Topic summary on Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities

The Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities JSNA outlines the current and anticipated future health and social care needs of individuals who identify their ethnicity as Gypsy, Roma or Traveller and are resident in Manchester.

Defining “GRT” communities is complex. “Gypsy”, “Roma”, and “Traveller” are terms that some use interchangeably, but none refer to a single, homogenous group. Historically, these terms have been used to refer to people who belong to a group that is, or was, nomadic. This may include Romany gypsy, Roma, Irish Traveller, Scottish Traveller, Show or Fairground people, Circus people, Boat Travellers, and New Travellers, although this list is not exhaustive.

The 2021 Census question on ethnic group included the categories “White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller” and “White: Roma”. Groups that are nomadic but that would not identify their ethnicity as “Gypsy or Irish Traveller” or “Roma” may not be captured accurately in the 2021 Census data and their experiences and needs may not be reflected fully in the JSNA.

• Obesity rates and diabetes diagnosis are higher among Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities compared to the general population.
• Health outcomes are heavily influenced by living and working conditions, including education, employment, and housing. Educational achievement tends to be lower for Gypsy, Roma, or Traveller children, and a larger percentage of adults in these communities lack formal qualifications. Additionally, there are higher levels of unemployment and lower levels of economic activity among Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities in Manchester compared to the White British population. Nationally, individuals identifying as Gypsy, Roma, or Traveller are more likely to reside in overcrowded or insecure housing.
• Despite having greater health needs, Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities face challenges in accessing healthcare services. This includes lower GP registration rates, higher rates of emergency department visits, reduced participation in cancer screening programs (such as breast, bowel, and cervical cancer), and lower uptake of adult vaccinations against COVID-19 and influenza.
• Community engagement efforts with Roma community members in Greater Manchester have revealed a primary concern for mental wellbeing. Participants have shown interest in health-focused drop-in sessions that promote positive mental health.

At present, none of the services commissioned by Manchester City Council undertake any outreach work to support Gypsy, Roma, or Traveller communities. Although there are no bespoke Gypsy, Roma, or Traveller specific services routinely available, there are examples of successful outreach work in primary care that have been undertaken with the support of local VCSE organisations in Levenshulme. Anglia Ruskin University has undertaken a piece of participatory research to explore the health and wellbeing status of the Showman community in Cheetham and Crumpsall. This will help inform any future interventions for this group of people.

Currently, there are no approved permanent sites for Traveller communities in Manchester despite a cultural need for 17 pitches identified in the most recent accommodation assessment. There is also no agreed negotiated stopping policy. This means that families who wish to live on sites or continue to travel have nowhere to stay in Manchester, leading to an increase in unauthorised encampments.

• Encourage academic institutions in the city to adopt the Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen, and Boaters’ Pledge.
• Ensure that the new Anti-Poverty Strategy addresses the reasons why members of Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities are more likely to experience poverty. This should involve closer collaboration with local VCSE (Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise) organizations that already support these communities.
• Enhance employment opportunities for people from Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities by utilizing local insights to design and target interventions that reduce barriers to education and employment. Additionally, provide community-led training for frontline work teams to ensure that local work club services are culturally appropriate.
• Adopt standardized data practices across all services to effectively monitor health inequalities affecting Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities.
• Enhance the inclusivity of mainstream healthcare services for people from Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities by offering cultural sensitivity and awareness training for staff, as well as flexibility in appointment scheduling and the provision of drop-in services.
• Identify and develop two new permanent sites for Traveller communities to meet the accommodation needs of families identified in the Gypsy Traveller Accommodation Assessment 2022.
• Implement a negotiated stopping policy that includes the provision of basic amenities, such as waste disposal facilities and toilets, at temporary sites. This initiative aims to mitigate the impact of transient communities on neighborhoods and foster better relationships between transient Traveller communities and settled residents.
• Include specific considerations for Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities in adverse weather plans, and ensure that caravan sites at risk of flooding are recognized as climate change vulnerability indicators for ongoing monitoring of the health impacts of climate change.
• Offer cultural awareness training for frontline staff and those involved in the strategic development of services to ensure that services delivered are free from discrimination against members of Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities.

This JSNA was completed in December 2023 and was presented to the Manchester Health and Wellbeing Board on 24 January. View a full copy of this JSNA.