Cultural competencies

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Cultural competencies

• Advice for providers of services

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UK Profile

• The United Kingdom is probably more culturally
  diverse now than it has been at any other point
  in time. This has significant implications for
  providers of services, not least because they are
  required to have increasingly greater levels of
  knowledge and understanding about diverse
  communities and their needs.

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Migrant communities

• Between May 2004 and June 2006 around 447,000
  migrants from the new accession states applied to
  register on the Home Offices Worker Registration
  Scheme (WRS).

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Cultural Identity

• Every one of us has our own cultural identity
  made up of a wide range of factors. Some are
  immediately visible, for example in terms of
  dress or gesture others are less obvious but
  nonetheless add to the essential elements that
  make us who we are as individuals. Social,
  economic and geopolitical factors all have an
  impact on how we relate to others and how we view
  the world.

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What should service providers know?

• Service providers need to avoid the potential
  pitfalls of stereotyping black and minority
  ethnic groups according to the culture or
  community to which they belong.
• Ethnic groups are not homogenous factors like
  gender, age, social class, religion, the place
  where they live now or the area of the home
  country they came from can all play a part in
  forming an individuals identity.

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Who needs cultural competencies?

• The answer is simple everyone involved in
  delivering services to communities, not only
  policy makers, outreach and field workers but
  also people providing front-line services in
  areas such as reception, switchboard and
  catering. Cultural competencies should be firmly
  embedded in all policy and procedure service
  provision and delivery.
• .

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Characteristically a culturally competent
organisation is one that

• reflects diversity within its workforce
• provides a wide range of relevant services for
  the community
• institutes continuous professional development
  for its staff
• meets, and exceeds, its general and specific
  duties with regard to the Race Relations
  Amendment Act 2000
• operates from locations which are attractive to
  local people and
• ensures that staff members are aware of various
  methods of engagement as they apply to race,
  culture and ethnicity

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Tips for success

• In developing cultural competencies

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Tips

• Find out some of the basics about culture,
  religion and tradition of your diverse community.
• Watch what others in the group do. If in doubt,
  ask! If you cant find out, play safe and avoid
  actions you suspect could prove problematic, such
  as a male member of staff offering to shake the
  hand of a Muslim woman.
• Be aware that tensions may exist between
  different groups from the same country
  (following conflicts in Somalia and Rwanda, for
  example) and consider how these might affect
  community dynamics.

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Self reflection

• Be conscious of your own cultural values and be
  prepared to put them aside to make individuals
  feel comfortable.
• Understand that expectations of the provider/user
  relationship may vary in different cultures.

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Impact of religion and tradition

• Be aware of the extent of religious traditions
  and festivals impact on everyday life, and plan
  this into your provision. Ramadan fasting, for
  example, is likely to have an impact on staff and
  user ability to participate in some activities.
• Resist stereotypical thinking. Muslims, for
  example, are not all the same they may come
  from Arabic, African or European countries, be
  black-, brown- or white-skinned, and interpret
  the Quran differently, ranging from fundamental
  to liberal in their faith. Be aware of the
  differences in what on the surface might appear
  to be the same.

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language

• Explore ways of blending different cultures,
  traditions and history into service provision and
  delivery to engage black and minority ethnic
  users.
• Be careful about the use of language to describe
  people. Terminology is ever-evolving and terms
  used to describe black and minority ethnic people
  are not always universally acceptable.
  Preferences even within one community can vary
  according to age, gender and social class.

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Partnership working

• Foster close links with community organisations
  which can provide a bridge between your
  institution and black and minority ethnic groups
  you may be trying to reach.
• Community organisations can facilitate a two-way
  dialogue, helping you understand and meet needs
  as well as persuading community members to use
  your services.