Social Services Directorate
Strategy for Working with
Children and Families from Black
and Minority Ethnic Communities
in Gloucestershire
Sue Butcher
Fieldwork Services Manager
January 2005
2/6/2016
Strategy for Working with Children and Families from
Black and Minority Ethnic Communities in
Gloucestershire
Contents
Page
Vision
1
Objective
1
Race Equality Statement
1
Fairness and Diversity Strategy Statement
2
Current Position
2
The Social Services Directorate.
2
Service Users in Gloucestershire
3
Resources
4
Action Plan
5
Monitoring Statement
11
2/6/2016
Strategy for Working with Children and Families from
Black and Minority Ethnic Communities in
Gloucestershire
Vision
For Black and Minority Ethnic children to achieve the five key outcomes that
really matter for children and young people’s well being:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Be healthy
Stay safe
Enjoy and achieving
Make a positive contribution
Achieve economic well-being
(Outcomes Framework, Every Child Matters Dec 2004)
Objective
That Children and Families’ Services in Gloucestershire work proactively, both
internally and with partner agencies, to ensure that Black Minority Ethnic
children and families receive the appropriate support to enable children from
Black and Minority Ethnic communities to achieve the twenty five aims and
five outcomes as set out in the Every Child Matters Outcome Framework.
Race Equality Statement
The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 came into force in April 2001 and
the Race Equality Scheme was published in May 2002.
The RRAA requires public authorities, in carrying out their functions, to have
regard for the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination and promote equality
of opportunity and good race relations via a Race Equality Scheme. Local
authorities are expected to consider the implications for race equality of all
their relevant activities.
Social Services must:





Prioritise functions on high, medium or low impact on target groups
Monitor for adverse impact
Consult on the impact of policies and functions
Publish the results of these impact assessments
Give staff training
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The Commission for Race Equality can issue a compliance notice on any
public authority failing to comply with its specific duties. Compliance can also
be the subject of inspections or audits and is a Best Value performance
indicator.
Race equality sits within the framework of the Equality Standard (which
relates to gender, sexual orientation, disability and age as well as race), the
purpose of which is to ensure that equality feeds into all aspects of policy,
employment and service delivery.
Fairness and Diversity Strategy Statement – Listening Learning
and Improving
This strategy totally endorses and celebrates the vision and aims of the
Gloucestershire County Council ‘Fairness and Diversity’ strategy namely that
‘Gloucestershire County Council aims to become the ‘employer of choice’ and
the ‘best’ organisation in providing relevant public services to all who work in,
live in or visit the County’



That employees and service users alike are treated equally with
fairness and respect and that their diversity is both valued and
celebrated.
That our working practices are characterised by flexibility, efficiency
and excellence, the results of a supportive management style that
enables our diverse workforce to realise their full potential in serving
our customers.
That our employee profile reflects diversity at every level of the
organisation and posts will be filled through a fair system of recruitment
and promotion.
This strategy must be read in the light of the ‘Fairness and Diversity’ strategy.
Our Current Position
The Social Services Directorate.

The Directorate has undertaken an analysis of:




Our looked after children population
Children on the child protection register
Children in need
The ethnicity and culture of children on the child protection register and
looked after children are recorded on our service user database. This is
subject to regular scrutiny to maintain 100% compliance.
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2/6/2016

The recording of ethnic minority and culture of children in need is variable
and does not reflect the need for it to be a high priority for workers in social
services and partner agencies. It is subject to the same scrutiny as above
but it is less effective due to the turnover of casework. The baseline for
compliance as at 1st April 2004 was 91%.

The recording of religion – this information is not routinely collected or
scrutinised.

The recording of the ethnicity and culture of staff is not complete. It is not
subject to scrutiny. The baseline figure is not available.

Social Services have an active and well-supported Black Workers
Network. The network has actively contributed to this strategy.

Work has been undertaken to ensure that the needs of unaccompanied
asylum seeking children are correctly assessed and met. The specific
protocols are contained in a separate document.

