Unlocking the System: Place-based ways of working with children, their families and a neighbourhood psychologist in Bettws, Wales

Abstract

In Public Health, recognition of the importance of the social determinants of health has led to significant shifts in practice and research. In the mental health sector, we are making great progress but ‘treating’ the social determinants of mental health requires a focus more on policy than on medication, therapy, and neurobiological innovation. It is now widely acknowledged that our mental health is largely determined by the conditions in which we are born, grow, work, live, and age. Conditions full of adversity and deprivation create a lack of opportunity, poor infrastructure and socially disconnected communities. These circumstances foster the conditions for community level adversity, trauma, and injustice. Solving the mental health crisis is therefore not about more access to one-to-one therapy, counselling, but about creating psychosocially health circumstances and communities for people to live in. For emotional health outcomes, we know the first 1,000 days but particularly the first two months are most crucial. It’s therefore important that support is provided early and sustained over this critical period. Working with parents with a child aged seven or younger alongside local primary schools using the human learning systems approach this project aims to explore how to communities can heal from trauma and adversity in ways that are human-rights focused, non-violent, trauma-informed, community-led, healing and culturally sensitive. Based on the adverse community experiences and resilience framework whilst using storytelling for systems change the project will look to co-develop a place-based approach to understanding and improving community wellbeing and resilience in Bettws, Newport.