When support services fail to recognise cultural context, it creates more barriers than bridges

Five years ago, I launched Support When It Matters (SWIM), a Hackney-based service designed to support adults from global majority ethnic backgrounds, particularly those of African-Caribbean heritage, across 13 of London’s boroughs.

Our work focuses on helping individuals reduce or abstain from substance use, improving mental health and providing high quality homes to those experiencing homelessness or rough sleeping.

I set up SWIM as a result of my own lived experience in overcoming mental health and addiction issues, noticing that lots of other men from similar ethnic backgrounds as me were struggling to access appropriate services.

It was clear to me that the biggest barrier to help was a lack of trust in local provision, systemic obstacles and a lack of cultural understanding, inhibiting connection.

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When founding SWIM, I created a culturally responsive environment where people could see themselves reflected and their experiences truly understood. I wanted to create a trusted space; a service that is flexible, highly-responsive and open to disruption. We are able to provide immediate support when people are in their moment of need.

I’ve seen firsthand how narrow the window of opportunity can be when someone is ready to reach out for support. That crucial moment demands immediate response, being available exactly when people find the courage to seek help makes all the difference in their journey.

That’s why SWIM created an accessible sanctuary with our Dalston Lane open-door policy and 24-hour phone line. This immediate availability can be the dividing line between crisis – leading to crime or substance use – or connection, where someone can simply walk in or call and find a responsive human being ready to help.

This way of working is strengthened further by the team, who are predominantly from Black, dual heritage and global majority groups. They also share some of the same experiences such as going through recovery as well as understanding the cultural context of being part of a white-led system.

This shared experience from staff to our service users is something that hadn’t really been offered before. Generally, most services are designed by and for white people, which excludes the importance of understanding an individual’s cultural identity and background. This approach has led to monumental shifts for our clients who feel they can show up as their full selves. Providing this has helped us grow SWIM’s presence across London.

We started in Hackney, with a focus on supporting those experiencing harmful substance use, the criminal justice system and/or poor mental health. Five years later we also offer high quality homes and I can now proudly say we have seven homes around London helping some of the city’s most vulnerable people improve their lives. More than 800 people have been supported by us since our launch.

Most recently we have expanded the service outside of London, to Preston. We have also opened the doors to a six bedroom house in Hackney, partially funded by Big Issue Invest, and have plans to unveil nine more homes in the same vicinity in the near future.

Moving into housing was important for me. For every single one of us, our living environment is fundamental. We’re a nation in the midst of a severe housing crisis. People from global majority backgrounds are disproportionately impacted when it comes to quality housing.

Undeniably, bias is always at play. Even if someone has the funds to rent, Black, dual heritage and ethnic minority men are more likely to be turned down at viewings than their white counterparts.

Those from the global majority are also impacted by the digital divide, impacting on accessing benefits, banking and formal identification.

The higher incarceration rates of Black and ethnic minorities might mean they lose access to housing support after release, meaning they are more likely to reoffend.​

This work is so critical for us as a society on the whole, at the end of the day, we all want to be seen and heard. Healthy communities benefit everyone; no matter what your identity or social status is.

We have intentionally created a space where the global majority can show up as their full selves and share their reality. Elsewhere a Black man in crisis may be perceived as “aggressive” instead of expressive and not be given the support they need.

We know that recovery has its ups and downs, we never close the door after a missed appointment, unlike other services. We show up for those that need us, any time, anywhere – whether it’s setting up a bank account, practising for a job interview, or meeting at the prison gate.

I intentionally designed SWIM with this cultural context in mind. We have proved that there is no such thing as ‘hard to reach’ groups. In fact, we have blown that out the water completely. We’ve actually found that people positively engage when they find a sense of belonging and when they feel a service has been designed with them in mind.

SWIM has an open door policy at The Adiaha Antigha Centre, 24-30 Dalston Lane, London E8 3AZ between 9-5pm. For help over the phone call 0207 923 8354 during office hours or 0743 800 3855. If you’re in crisis please call 999.

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