Community social work teams, focussing on the needs of minority ethnic
communities, have been in existence for sometime. These teams do not
have any posts with particular responsibilities for working with black and
minority ethnic children and young people. The community teams are
keen to work with children and family services but the links are patchy and
dependent on individuals. The community teams are able to provide
consultation and ‘awareness raising’ sessions for workers in children and
family services.

Our policy sign-off process includes a requirement that the Black Workers
Network be consulted as appropriate.

This strategy takes account of the Best Value Review into Services to
Black and other Minority Ethnic (BoME) Communities (April 2004).
Service Users in Gloucestershire
These figures are from the Children in Need Census 2003

The largest black and minority ethnic service user group within children
and family social services is children of dual heritage.

Children of dual heritage were over represented in:
 Our looked after children population (five times)
 Our children in need of protection (two times)
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
Asian Children did not show any significant representation in any of the
groups except a slight over-representation (0.3) for Asian children who
were looked after who were not Indian, Chinese, Pakistani or
Bangladeshi.

Our looked after children population indicated a slight over
representation of Black African children (0.3) and Black Caribbean
children (0.3).

The children in need of protection shows a significant
overrepresentation of ‘other white’ children who do not relate to the
main ethnic groups.

Black African children are the most likely to have needs relating to the
absence of parents.

The Private Fostering Co-ordinator reports a high number of children
from abroad living in this country with ‘Host’ families. Some of these
children come under private fostering regulations.

Black children are most likely to have needs relating to abuse and
neglect.

Asian and Irish children are most likely to have needs relating to their
disability.

