sweeney, Communications and Health Policy Co-ordinator at Friends, Families and Travellers said:
“We hope that this tool will equip organisations in the voluntary sector to tackle health inequalities in the worst affected groups as part of their ‘business as usual’. We have a collective responsibility to ensure that everyone has the best chance of living a healthy and happy life.”
In the preface to the tool, Ravi Jaipaul, Public Health Manager in the Business Operations and Health Equity Division of Public Health England says:
“During the development of this audit tool, I was excited to hear inspiring examples of good practice from organisations specialising in work with inclusion health groups and reflections from voluntary organisations who are trying to improve.. it is vital that work which recognises and challenges the health inequalities becomes the norm throughout the voluntary sector.”
Notes for Editor
About Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT)
Friends, Families and Travellers is a leading national charity that works on behalf of all Gypsies, Roma and Travellers regardless of ethnicity, culture or background.
Media Contact
Lucy Hetherington – Office hours Tuesday & Thursday, 10am – 6pm
Tel: 07963 382 190 Email: lucy@gypsy-traveller.org
About the Health and Wellbeing Alliance
The Health and Wellbeing Alliance is a partnership between NHS England, the Department of Health and Public Health England with 21 voluntary sector organisations.
The Inclusion Health Audit Tool was developed by Friends, Families and Travellers and Homeless Link with support from a range of VCSE organisations including The Mental Health Consortia; FaithAction; Clinks; National Voices; National Ugly Mugs, Emmanuel Westly, the Valuing People Alliance, with input from The National LGB&T Partnership and Win Win Alliance, among others.
