Abstract
Background: Inclusion health describes healthcare approaches that aim to reduce health inequities related to stigma and social exclusion. Paediatric Inclusion Health services are currently under development across Ireland, aiming to mitigate the adverse health outcomes associated with forced migration, homelessness, ethnic minority status, and extreme socioeconomic deprivation in childhood. Our Paediatric Inclusion Health teams work between tertiary services and community settings to address the specific health needs of these populations and deliver care in an integrated, trauma-informed manner, in close collaboration with the families and community partners.
Audience: This workshop will be of interest to healthcare professionals working with socially excluded and marginalised communities, as well as to interested researchers, policymakers and health advocates.
Approach: The workshop will be delivered in an interactive format by paediatric clinicians currently working in evolving Paediatric Inclusion Health services. The workshop will begin with a short information-sharing session to establish context, followed by group work and feedback. Insofar as possible, groups will be divided to include representation across different disciplines and geographic contexts.
In the opening presentation, attendees will be introduced to the concept and context of Paediatric Inclusion Health, as well as the impacts of inclusion health approaches. We will share some illustrative case examples from the Irish context. Attendees will then break into groups. Participants will be invited to consider the relevant populations and stakeholders in their own context, and reflect on how those groups could be best engaged in a dedicated service. Finally, participants will work together to devise appropriate outcome measures and reflect on the challenges of gauging impact in these contexts.
Outcomes: Participants should understand the major challenges experienced by excluded paediatric populations and the key approaches utilised by Paediatric Inclusion Health services to mitigate these. They will describe the likely beneficiaries of Inclusion Health services in their own context, and begin to map the relevant stakeholders. They will consider potential approaches and key outcome indicators to monitor the impact of such services. Group feedback will provide opportunities to reflect on major challenges in Inclusion Health delivery, and will allow incorporation of key learnings from the facilitators’ own practice.