by chukumeka(chukes) maxwell november 2011 working with difference “resistance is futile”
TRANSCRIPT
By Chukumeka(Chukes) Maxwell
November 2011
Working With Difference“Resistance is Futile”
Spirit of the Session
Confidentiality
Safe space to explore self
Respect the differences in the room
Engagement with the issues and feelings raised
Informal and interactive
Reflective
Thought -provoking
Responsibility for one’s own learning
3 minutes each person and then feedback your name and other information
Your name:
The meaning of your name - if known – it’s origin.
Your identity: How do you see yourself in terms of
Age, Disability, Gender, Sexual Orientation, Race and Ethnicity, Religion or belief and any other info
Other Information:
What is your role
What do you do for your wellbeing
3 places you have lived and where you live now
What is your expectation of the session
Cultural Introductions
Aims of the Session
Culture and Values are two key concepts
when working with difference. How does
your Personal, Professional Culture &
Values impact on children &families
when working .
Courageous ConversationThe 4 Whats
What is your internal culture?
What a you fearful of with resistant families especially from other cultures?
What attitudes & beliefs hijack your work ?
What are your values Do they flourish in the workplace?
Resistance is Futile There were five contexts where disagreements between the social
workers and the family members about the nature of problems
emerged, and therefore where resistance was likely:
Domestic abuse
Parental learning disability
Poverty
Working with men
Race and immigration - being a refugee
Family perspectives on safeguarding and on relationships with children’s services
June 2010
Pre-amble
Values, Policy, Culture and Diversity
Social Workers must operate at all times from an inclusive values
base which promotes recovery and recognises and respects diversity.
Diversity encompasses the range of cultural norms, including
personal, family, social and spiritual values, held by the diverse
communities served by the service within which the worker is
operating.
Workers must respect and value individual differences in age,
sexuality, disability, gender, spirituality, race and culture. Workers
must also take into account any physical and sensory difficulties
people may experience in accessing services and make provision in
their work to mitigate these. They must be able to respond to
people’s needs sensitively with regard to all aspects of diversity.
They must demonstrate a commitment to equal opportunities for all
and encourage people’s active participation in every aspect of care
and treatment.
They must also demonstrate an understanding and awareness of the
power issues in professional/patient relationships and take steps in
their clinical practice to reduce any potential for negative impact
these may have. This session will, therefore, expose workers to the
concepts of diversity, inclusion and multiculturalism highlighting and
equipping them with the necessary knowledge, attitudes and
competencies to operate in an inclusive values driven service.
Defining Culture
To define culture more clearly and appreciate it’s complexity
To introduce a useful model for understanding culture at different levels
To begin to make links between culture, power and oppression
Adapted by Peter Ferns from Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner (1997) and Argyris (1990)
A Model of Culture
People’s cultural values, or what they think is most important to protect in a
situation presented, influence what they would do in that situation leading
to actions and outcomes.
These are clues about the nature of culture and how it can be seen as a
series of layers that interact with each other.
Values are based on certain beliefs and assumptions that give meaning to why something is important – in other
words beliefs give rise to values.
At the deepest level of culture, core beliefs and assumptions exist as the unspoken rules of a cultural group or are viewed by the group as ‘common
sense’.
Reflecting on Culture
• made up of a number of factors such as values, language, traditions, religion, rituals, symbols, food, clothes and fashion
• part of a living environment where individuals grow and develop; it influences them but does not totally define them as people
• is experienced subjectively and is chosen or rejected by individuals and often results in parts of cultures being brought together by people, leading to a constant mixing of cultures
• always changing with time and with different groups of people in society
• not easy to define clearly as it is not just a collection of facts that can be learned or passed on to people who are new to that culture
• culture frames realities, notions of normality and human experience. How self is constructed. West - autonomy, self-reliance, self-containment. East - interconnectedness, dialogical, mutuality.
