GUIDANCE ON WORKING WITH BLACK AND MINORITY ETHNIC CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND FAMILIES
Accessing BME children, young people & families
You can access BME children, young people and families through the networks within the Council, e.g. Faith Forum, Residents Association, UASC Team etc. This though is only appropriate if you want a general view. You may need to use other mechanisms to access specific or excluded groups.
Remember that disabled people from ethnic minority groups are one of the most excluded groups and action must be taken with key community contacts to encourage participation.
If you are unable to gain access to certain communities it is acceptable to recruit opinion from community leaders for example the management of the local Solihull Muslim Association. However be aware that community leaders might not always be representative of the community as a whole.
Alternatively you can contact the Diversity Officer for help & advice.
Racism and isolation:
Racism and isolation affect communities in many different ways. For some this can result in insecurity, fear and discomfort, we must work to counter these feelings working in partnership with other agencies.
It is vital that once links are established, particularly with vulnerable groups we keep lines of communication open, regularly feeding back information and acting on issues raised.
Details of reporting racist incidents during activities are available from the intranet.
Faith & Belief:
Faith and belief can play a very important role for many communities including people from BME groups, in order to work effectively with BME children, young people and families, it is worth doing some research before you begin the process.
A summary of religions and places of worship in Solihull are available on the intranet.
Language:
The majority of the BME population in Solihull speak, read and write English; however there are some members of the established BME community who may not be confident in communicating in English, similarly with new immigrants.
The council promotes the use of the Big Word interpreting Service. Solihull Council has a contract with the Big Word and we can access telephone interpretation in more than 100 languages, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The service can be used via the internal telephone system, from a mobile phone or any landline and can be used on speakerphone so all the parties involved can follow the process.
Written Communication:
The majority of BME children, young people and families within Solihull have similar literacy skills in English as the rest of the population but for many there are particular needs.
Where written materials are used Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council will provide copies of its documents on request in the language required, to enable the same access to materials for everyone. We also need to consider the needs of disabled BME children and young people and ensure that documents are available in large print and other formats suitable for those with visual impairments.
Full details of how to get documents translated and transcribed, using the Big Word interpretation service and booking face to face interpreters are available from the Corporate Procurement Team.
Timing:
As with all our residents, members of BME communities have calls on their time for work, caring and social responsibilities so we need to be mindful of fitting our activities in with people’s daily routines but also take account of times of worship and religious holidays. Staff need to make themselves aware of these regular days and times of worship before activities begin to ensure that meetings are held at appropriate times.
Childcare and other caring responsibilities need to be accommodated. This may mean organising meetings around local childcare facilities, providing a crèche on site or supporting someone to arrange care for dependent relatives. Any such care arrangements will also need to be delivered in a culturally sensitive way.
An up to date calendar of the major religious festivals is available from the internet, but there are some simple messages to remember. For example as many of the Borough’s BME children, young people and families are Muslim trying to avoid carrying out work/activities on Friday afternoons as this is the most important prayer time of the week.
Gender:
There is the possibility that some groups would prefer for same sex activities to occur. In some instances more would be gained from holding separate exercises for boys and girls. When you plan work activities you should ensure you check the best course of action for each individual as everyone has different requirements.
Dress:
You don’t have to adopt any specific dress code when doing work with children, young people and families, but ensure that you cover over your shoulders and legs. Many members of BME communities may feel uncomfortable and be less receptive to officers who they might consider not to be dressed modestly. Be respectful of the way BME people dress and ensure that they feel comfortable in the activities setting.
Hospitality:
Especially within Asian and African cultures it is considered polite to share food and drink with visitors so be prepared: If you are visiting people’s homes or meeting places you are likely to be offered food and drink. If you are hosting meetings then it is polite to provide refreshments which should respect specific cultural requirements.
Most dietary restrictions centre are around meat and meat products. If you know who is coming to the meeting ensure that you provide appropriate food on request. If you have issued an open invitation then the best thing to do is provide a vegetarian buffet with any animal products such as cheese and eggs clearly marked and plated separately.
Please click here for the core skills document for use when working with BME children
