Technical Report - Donegal Traveller's Project

Health Survey FindingsPeer Researchers, Coordinators and Fieldwork TrainingPavee Point identified that 40+ Primary Healthcare for Traveller Projects, which included approx 320TCHWs and 40 project coordinators who had received training in basic research methods, would beavailable to the study as enumerators. All enumerators were trained to a standardised level. This hadmany advantages over using enumerators from outside the Traveller community (e.g. Local AuthoritySocial Workers or Housing Welfare Officers), both in terms of their acceptability to Travellers, and alsotheir local knowledge of where Travellers lived in the region.The training for the study was delivered by the UCD team as a Trainer’s Training Course to coordinatorsand assistant coordinators of the projects, who in turn provided that training to the TCHWs in theirteams. The PHCTP coordinators coordinated the work of their PHCTP teams locally and also actedas the key link and resource to the study team. In areas where there were no PHCTPs the regionalnetworks covered the area with CHWs who had contact in these areas. Where this was not possible andwhile conducting the census in the regions they made contact with key informants, i.e. other Travellerorganisations or projects, visiting teachers, PHNs and Traveller Training Centres.The initial coordinators targeted were the existing coordinators in the Primary Healthcare forTraveller Projects; these projects normally have two coordinators in place, one representing the HSEperspective (PHN or RGN) and one representing the Traveller organisation perspective (CommunityDevelopment Worker). At the beginning of the study there were 40 of these projects in the countryand approximately an additional 6 Projects in development as PHCTPs. Some of the projects weresupported by the local THU to facilitate their participation in the study.In areas of the country where there was no PHCTP, the study team worked with co-ordinators identifiedthrough Traveller organisations/Traveller Community Development Projects (CDPs). Where therewas an identifiable Traveller organisation, Traveller Training Centres were used (of which there wereapproximately 40 in ROI). Where there was an absence of all these Traveller structures, communitydevelopment organisations were used (e.g. external employment of some of the CommunityDevelopment workers in the North Eastern region).The coordinators were facilitated by their employers in the HSE, FAS, Traveller Training Centres,Community Development Projects and Traveller organisations to attend the training days. The trainingcosts, travel and accommodation were funded by the UCD study team.85 coordinators and assistant coordinators were trained to act as study coordinators and trainers inNorthern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. These study coordinators and trainers then trained 400Travellers at local level to act as Peer Researchers for the study.Six training days were held with study co-ordinators extending from 12th March to 9th September,2008. The training was iterative and linked to the development of the study instruments and protocols.Each session was evaluated and feedback used to inform further training. Time was allowed between57