Reflection on Culture
Not easy to define clearly as it is not just a collection of facts that can
be learned or passed on to people who are new to that culture
Rich and varied, with a range of different values within each culture
Not value free – for example in a racist society in which Black
people’s cultures will tend to be seen as inferior to White people’s
cultures; lesbian and gay culture will be seen as inferior to
heterosexual culture and deaf culture will be seen as inferior to
hearing culture
Competence refers more to the acquisition of
knowledge and skills for specified tasks in a
largely predictable environment
Cultural Competence
Capability refers to the capacity of people to deal
with rapid change and novel situations with
greater creativity, confidence and effectiveness.
Cultural Capability
Multicultural Devon & Plymouth The 2001 census found that 1.24% of the population of Devon identified as
coming from BME backgrounds. Plymouth- 1.62% and Exeter- 2.38%.
recent demographic changes to note:
It is estimated that the BME population has risen substantially since 2001:
EAL Service – 50 + languages in Exeter, 60 + in Plymouth
In 2009, most commonly used languages for Devon Partnership Trust
were Polish, Turkish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Slovak
Schools statistics- 3.4% of pupils in North Devon Schools come from BME
backgrounds. In Exeter some schools range from 17.2% -5.2%
Data Blog % White British Other
Exeter 89.141 10.859
Teingbridge 93.459 6.541
Mid Devon 94.211 5.789
East Devon 93.218 6.782
Torridge 93.262 6.738
North Devon 92.896 7.104
Data Blog % White British Other
South Hams 92.575 7.425
West Devon 93.58 6.42
Plymouth 90.845 9.155
Torbay 92.164 7.836
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/interactive/2011/may/19/ethnic-breakdown-england-wales?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487
What do you see
Binna Kandola’s work on eliminating bias in organisation
‘The Value of Difference’
We need to accept that we are all biased,
or we can’t make progress with the
diversity agenda.
Bias helps us make sense of the world, but
also leads us into faulty decision making
by creating false assumptions
Film Extract
The Dangers of the Single Story
Chimamanda Adichiehttp://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adiche_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html
Institutional Discrimination
To recognise the characteristics of institutional discrimination and racism
To understand what inclusive practice looks like at the individual and organisational level
Dr Shetty, a consultant psychiatrist at The Norvic Clinicsaid: "There is a risk that, in places like Norwich, people may never develop the awareness and skills to deal with black people becausethere are so few of them".
Independent inquiry to the Death of David Rocky Bennett December 2003
‘The collective failure of an organisation to provide
an appropriate and professional service to people
because of their colour, culture ,or ethnic origin. It
can be seen or detected in processes, attitudes and behaviour which
amount to discrimination through unwitting prejudice, ignorance,
thoughtlessness and racist stereotyping which disadvantages minority
ethnic people.’
Steven Lawrence Inquiry 1999
Defining Institutional Racism
Institutional RacismInstitutional Racism
“I have given up my country, my home, to be here, and I am
finding it hard to provide for my children on benefits. They (the
social workers) look at me as if I should be grateful for what I
have. They judge me for it. They make me feel ashamed. I
cannot ask for help. I cannot accept help. I must look after my
own family.” (Refugee parent)
Family perspectives on safeguarding and on relationships with children’s services
June 2010
“When I first had contact, I thought, well they’re professionals,
they’ll help me. It was a shock. They’ve become a social police
force. They make you feel very small. If you say anything, they
twist it. If you get upset, they judge you. They rationalise it.
Accuse you. It can be so demeaning. They don’t realise some
basic fundamentals about what would make it easier (to) work
with them.”
“I felt violated at the end – like I had been raped – like
everything had been taken from me and there was nothing left.”
Family perspectives on safeguarding and on relationships with children’s services
June 2010
1. AssimilationForcing people to fit into a dominant culture.
2. Under-reaction or Over-reactionIgnoring serious problems or intervening in a punitive way with minor problems.
3. Disempowerment & StereotypingTaking away personal autonomy, reducing influence over one’s own life opportunities and making negative assumptions about groups of people.
