Advocacy for Black and Minority Ethnic Communities: Understandings and Expectations

Engaging Service Users and Carers in Health and Social Care Education: Challenges and Opportunities in the Chinese Community

“…For example, a study aimed at examining the understanding and expectations of 'advocacy' held by BME communities in Glasgow, Scotland illustrated the importance of the use of 'trusted intermediaries' to help identify and engage members from these disadvantaged groups (Bowes and Sim, 2006). This mirrors the first author's working experience with the Chinese community in the UK.…”

“…Many cross-cultural studies documented the benefits of approaching key insiders such as community leaders to secure access to some of the marginalized communities (Bowes and Sim, 2006;Hesse-Biber, 2007;Hinton et al, 2000;Liamputtong, 2008;Sheridan, 1984). For example, a study aimed at examining the understanding and expectations of 'advocacy' held by BME communities in Glasgow, Scotland illustrated the importance of the use of 'trusted intermediaries' to help identify and engage members from these disadvantaged groups (Bowes and Sim, 2006).…”

“…Language difference presents one of the major barriers for BME groups to accessing health and social care services (Bowes and Sim, 2006). Many health and social care practitioners have to involve interpreters so that they can carry out assessments and render appropriate services to the non-English speaking communities.…”

“…Previous debates have highlighted the danger of the application of a Eurocentric ideologies to practice in various social care settings (Bowes and Sim, 2006;Midgley, 2000;Yip, 2004). For example, Yip (2004) asserted his concern that a direct transplantation of a western value based social work practice and education model implied professional imperialism and neglected the diversity of cultural and social contexts in social work practice.…”

Ethical Dilemmas are not Simply Black and White

“…We made our initial contact by re-visiting two organisations that had previously taken part in the 2005 study; both authors meeting service users and carers at a venue of their own choosing where they felt most comfortable (Stevens and Tanner, 2006;Bowes and Sim, 2006). We shared our beliefs that service user and carer participation in social work education is not an end in itself.…”