Improving practice: Practical steps

This section will take a solution-focused approach to improving social work practice by connecting the theoretical frameworks of Intersectionality and cultural trauma, with the lived experience of community members.

Through the sharing of practical steps and tools, we will answer two questions:

• How can we reduce barriers to engagement?
• How can we challenge unconscious bias?

How can we reduce barriers to engagement?

Transparency

Barriers to engagement can be detrimental to supporting Gypsy/Traveller communities, however, there are some practical steps you can take. The ‘Our voices’ section highlighted that communication with Gypsy/Traveller families and reassurance that social work is there to support them, not to remove their children, is a crucial first step.

Margaret explained that when social work first began supporting her, they ‘took the time to listen and learn about our community… An’ she would discuss it and explain it when we maybe didn’t understand certain things.’

By taking a step back and reassuring the community and communicating, the social worker was able to build rapport and a supportive relationship with Margaret. This was despite initial concerns and mistrust from Margaret’s family around the removal of children.

Additionally, Ann raised that there is a distinct lack of awareness among Gypsy/Traveller communities around the role of social work. Therefore, it’s important that you take the time to be transparent and explain your role and remit from the start. While this may feel standard practice, it’s an important step in order to mitigate the impact that cultural trauma and fear may be having on your engagement with communities.

In Margaret’s experience, the reason there was a positive relationship built was not only that social work was transparent, but also that they created a safe environment for Margaret and her family to feel heard and actively listened to. This was not the case for Kathleen. Throughout her experience she highlights how this led to misunderstandings, cultural taboo, and a feeling of isolation.

Cultural awareness

Cultural awareness includes avoiding conversations about sex, puberty and sexuality with young women until you have a firm feeling for the taboo within that individual’s family. Margaret highlights the importance of this, as starting a conversation about a taboo subject may mean losing any future opportunity to talk with that young woman due to strict cultural codes and religious beliefs.

In Kathleen’s experience there was a lack of awareness around the importance of marriage to young Gypsy/Traveller women. This led to her feeling misunderstood, forced to stay in an unhealthy relationship and having to tell ‘them [social work] everything is fine when it’s no.’ Having an active-listening session with young women in this position may help you to develop a better knowledge of their options and personal context.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding was highlighted as a concern by Kathleen, particularly in reference to LGBTQI+ Gypsy/Travellers. She highlights that there are experiences of young LGBTQI+ people having been ‘outed’ by social work reports. Therefore, it’s important that workers recognise reports may be read by parents and that significant pressure may be placed on young people to share their reports with parents. Confidentiality is crucial in these situations, as being accidentally ‘outed’ can cause safeguarding concerns for young people.

Furthermore, Steven’s story highlighted to us the immense pressure that exists for young LGBTQI+ Gypsy/Travellers; and James was very focused on ensuring any support for LGBTQI+ Gypsy/Travellers was done subtly.

Consistency

Consistency is a crucial element of meaningful engagement, particularly with Gypsy/Traveller communities – Gypsy/Traveller communities ‘deal with people and not institutions’. Therefore, consistent engagement to build a positive relationship with individual social workers is crucial.

Ann suggests regular informal wellbeing checks (eg over the phone) to develop rapport and trust with Gypsy/Traveller communities. This may be especially effective when families are shifting (a Gypsy/Traveller word for going on the road), as it would ensure relationships are retained over periods of time and that vulnerable people do not become isolated.

Policy frameworks and risk assessment

Policies and frameworks exist to support effective practice, however, at times these may cause concern and mistrust within Gypsy/Traveller communities. Therefore, you should always recognise the intersectional impact of policy, alongside the need for culturally informed practice. For example, Kathleen highlights GIRFEC and the impact this may have for young Gypsy/Travellers when not culturally informed. One practical step you could take is to ensure that all policies are considered and openly discussed with Gypsy/Traveller communities, ensuring adequate time to recognise barriers and co-produce solutions.

Kathleen also highlighted the impact of risk assessments on her experience of domestic violence and ability to be a mother. In her story she describes the travelling Gypsy/Traveller lifestyle [being perceived by social work] as a risk factor, and feeling forced to stay in a house so as to not ‘face backlash’ from her children’s panel.

A practical step is to ensure Gypsy/Travellers are offered more effective communication around risk factors – what they mean, how they are defined and how they relate to child welfare concerns. During this process it is crucial that the cultural rights of Gypsy/Travellers are understood and respected. These rights are established within the Equality Act 2010 and other frameworks such as the newly announced Scottish Human Rights Bill, which seeks to incorporate a number of conventions including Economic, Social and Cultural rights.

