‘Make My Voice Heard’ Report Project

The ‘Make My Voice Heard’ project demonstrates the HSC Leadership Centre’s expertise in leading complex, region-wide work that turns lived experience into practical system improvement.

Commissioned to support a Personal and Public Involvement programme, the HSCLC provided independent leadership, robust methodology and regional coordination to explore how women seeking international protection experience health and social care services in Northern Ireland.

Working with all five HSC Trusts, the Public Health Agency, community and voluntary organisations and BSO interpreting services, the Centre designed a trauma-informed engagement approach that prioritised safety, trust and inclusion. Flexible group and one-to-one sessions, supported by professional interpreters, ensured voices that are often unheard were meaningfully captured.

The project engaged 167 women from 14 nationalities, generating over 1,100 qualitative data points. Women shared experiences across GP, mental health, maternity, public health nursing and social services, highlighting both compassionate practice and persistent barriers such as language, system complexity and inconsistency of care.

A key strength of the Centre’s approach was closing the loop between experience and action. Findings were validated with service leaders to ensure recommendations were realistic, relevant and scalable.

The work produced a Department of Health-endorsed report (launched May 2025) with six regional recommendations focused on coordination, cultural competence, interpreting provision, health literacy and navigation of services.

This case study highlights the HSC Leadership Centre’s ability to:

• Lead sensitive, multi-partner programmes
• Embed lived experience within evidence-based practice
• Translate insight into meaniful improvement