4. Service-led ApproachesAssessing and meeting people’s needs with the priorities of the service or organisation put first with little or no regard for anyone else’s priorities.
5. Poor Access to ServicesBureaucratic procedures, difficult locations and poor publicity about goods or services.
6. Erosion of RightsDenial of basic human rights and/or civil rights of people.
Themes of Institutional Discrimination
Fitting people into existing
services.
Primary concern to use
existing services
efficiently.
Services planned on pre-
conceived ideas about
needs.
Traditional ‘block’
services.
Assessment of need based on
service eligibility.
Services generated by
professionals.
A SERVICE-LEDAPPROACH
1. Valuing Cultural DiversityReinforcing cultural identity of individuals / Providing positive images and symbols of different cultures / Culturally appropriate services and work environments.2. Preventative ApproachesSupportive services available to all within services or organisations / Timely interventions in problematic situations / Providing opportunities for the growth & development of people.3. Autonomy & AdvocacyAssistance for individuals to express their point of view / Access to independent advocates / Groups for building solidarity between people, promoting positive self-image and building / self-confidence.4. Holistic ApproachModel of assessment and planning that takes into account wider social and community issues / Building on personal strengths & interests of individuals / Helping to define & create desirable personal futures for people.5. Participation & InformationEnabling meaningful participation of service users & communities in service developments / Accessible information & publicity about services / Positive efforts to involve communities in the management & provision of public services.6. Safeguarding RightsPolicies & procedures to maintain & promote equality and diversity / Ensuring that decision-making is linked to clearly defined values.
Themes of Equality
Negotiation for resources
based on level of need.
Construction of individualised packages of
care.
Services planned on assessed needs of
service user.
Service user objectives identified.
Creative options in the
service response.
Services generated by
needs of service user.
A NEEDS-LEDAPPROACH
ServiceUser
Family
Home
Support
Mental Health Team
Professional communication
Country of origin Culture
Media
Socio-Economic Inequalities
GP Health
Service
DisadvantagedNeighbourhood
Ψ
Voluntary Sector
LabourMarket
Housing Market
SW Culture
Family supportnetwork
Social Service
Cultural
Stereotypes
Government Policies
History of Psychology and Psychiatry
Recovery Model
Stigma
Spirituality -
Systemic Formulation:
adapted from Bronfenbrenner, 1979
Racism
Macro
Exo
Meso
Micro
Values
What Do These Really Mean?????
IFSW Code of Ethics
GSCC Codes of Practice
BASW Code of Ethics for Social Work
CQC
Single Equality Schemes
Equality Impact Schemes
BASW
The social work profession promotes social change , problem
solving in human relationships and the empowerment and
liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilising theories of
human behaviour and social systems, social work intervenes at
the points where people interact with their environments.
Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to
social work (2001).
All organisations should demonstrate
the ‘Ten Essential Shared Capabilities’
Working partnership
Respecting diversity
Challenging inequality
Promoting recovery
Identifying strengths and needs
Providing service user centred care
Making a difference
Promoting safety & positive risk
taking
Practising Ethically
Personal Development
Ensure a Positive Social
Contact
LimitDestructive
Emotions
Look afterYour Body
Engagewith
Nature
Reflect& Learn
Nurse J2008
Five DailySteps for Individual Well-Being
Film Extract
Dr Brene Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=X4Qm9cGRub0&feature=player_embedded#at=16I
Values-based Leadership
Reflection
"Learning is experiencing, everything else is just
information”
Albert Einstein
“You cannot solve a problem from the same consciousness
that created it. You must learn to see the world anew.”
Einstein
Reflection
Reflection
What you do for yourself -any gesture of kindness, any
gesture of gentleness, any gesture of honesty and clear seeing
toward yourself-will affect how you experience your world. In
fact ,it will transform how you experience the world. What
you do for yourself, you’re doing for others and what you do
for others, you're doing for yourself
Pema Chodron
Thank You