Tool: MANG

MANG is a handy tool to ensure you are always engaging effectively and meaningfully with Gypsy/Traveller communities:

M.A.N.G

Mitigate unconscious bias

Acknowledge intersectionality

Navigate cultural pressures

Gain confidence

1. Mitigate your unconscious bias by following our guidance (see below) and by doing the ‘headline’ exchange in every situation.
2. Acknowledge intersectionality by considering all the ‘parts’ to the supported person’s identity.
3. Navigate cultural pressures by returning to your learnings from the ‘Our voices’ section, and actively listen to the person you’re supporting and their individual context.
4. Gain confidence of Gypsy/Traveller communities by showing transparency, communicating that you are there to help and not just another part of ‘authority.’

How can we challenge unconscious bias?

Bias can be complex and multi-faceted, however, no matter how it occurs and in what environment, it is important you feel confident to challenge it. We will focus our attention on two specific forms of bias – confirmation bias and attribution bias. Both have been prevalent in the stories and experience of community members.

Definitions

• Confirmation bias – inclination to draw conclusions about a situation or person based on your personal desires, beliefs and prejudices, rather than on unbiased fact.
• Attribution bias – where you try to make meaning from someone’s behaviour, or falsely assume, based on prior observations or experiences with someone else, without the benefit of hearing a person’s full story.

Confirmation bias

Confirmation bias was evident in Kathleen’s story – she was given a tutor to support with schoolwork despite being able to cope on her own. In this case, Kathleen felt assumptions were made about her need for additional support because Gypsy/Travellers tend to have lower attainment levels than settled people. This type of bias can narrow opportunities for marginalised communities – it can mean people are treated differently due to societal stereotypes/prejudices.

Kathleen also highlighted that she felt social work came to the conclusion that her way of life was a ‘risk factor’ because she did not live ‘the ‘perfect life’, where you’re supposed to get a job, have a wean, have a hoose and probably sit wie yer 25-year mortgage’.

Attribution bias

This bias was highlighted in Ann’s story (as well as James’). Ann described being treated differently at a restaurant when she was younger because the restaurant had trouble with ’Travellers before’. You may have heard the expression ‘tarring all with the same brush’, in layman’s terms this expression describes an element of attribution bias. In Ann’s case, the restaurant staff drew conclusions about Ann and her friends. As the staff had trouble with young Gypsy/Travellers in the past they were judged, despite Ann and her friends causing no trouble.

Challenging unconscious bias

Some forms of unconscious bias are natural as historically they would help us to understand our world. For example, clustering people into groups with expected characteristics make it easy for us to navigate the world without becoming overwhelmed. However, it also means that we have a 2D understanding of what is a 3D world; or in other words we can assume the needs of individuals and overlook their intersectional identities. Therefore, to effectively understand context and meaningfully support communities we must challenge our unconscious bias. Here are some practical steps to help you do that:

1. Take a step back and ask yourself ‘what do I not know yet?’

   Slowing down and seeking first to understand before being understood, can help you make a rational unbiased decision. This was evident in Margaret’s story where the social worker slowed down and took the time to learn from the Gypsy/Traveller community before reporting back.

2. Separate the person and the issue

   We can fall victim to bias very easily, our judgement can be clouded with previous experiences or stories we have heard. Therefore, you should always separate the issue and the person, to make sure that your approach/action is unbiased. When doing this always consider proportionality (eg is your planned approach/action proportionate to the approach/action you would take in the same case with a different person?)

Instructions

The Headline Exchange

• Travellers invade local park —————–> Jews invade local park
• Village to evict Gypsies ————————> Village to evict the Disabled
• Stamp on the camps —————————> Stamp on their homes

All the above headlines on the left are real headlines from local press throughout the UK. On the other side, we have swapped the targeted group from Gypsy/Travellers to another protected minority.

1. Reflect on how you feel reading the headlines on the left side, as opposed to the right side (eg Do you feel one side is worse than the other? Which side are you most outraged by?).
2. On a piece of paper draw three columns (as shown below).
3. In the first column write down a situation you would expect social work to routinely support communities with/ a situation you’re actively supporting.
4. Consider this situation happening within a settled community/ to a settled person. In the central column write down any feelings that you have and in the last column any action you would propose to take.
5. Repeat this process but consider the same situation happening within a Gypsy/Traveller community/ to a Gypsy/Traveller person.
6. Were there any differences between the two? Were your actions the same? If not, what was different? Did both situations make you feel the same? Reflect on the action proposed if any bias comes to light.

Situation	Feelings	Action(s)
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