United Response Changing Lives
Diversity
Over the year, we worked hard to build our networks with Black and Minority
Ethnic (BME) people in the localities in which UR works. We also looked at how
we could change our recruitment practices to boost representation from BME
communities and took part in events including Asian Melas, Refugee Week and
community gatherings.
We now have some well established networks in Oldham, Huddersfield, Leeds,
York, Darlington and across Tyneside with very positive relationships. In Oldham,
we were delighted to secure funding from the Home Office’s Connecting
Communities fund for an outreach project which aims to create links with BME
communities. Our new community networker, Zaffer Ullah, will be working with
local black and minority ethnic communities in Oldham to find out what services
they need for people with learning disabilities and to promote social care as a
career option within those communities.
We have held mini-conferences for managers to share our knowledge and
experience and draw on the guidance of outside advisers. In particular, we have
been working with Dr Ghazala Mir - of the Nuffield Institute for Health at Leeds
University and joint author of the Valuing People report on ethnicity and learning
disability – to look at diversity issues around families, reaching people with
learning disabilities from minority ethnic backgrounds, and staff recruitment.
In Cumbria, we have made positive links with the Oaklea Trust, whose supported
employment schemes have introduced us to a number of new staff over the past
eighteen months. In Sheffield, we made contact with the Burngreave New Deal
regeneration project, attending information events for people from Pakistani
backgrounds. This gave us an opportunity to reach out to communities and
promote all the services – including new mental health services which we are
currently developing – that are available.
"The action points show important progress in the [UR’s] cultural competence and a shift in the organisational strategy towards providing more culturally sensitive services. For example, making connections with the local organisations, appointing staff from ethnic groups and providing training on diversity."(Dr Ghazala Mir, co author of ‘Learning Difficulties and Ethnicity’ – Valuing People 2001, writing about UR’s position across the North in December 2005)