Background
to the
Research
- This report brings together
contributions made by representatives of the Chinese, Indian, Pakistani,
Asian and Traveller Communities, as well as professionals from the voluntary
and statutory sectors, to a conference held in Belfast in November 1996.
The aim of the conference was to raise awareness of the health and social
needs of ethnic minorities in NI.
Research
Approach
- A series of papers relating to the needs
of ethnic communities were presented and two workshops took place, one
on identifying needs and one on planning for service provision for ethnic
minority groups.
Main Findings
Suneil
Shaarma (Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities)
- Ethnic minorities in NI have experienced,
and continue to experience, racial discrimination in the provision of
primary health care services.
- Members of ethnic minority communities
may experience racial prejudice from healthcare staff. This may inhibit
their use of services.
- The training of healthcare professionals
fails to take into account ethnic diversity in NI society.
- Members of ethnic minority communities
who speak little or no English are sometimes given unsuitable or ineffective
advice.
- Material concerning health education and
public services are not always available in languages other than English.
- Official responses to problems within the
ethnic minority communities are often culturally inappropriate.
- The government lacks any clear policy
and social programmes to meet the welfare and social needs of minority
ethnic communities.
- There is no core funding available to minority
ethnic communities from the DHSS, except an annual grant of £30,000
towards the Traveller community.
Shek
Yung Lee (Chinese Welfare Association)
- The high profile of the political conflict
has masked the needs of the Chinese and other ethnic minority communities.
- The majority of the Chinese community
is concentrated in the catering industry, where people work long and
unsociable hours. The community is also widely dispersed throughout
NI. These factors have led to social isolation and exclusion.
- The language barrier leads to difficulties
in accessing health and social services, welfare, housing provision
and education and training. Strict immigration laws prevent the Chinese
from entering into other areas of economic activity and accessing adequate
housing.
- Members of the Chinese community encounter
racist and discriminatory attitudes from local people. They are adversely
affected by a lack of coherent policy on the part of statutory providers
in relation to their needs.
Manju
Tandon (Indian Community Centre)
- Access to information in Health Clinics
and hospitals is restricted for members of the Indian community because
leaflets and other information are not available in Urdu, Punjabi and
Hindi.
- A greater choice of food is needed when
a stay in hospital is required, as most Hindu people are vegetarian.
- Many women would prefer to access information
in their own language and discuss their health and social needs with
women from the same culture and tradition as them. The Centre would
like financial assistance to run regular information sessions on the
subjects of diet, contraception, keep-fit, and childcare.
Rukhsar
Ali (Craigavon Asian Women's and Children's Association)
- Although many Asian young children were
born in NI and speak English, the majority of older people and some
younger women do not. Consequently, they have difficulty accessing the
full range of health care services.
- The community attending the Centre are
all Muslims and religious requirements raise issues for people in hospital
care and in school. Muslims do not eat pork, and meat must be prepared
in line with tradition. Vegetarian food must be requested in hospital
and in school
- Whilst some of the women attending the
Centre have been in NI for 25-30 years, they report feeling marginalised.
They identify strongly with the need for their own community centre,
staff and resources.
- Women also expressed the need for additional
advice and information in their own language(s) and the desire for regular
information sessions to be held in the Centre.
Mary
Ellen Mongan (Monagh Road Traveller Site)
- The rights of Travelling people to clean
water sanitation, rubbish collection and accommodation have been continually
denied. This has had, and continues to have, serious consequences for
the health and well-being of travellers.
- The 16 families at Monagh - seventy-four
people - share eight toilets and four water stand pipes. Promises of
a serviced site have yet to materialise.
- Adult life expectancy amongst travellers
is 11-15 years less than in the settled community. Levels of child mortality
are higher than among the settled community.
- Levels of childhood immunisation are low
and there is a higher risk of inherited diseases.
- There are higher incidences of hospital
admissions for preventable diseases and more injuries than normal resulting
from road traffic accidents.
- Many GP's are reluctant to register Traveller
patients while they are living on unauthorised or illegal sites.
- Currently, the level of unemployment among
adult male Travellers is 80%. There is a high level of dependence on
social security benefits, and low levels of literacy and educational
achievement.
- In recent years a very good relationship
has developed between Travellers and health staff - particularly health
visitors and social workers.
- Better access to health care will not
bring about improvements in the health of Travellers unless the chronic
physical conditions in which Travellers are compelled to live are rectified.
Recommendations
Key
needs identified
- There is a lack of sensitivity in statutory
provision to cultural diversity.
- Some members of ethnic minority groups
experience language problems which leads to difficulty in accessing
information and services.
- Travellers are experiencing poor accommodation
and lack access to basic sanitation.
- Ethnic minorities are largely excluded
from the consultation process for health and social care.
- There is inadequate funding for support
organisations.
- Ethnic minorities are largely excluded
from the purchasing plans to fund projects on a realistic timetable.
- There is a lack of Race Relations legislation
and race equality policies.
- There is a lack of appropriate education,
training and employment opportunities for Ethnic Minority groups.
Key
recommendations
- A mechanism needs to be developed which
guarantees on-going consultation with ethnic minority groups with regard
to health and social needs. Consultation should take place at local
and regional levels.
- In order to ensure appropriate addressing
of identified needs, formal lines of communication between the various
levels of policy makers should be established.
- In keeping with the Race Relation (NI)
Order 1997, ethnic monitoring and codes of practice should be built
into the policy, planning and service delivery of all government departments
and statutory agencies.
- A sustainable structure that provides
support to ethnic minority groups should be established at local level.
- Core funding for support organisations
and developmental work should be provided.
- Policy aimed at the provision of services
for all major ethnic communities in NI should be incorporated into strategic
planning of DHSS and Social Service Boards. More culturally appropriate
models of service delivery to meet the specific needs of ethnic minority
groups should be introduced.
- Appropriate education, training and employment
opportunities for ethnic groups should be created and the Health Service
should employ more ethnic minority workers.
- Service providers should provide appropriate
translation and interpreting services to ensure access to information
and services.
- All staff should have anti-racism and
race awareness training.
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