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| Rekha Vijayshankar: ‘Grenfell survivors need help now more than ever’ | Rekha Vijayshankar: ‘Grenfell survivors need help now more than ever’ |
| (6 months later) | |
| Grenfell is a tragedy and there is a lot of grief, but at the heart of any grief is also the seed for resilience,” says senior health visitor Rekha Vijayshankar. Since the devastating fire last June that claimed 72 lives, she and her nine-strong team of health visitors have been working with the survivors and the surrounding community. “Our role has been to create that space for families both in the tower and the vicinity who were affected by what happened, for them to feel safe amid the chaos happening all around.” | Grenfell is a tragedy and there is a lot of grief, but at the heart of any grief is also the seed for resilience,” says senior health visitor Rekha Vijayshankar. Since the devastating fire last June that claimed 72 lives, she and her nine-strong team of health visitors have been working with the survivors and the surrounding community. “Our role has been to create that space for families both in the tower and the vicinity who were affected by what happened, for them to feel safe amid the chaos happening all around.” |
| Vijayshankar saw the horrific scenes on the news before seeing for herself smoke billowing from the block the following morning. Members of her team were woken up by sirens. “The thing that struck me and has stayed with me was overwhelming grief,” she says. “At first I felt numbness. I can’t even articulate it because it’s such a deep feeling. Then there was grief and from that was born an overwhelming determination to help.” | Vijayshankar saw the horrific scenes on the news before seeing for herself smoke billowing from the block the following morning. Members of her team were woken up by sirens. “The thing that struck me and has stayed with me was overwhelming grief,” she says. “At first I felt numbness. I can’t even articulate it because it’s such a deep feeling. Then there was grief and from that was born an overwhelming determination to help.” |
| Grenfell Tower fire: thousands attend silent march one year on | |
| The first couple of days were spent frantically calling around checking on families who had lived in Grenfell. “I have a member of staff who had visited a person in the morning and by night time, they weren’t there,” she says. | The first couple of days were spent frantically calling around checking on families who had lived in Grenfell. “I have a member of staff who had visited a person in the morning and by night time, they weren’t there,” she says. |
| One of her most poignant memories is of supporting a single mother of a child with complex needs. She was heavily pregnant when the fire occurred and miscarried because of the trauma. Health visitors visited her every week, referred her to counselling and advocated on her behalf for housing. She was put into a hostel and then temporary accommodation. “Our main achievement was gaining her trust. If there’s anything she’s worried about, she’ll lift the phone to one of us and say, ‘I’m worried, can you help?’”, says Vijayshankar. | One of her most poignant memories is of supporting a single mother of a child with complex needs. She was heavily pregnant when the fire occurred and miscarried because of the trauma. Health visitors visited her every week, referred her to counselling and advocated on her behalf for housing. She was put into a hostel and then temporary accommodation. “Our main achievement was gaining her trust. If there’s anything she’s worried about, she’ll lift the phone to one of us and say, ‘I’m worried, can you help?’”, says Vijayshankar. |
| Health visitors are registered nurses with training in community public health nursing. They typically provide an outreach service to individuals and vulnerable groups. Pre-school children and their families are a key focus. They work closely with nursery nurses, GPs and social workers providing antenatal and postnatal support, advising on parenting skills, assessing the family and home situation and children’s growth and development, and referrals to specialist services. | Health visitors are registered nurses with training in community public health nursing. They typically provide an outreach service to individuals and vulnerable groups. Pre-school children and their families are a key focus. They work closely with nursery nurses, GPs and social workers providing antenatal and postnatal support, advising on parenting skills, assessing the family and home situation and children’s growth and development, and referrals to specialist services. |
| “The focus for us has been creating safety and building resilience. We’ve been advocating for families to receive the right services, building confidence in their own parenting, supporting them by setting routines in place, trying to normalise in the face of the abnormal,” she says. | “The focus for us has been creating safety and building resilience. We’ve been advocating for families to receive the right services, building confidence in their own parenting, supporting them by setting routines in place, trying to normalise in the face of the abnormal,” she says. |
| Nationally, public health is commissioned by local authorities. As councils grapple with 40% cuts to their budgets, most have reduced funding for health visiting in the last few years. According to NHS Digital, there are 1,795 fewer health visitors now in England than in 2015. | Nationally, public health is commissioned by local authorities. As councils grapple with 40% cuts to their budgets, most have reduced funding for health visiting in the last few years. According to NHS Digital, there are 1,795 fewer health visitors now in England than in 2015. |
| Vijayshankar’s account of the service Grenfell survivors have received from health visitors over the past year, suggests there has been no shirking of responsibility. All nine team members work with Grenfell survivors, with two health visitors working solely with residents affected by the fire. Referrals to speech and language therapy, child and adolescent mental health and mental health services have all increased and there have been more visits to A&E by children with coughs and breathing issues. | Vijayshankar’s account of the service Grenfell survivors have received from health visitors over the past year, suggests there has been no shirking of responsibility. All nine team members work with Grenfell survivors, with two health visitors working solely with residents affected by the fire. Referrals to speech and language therapy, child and adolescent mental health and mental health services have all increased and there have been more visits to A&E by children with coughs and breathing issues. |
| The team looks out for signs of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, which can develop over many years. It’s a time-intensive process, and Vijayshankar believes that now is a more important time for the families they are supporting than when disaster first struck. “What we are seeing is that there has been trauma,” she says. | The team looks out for signs of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, which can develop over many years. It’s a time-intensive process, and Vijayshankar believes that now is a more important time for the families they are supporting than when disaster first struck. “What we are seeing is that there has been trauma,” she says. |
