Changing Futures
Unmet needs
Changing Futures have a social care team with existing input from those with lived experience, as well as faith and community groups. This is soon to be strengthened in order to provide groups and additional daytime activities.
The impact of having activities, experiences and belonging was described by a manager of services within the multiple unmet needs report.
“Community and belonging, these are overlooked needs. These folk are the edges of society, we need community inclusion, be part of a community, this could be anything – caring for animals, dog-walking for rescue centres, walking with alpacas, art groups, theatre places, cinema, Barista training in Costa for work experience, bowling, bringing insects and tarantulas in to hold, African drumming, anything that says ‘Life is beyond what you’ve got at the moment.’ A reason to get out of bed on a Thursday. Make people feel like a human being again. I’ve taken clients out on days out, they’re like giddy kids on a school trip.”
“I know where to go to get my teeth seen”
- Dental and Physical Healthcare
People with multiple unmet needs require accessible dental and medical care, rather than facing barriers to healthcare, judgement or embarrassment.
Key needs that were identified included access to dentistry, as well as appropriate wound care. It is important to remember the potential impacts for those who are ‘living with painful issues that cause embarrassment, low confidence and self-consciousness’. The report on multiple unmet needs also highlighted words from a client who stated, 'I just wanted a nice smile'.
Changing Futures has worked with partners to provide accessible services focused around –
- dentistry
- sexual health
- Hepatisis C
- liver scanning
which can all be directly accessed by clients.
This will soon be expanded with new premises and a new clinic room.
Recommendations
After identifying some of the key areas of need, a set of 12 co-produced and collaborative recommendations were created, with the aim of informing ‘next steps and future thinking around system and strategic responses to multiple unmet needs’.
The report on multiple unmet needs has been formally accepted at Changing Futures Board where the recommendations will be looked at as a set of commitments with the Board. The strategic oversight of each recommendation will then be agreed whether this be via a service, board or individual.
A note on included examples
All quotations have been taken directly from the 2024 report, Break The Cycle: Understanding multiple unmet needs in Hull, produced by Changing Futures Hull and Hull City Council.
Whilst these examples are designed to provide an overview of some of the positive work that has taken place within Hull by Changing Futures Hull, this is not meant to be an exhaustive list of identified needs or of areas of work addressing these needs