- Conference
- 2014 National Black Members' Conference
- Date
- 1 October 2013
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference notes:
a)The findings of the 2005 “Count Me In” census in England and the following censuses that people from Black Caribbean, Black African and other Black backgrounds are over represented in psychiatric care.
b)The report by Care Quality Commission published in 2010 that found that 23% of mental health inpatients were from Black communities that make up less than 9% of the general population
c)In May 2013, Health Minister Norman Lamb said in the House of Commons that “something [was] wrong” with the treatment of black people in the mental health system which could “not go unchallenged”.
d)A 2004 report (Ethnic Minority Psychiatric Illness Rates in the Community) that common mental illness such as depression and anxiety account for up to a third of days lost at work. With stress and bullying on the increase in the workplace, these are the two main causes for mental distress in the workplace.
e)Conference further notes that being Black and lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) with mental health issues is particularly detrimental as many services are unable to address the complexities in relation to multiple identities. Misconceptions due to assumptions around sexual orientation and gender identity within the health service do little to encourage Black LGBT people to seek their assistance. This was highlighted in the research undertaken by Stonewall and the Runnymede Trust and published in their 2012 report One Minority at a Time. It is disappointing that the views of Black transgender people was not included in their research. Services that did exist to meet the mental health needs of Black LGBT people have lost funding due to the austerity measures of this government. Isolation within the workplace can exacerbate mental health issues among Black LGBT workers who may not feel able to fit in with social events as fully as they would like.
Conference calls on the National Black Members Committee (NBMC) to:
1)Publicise World Mental Health Day which is held annually on 10th October in all appropriate publications including Black Action
2)Seek to work with appropriate bodies to publicise the support that UNISON offers including ‘ThereForYou’ and training course on how to manage stress in the workplace
3)Seek to work with the National Disabled Members Committee to highlight issues relating to mental health, the scope of the Equality Act 2010 and how best to support members in seeking reasonable adjustments and fighting disability discrimination.
4)Seek to work with the National LGBT committee to raise issues of Black LGBT workers and mental health and to work with community based organisations to promote good practice in meeting the mental health needs of Black LGBT people.