| Because of lasting health implications being identified by Vijayshankar and her team, Kensington and Chelsea council – heavily criticised for its slow response following the fire – is now recruiting three additional specialist Grenfell health visitors to work alongside them. | Because of lasting health implications being identified by Vijayshankar and her team, Kensington and Chelsea council – heavily criticised for its slow response following the fire – is now recruiting three additional specialist Grenfell health visitors to work alongside them. |
| Some Grenfell residents went back to their home country immediately after the disaster, but the health visiting team kept in touch throughout. One family returned after four months. | Some Grenfell residents went back to their home country immediately after the disaster, but the health visiting team kept in touch throughout. One family returned after four months. |
| Vijayshankar remembers their routines were haywire and the children had regressed in terms of sleeping patterns and toilet training. Adults and children were having nightmares. There was another family where the mother said all she could feel were tremors when she lifted her baby up and that she didn’t trust herself looking after her child. The team supported her, building her confidence. They have just completed a review and the baby is fine. | Vijayshankar remembers their routines were haywire and the children had regressed in terms of sleeping patterns and toilet training. Adults and children were having nightmares. There was another family where the mother said all she could feel were tremors when she lifted her baby up and that she didn’t trust herself looking after her child. The team supported her, building her confidence. They have just completed a review and the baby is fine. |
| It is not just survivors who need support. Central London community healthcare has put in place extra measures to support Vijayshankar’s team because of the emotional impact of the work they have been doing. This includes counselling services and weekly and daily meetings. “Everybody talks to each other. That’s the strength of the team. That’s why they’re resilient. They know when to ask for support and they know it will be provided,” says Vijayshankar. | It is not just survivors who need support. Central London community healthcare has put in place extra measures to support Vijayshankar’s team because of the emotional impact of the work they have been doing. This includes counselling services and weekly and daily meetings. “Everybody talks to each other. That’s the strength of the team. That’s why they’re resilient. They know when to ask for support and they know it will be provided,” says Vijayshankar. |
| She says the Grenfell memorial service, which she attended earlier this month, “enabled closure”. And Vijayshankar believes the community is ready to start moving on. “[They] see it as a disaster that happened and they want to build from it. That is their focus. Not to remain stuck there but to move on to build something better.” | She says the Grenfell memorial service, which she attended earlier this month, “enabled closure”. And Vijayshankar believes the community is ready to start moving on. “[They] see it as a disaster that happened and they want to build from it. That is their focus. Not to remain stuck there but to move on to build something better.” |
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| One of the survivors she has helped compares the fire to a volcanic eruption. “She said, ‘Everything got burnt, but because of you, now there are green shoots coming out. Thank you, you told me I could do this’. It was huge for me, I was crying. I remember telling her that volcanic soil is the most fertile. I asked, ‘What are you going to grow from this?’” | One of the survivors she has helped compares the fire to a volcanic eruption. “She said, ‘Everything got burnt, but because of you, now there are green shoots coming out. Thank you, you told me I could do this’. It was huge for me, I was crying. I remember telling her that volcanic soil is the most fertile. I asked, ‘What are you going to grow from this?’” |
| But will the intensive support many families need in the years ahead be maintained amid ongoing cuts? Vijayshankar is confident it can be. “I’m mindful that we are not the only team – there’s speech and language and GPs. I do feel people are ready to move on and we have to respect that. Stress and grief is what it is and that doesn’t mean that three years down the line you won’t get a flashback. What we can do to mitigate it is ensure we have the services available to support people at that point of need. For health visiting, we have that without a doubt.” | But will the intensive support many families need in the years ahead be maintained amid ongoing cuts? Vijayshankar is confident it can be. “I’m mindful that we are not the only team – there’s speech and language and GPs. I do feel people are ready to move on and we have to respect that. Stress and grief is what it is and that doesn’t mean that three years down the line you won’t get a flashback. What we can do to mitigate it is ensure we have the services available to support people at that point of need. For health visiting, we have that without a doubt.” |
| Curriculum vitae | Curriculum vitae |
| Age: 47 | Age: 47 |
| Lives Surrey. | Lives Surrey. |
| Family Husband, two teenage children and a dog. | Family Husband, two teenage children and a dog. |
| Education: Masters in business administration (University of Bombay, India), Masters in economics (University of Lucknow, India), Diploma in primary care management (City and Guilds), postgraduate diploma in nursing (King’s College London), advanced practice specialist community public health nursing (King’s College London), associate of King’s College London. | Education: Masters in business administration (University of Bombay, India), Masters in economics (University of Lucknow, India), Diploma in primary care management (City and Guilds), postgraduate diploma in nursing (King’s College London), advanced practice specialist community public health nursing (King’s College London), associate of King’s College London. |
| Career 2016-present: Health visitor and team leader, health visiting, Central London community healthcare trust; 2013-16: Student nurse and health visitor, Guys and St Thomas’ NHS foundation trust; 2011-13: career break due to husband’s health; 2007-11: GP specific administrator, Oxted Health Centre; 2000-05: volunteering with slum families in Bombay, India; 1996-99: assistant manager, customer services, DHL Worldwide. | Career 2016-present: Health visitor and team leader, health visiting, Central London community healthcare trust; 2013-16: Student nurse and health visitor, Guys and St Thomas’ NHS foundation trust; 2011-13: career break due to husband’s health; 2007-11: GP specific administrator, Oxted Health Centre; 2000-05: volunteering with slum families in Bombay, India; 1996-99: assistant manager, customer services, DHL Worldwide. |
| Interests Fundraising, laughter yoga, meditation and mindfulness, poetry and journal writing. | Interests Fundraising, laughter yoga, meditation and mindfulness, poetry and journal writing. |
| Nursing | Nursing |
| Grenfell Tower fire | Grenfell Tower fire |
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| Post-traumatic stress disorder | Post-traumatic stress disorder |
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