Cultural Competence

What is cultural competence?

Cultural identity (thoughts, behaviours, beliefs, views, values and customs) is a vital concept when working with people, and never more so than in relation to safeguarding children, whereas professionals we need to work in partnership with parents, carers and extended family.

Cultural competence (sometimes referred to as cultural consciousness or cultural humility), is the ability to understand and respect the diverse backgrounds of those around us – including colleagues and service users.  It involves recognising, affirming, and valuing the work of individuals, families and communities from all cultures, delivering equality and celebrity diversity.  This includes being aware of one’s own cultural biases and actively working to mitigate their impact on your practice.

What cultural competence isn’t is having a thorough understanding of all different cultures, which apart from being impossible, would not reflect that within different groups, there will be cultural differences unique to individuals and families.

What are the key aspects of cultural competence that I should know about?

  • Awareness of self and others:

Professionals need to be aware of their own cultural values, beliefs, and biases, as well as the cultural backgrounds of their clients.  Consideration needs to be given to unconscious bias.

  • Knowledge of diverse cultures:

This includes understanding the unique experiences, perspectives, and needs of different cultural groups, and individuals within them.

  • Skills for cross-cultural interaction:

Professionals need to develop communication skills, including verbal and non-verbal communication, and the ability to work with interpreters when needed.

  • Respect and sensitivity:

This involves treating all individuals with respect, valuing their cultural practices, diversity and being sensitive to their unique needs.

  • Humility:

Professionals should approach their work with humility, recognising that they are not experts in other cultures and being open to learning from the children, families and communities they are working with and in.

  • Adaptability:

Culturally competent professionals are able to adapt their practice to meet the specific needs of their clients, taking into account their cultural background and preferences.

  • Advocacy:

Professionals, particularly those working in the area of health and social care, play a role in advocating for social justice and equality for all, including challenging systems and practices that perpetuate inequality and oppression.

Why is cultural competence important to those working with children and families in relation to safeguarding?

  • Improved client outcomes:

When professionals are culturally competent, they are better able to build trust with service users, understand their needs, and develop effective interventions.

  • Reduced disparities:

Cultural competence helps to address systemic inequalities and reduce disparities in access to services and opportunities.

  • Ethical practice:

Cultural competence is an ethical imperative for professionals, as it ensures that they are providing respectful and equitable services to all individuals.

  • Professional development:

Cultural competence is an ongoing process of learning and development, and it is essential for professionals to continuously improve their knowledge and skills in this area.

What are the potential challenges in this area?

A challenge that can hinder demonstrating cultural competence is whether an individual believes that it is achievable or idealistic.  No one will ever achieve full cultural ‘competence’ because cultural identity and what it means is different for each individual.  It should be recognised as something that is strived for and viewed with humility.  However, culture and faith should not be used as an excuse to abuse and must never take precedence over children’s rights.

How can I further develop cultural competence?

Different activities that support development are:

  • Make time to get to know the children and families that you are working with to understand their individual needs, trying not to rush meetings, interventions and direct work;
  • exercise professional curiosity/concern, showing interest and asking questions;
  • be continually aware of the values that you have signed up to as a practitioner and specifically any code of conduct/practice on equality and diversity;
  • be aware of your own personal cultural values and beliefs and any unconscious bias;
  • remember that the service user is the expert of their experience, spend time listening to children and families, and adopt a position of learning from them;
  • consider the power of language and the negative impact that this can have on individuals and relationship building;
  • do not make assumptions about individuals because you believe that they are from a certain background or culture that you have worked with before;
  • ensure that assessments are holistic, take into account culture and are strengths based;
  • resist being tokenistic or box ticking about your cultural competence;
  • challenge disproportionality e.g. where data doesn’t reflect local demographics;
  • use the different engagement tools that you have flexibly; and
  • use as a topic of discussion at Team Meetings, Service Meetings or group supervision to consider how you work together as practitioners and ensure policies, procedures etc. reflect good practice in this area.

How can I find out more?