Shaping preparation for a TortureID assessment: a co-production project in Leeds
A referral for a health assessment can come with many unknowns. Someone new to the country and seeking sanctuary may not know what the appointment will involve, whether it will be safe to speak, whether there will be an interpreter, or how much a clinician will want to know.
For those who have survived torture or other serious human rights abuses, the situation is unfamiliar and often worrying. They may face it in isolation, without knowing whom to trust. The wait can be hard, especially without anyone to talk to who has been through it themselves.
Why this matters at TortureID
At TortureID we work with people in exactly this position, many of whom have experienced serious harm that no one has previously asked about. Our assessments recognise, document and respond to what has happened, and aim to connect people to appropriate healthcare, support and rehabilitation. That work involves careful attention not only to the appointment but to what surrounds it: information given in advance, interpreter arrangements, how they experience the location, and what happens after they leave.
People often do a great deal of work to prepare for an assessment like this. They gather themselves, think about what they might say, and may try to imagine what will happen. What would help with that varies from person to person and is something we hope to learn more about, from people who have been through the assessment themselves.
What we are doing about it
We are pleased to share that the Leeds Community Foundation awarded us a Community Action Microgrant in September 2026, to further develop this part of our work. It builds on earlier conversations with people about how they would want to be involved in a project like this.
The grant will fund co-production work in Leeds with people who have experienced a TortureID assessment and have agreed to share their insights. Together we will develop accessible resources to work across languages and literacies, for others in a similar situation. The design company Roots and Wings will co-facilitate the workshops as our project partner.
Co-production means collaborating to share decisions and design, not simply consulting. Our starting principle will be to ask what would help someone feel prepared for their appointment, and to let those answers shape what we develop. Three workshops will bring people together to work through that question. We will share resources and learning through this site and with partners in the wider sanctuary sector.
Looking ahead
Alongside TID assessments and our training, this work reflects our commitment to recognising what survivors of torture and human rights abuses go through, and to work that is shaped by the people it is for.
Community projects like this exist because of local funders like Leeds Community Foundation, and because of the people willing to share their experiences to help others in a similar situation. We are grateful to both, and we are looking forward to working with everyone who takes part.
The project will run through the coming year, and what we learn will help to shape how we work in future.
Get in touch to find out more and, if you would like to support our work, please consider donating.
