SIS Community Research enables members of migrant communities to engage with and contribute to health and social care research, needs assessments and consultations  commissioned by the NHS, Brighton & Hove City Council, NIHR, Healthwatch and other public services.

“Community-based research is conducted with and by, not on or to, community members.”

SIS Service Users frequently lack the opportunity to make meaningfully contributions to the public conversation about how services are designed and delivered or health treatments are developed.  Language, information and knowledge of their rights are barriers to participation although Service Users have clearly stated their wish to have their voices heard.

Bilingual Researchers can conduct interviews or focus groups and attend community events to gather views, opinions and experiences from SIS Service Users.  These can be included in reports that can influence service design and delivery.  Researchers have been trained through programmes with Brighton and Hove City Council, Health Education England, NHS Sussex, and the Sussex Research Engagement Network.

Community Researchers apply principles of independence, respect, sensitivity and confidentiality to their work.

“I was attracted to CR by its grassroots approach; recognising that we’re all different, come from different culture background thus have different ideas and needs.”
Magda Pasuit – Polish Speaking Community Researcher

“People in my community face problems, vulnerability and uncertainty, CR help find solutions to problems which improve the lives of people and society.”
Aleceia de Juan – Spanish Speaking Community Researcher

“A lot of money can be saved by doing Community Research before projects are implemented, it prevents money being invested in services which do not meet the needs of the community.”
Juliet Batista – Portuguese Speaking Community Researcher

“Many migrants are marginalised and not included and integrated in the wider community mainly because of language and cultural barriers.”
Dr Mohanad Badeen – Arabic Speaking Community Researcher

SIS also conducts Community Research with our super diverse pool of freelance sessional linguists who share their professional knowledge and experience of the needs of specific communities.

 

Partners

SIS is part of the leadership team of the Research Engagement Network funded by NHS England, a partnership of local NHS, VCSE and academic institutions.

SIS has also been awarded a grant through the Brighton & Sussex Medical School Catalyst Fund to create a Guidance Toolkit for inclusion of people with language needs in health and care research in Sussex.  If you would like support with this please contact laura@sussexinterpreting.org.uk to discuss your needs.

SIS frequently collaborates with Healthwatch Brighton & Hove to help make their research more inclusive and increase the diversity of respondents.

Downloads

• 2025 Reducing Missed Appointments for People with Language Needs  (web page)
• 2025 Pharmacy Services for People with Language Needs (web page)
• 2025 Older People’s Health and Wellbeing (web page)
• 2025 Racism in Schools (web page)
• 2024 Increasing Diversity in Research Participation  (web page)
• 2024 Digital Inclusion Issues for Over 65s  (PDF)
• 2024 Access to Information and Treatment for Women’s Health (web page)
• 2023 Impact of the Cost of Living Crisis  (web page)
• 2023 Mental Health in Young People  (PDF)
• 2023 Health Visiting Services (web page)
• 2022 Maternal Mental Health (web page)
• 2022 Digital Inclusion and Literacy Survey (PDF)
• 2022 Experience of Accessing ESOL  (PDF)
• 2022 Post Covid Heath Impact and Future Priorities (PDF)
• 2022 Attitude to Cancer Screening (PDF)
• 2022 Experience of Accessing GP Services (web page)
• 2021 Public Service Information Access (PDF)
• 2020 NHS, COVID19 and Lockdown; The BAMER Experience (PDF)
• 2019 Volunteering in Migrant Communities (PDF)
• 2017 Understanding the Migrant Experience of Loneliness and Isolation (PDF)
• 2017 CCG Big Health and Care Conversation (PDF)
• 2016 Maternity Focus Group (PDF)
• 2016 International Migrants Needs Assessment (web page)