Children of dual heritage are most likely to have needs relating to
 Abuse and neglect
 Family dysfunction
 Stress.
Resources.
A budget of £60,000 (£30,000 in the financial year 2004/2005 and £30,000 in
the financial year 2005/2006) has been identified to resource the work needed
to ensure the success of this strategy. It is already in use and is the
responsibility of the Fieldwork Service Manager who holds the lead for
working with Black and Minority Ethnic Children and Families.
The principal use of this budget will be to purchase additional (time-limited)
staff time to drive the agenda and mainstream the actions.
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Where do we want to get to
Children
on CPR
and
Looked
After
Children
As above
Children in
Need
Audit the recording of
ethnicity and culture to
maintain 100% compliance.
How
CFMT Lead *
Develop a departmental system for
audit.
(See last task)
CFMT lead for
BME issues.
31st March
2006
100%
31st March
2007
100%
60%
95%
98%
98%
(Sue Butcher)
Recording of religion and
Establish baseline.
CFMT lead for
language for all service users
BME issues.
Raise staff awareness of the importance
of collecting this data through staff
training, team meetings and
supervision.
Recording of ethnicity and
culture of all children
receiving a service from
Children and Family
services.
Develop a departmental system for
audit.
Promote the importance of collecting
this data (including with partner
agencies) through staff training, team
meetings, supervision and specific,
focused contact with partner agencies.
CFMT lead for
BME issues.
Develop a departmental system for
audit.
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Where do we want to get to
As Above
Recording of religion and
language for all children
receiving a service from
Children and Family
services.
How
CFMT Lead *
Establish baseline figure
(See last task)
CFMT lead for
BME issues.
31st March
2006
60%
31st March
2007
98%
97%
98%
Plan of
work in
place
Plan
monitored
/reviewed
Promote the importance of collecting
this data (including with partner
agencies) through staff training, team
meetings, supervision and specific,
focused contact with partner agencies.
Develop a departmental system for
audit.
Staff
Child
protection
Recording of ethnicity and
culture for all staff working
for children and family
services.
Develop a departmental system for
audit.
All Black and Minority Ethnic
(BME) children have the
opportunity to be kept safe
Specific groups examined and actions
identified to ensure no over
representation
CFMT lead for
HR
(Kathy O
Mahony)
CFMT Lead for
Child Protection
(Sue Butcher)
CP project work with Madressas in Glos
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Where do we want to get to
Fostering
The availability of a range of
foster placements that meet
the needs of BME children
who are looked after.
How
CFMT Lead *
Increase the number of Black and
Minority Ethnic carers by a minimum of
six placements.
(See last task)
County Looked
After Children
Manager
31st March
2006
3 additional
placements
approved
31st March
2007
6 additional
placements
approved
October
2005
Ongoing
November
2006
(Cathy Shea)
Adoption
Residential
BME Strategy
Range of adoption
placements that meet the
needs of BME children
building on the messages in
the information pack and the
adoption statement of
purpose.
Development of relationships with local
ethnic minority and community groups
in line with Fostering. Target – 9 groups
Positive message to be included in
events in National Adoption Week
November
2005
Residential care and homes
that reflect the need for BME
looked after children using
this service.
A review of Residential Services is in
County Looked
progress due for completion in March
After Children
2005 that will ensure that suitable
Manager
quantities of high quality placements are
available to meet the needs of children
and young people from Black and
Minority Ethnic Groups.
Review Plan to be
implemented.
Page 7
County Looked
After Children
manager
Actions and plans to be
determined when the
outcomes of the report
are known.
2/6/2016
Where do we want to get to
How
Family and
Placement
Support
Service
A pro active service meeting
the needs of BME children
and families within their
communities/ placements
(See last task)
Specific proposals (as noted for workers Manager FPSS
below) to be included in the ISPP Level
three plans of the teams within the
FPSS to ensure accessibility for BME
children and young people.
Multi
agency
projects
All multi-agency projects
specifically address the
needs of BME children
BME Strategy
CFMT Lead *
Evidence to be recorded in project plans
 CWD Integration project
 Child Action project
 ISA Project
 Assessment and Care
Management project
 Any new projects
Page 8
Individual
project
Managers
through their
line managers
31st March
2006
ISPP 3
contains
targeted
actions
31st March
2007
ISPP 3
contains
targeted
actions
Plans
contain
targeted
actions
Ongoing
2/6/2016
Where do we want to get to
Workers
A workforce that works
together and with service
users in an
anti-discriminatory, antioppressive manner.
How
CFMT Lead *
All new workers to receive cultural
awareness training as part of their
induction process.
(See last task)
CFMT Lead for
Training Issues
(C Shea)
Specific level of cultural awareness and
discrimination training to be included in
the assessment training for all workers
leading to a more informed practice and
knowledge of the range of needs of
BME children and families
The Foundation for Management
Programme to address an antidiscriminatory, anti-oppressive
management practice.
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-
31st March
2006
50%
31st March
2007
100%
50%
100%
50%
100%
2/6/2016
Where do we want to get to
Community Improved working links
social work between the community
teams
social work teams and
children and families
services
BME Strategy
How
CFMT Lead *
Using the additional staff time
(seconded, purchased or a staff
appointment) funded to drive this
strategy, a plan will be drawn up as
stated in the next section (below). It will
specifically address ‘working links’
including

Team visits

Integrated and partnership
working between teams –
shadowing opportunities.

Shared and integrated training
opportunities

How the working links are to be
embedded into practice.
(Essential as the worker is only
funded 2005/2006)
Page 10
(See last task)
CFMT lead for
BME issues
31st March
2006
Targets will
be set out
in the plan
Team manager
Community
Team
2/6/2016
31st March
2007
Targets will
be set out
in the plan.
Where do we want to get to
All
Implementation and
monitoring of this strategy
How
CFMT Lead *
Additional staff time to be purchased /
seconded or an appointment to be
made to drive the strategy forward.
(See last task)
CFMT lead for
BME issues
31st March
2006
Action plan
progressed
Through an action plan which will
 Be written using the additional staff
time,
 Identify specific action points,
 Identify precise timescales
 Identify staff to complete the actions
who will report to the identified
CFMT lead* (who is responsible for
the task as a whole).
31st March
2007
Ongoing
but
funding
only built in
2004-2006
Monitoring Statement
The lead officer for services for Black and Minority Ethnic Children and Families has the overall responsibility for monitoring this
strategy on an annual basis. This work will be carried out in conjunction with representatives from the Black Workers’ Network and
the Asian/African Caribbean Community teams.
A report will be made to the Directorate Management Team in April 2006 and April 2007.
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