The document discusses working with concepts of difference and sameness in delivering support services. It emphasizes the importance of understanding service users' cultural backgrounds and experiences with oppression. The speaker argues that support should help users explore their racial and cultural identities, provide multi-lingual staff, and involve the black community as experts in service delivery and review. Understanding racial identity development frameworks can help ensure appropriate referrals and value a diversity of services.

1. Working with ‘difference’ and
‘sameness’
Cashain David
Ujima Housing Group

2. Starting points…
 When delivering support, being black is
the both most important and most
unimportant thing at the same time
 The general discourse around fair
access, diversity and inclusion is a
discussion about cross cultural practice

3. Overview
 Understanding support in the QAF
context
 Exploring racial identity
development and the
 The commissioning dilemma
 What is quality services for specific
services ?

4. How do we support people?
 somewhere to live
 emotional problems
 getting through a crisis
 a full life during the day
 making and keeping friendships

5. more…
 getting and holding down a job
 getting a reasonable income
 Someone to speak on their behalf
 learning new skills

6. QAF C1.5 Fair Access, diversity and
inclusion
 A focus on commitment to principles
of equality of opportunity
 Respecting difference
 Involving users
How does this framework recognise
those who work with ‘sameness’

7. What does this mean ….
Support should be rooted in;
 An understanding of their culture or
background
 An ability to relate to oppression
 A belief in the ability to transform or heal

8. UJIMA's added value…
 Help to make/keep contact with people
from their own background
 Opportunities to explore who they are
racially and culturally
 Multi-lingual staff to explore ‘language
codes’
 Knowledge of patterns of expression
 Commitment to development of the Black
‘community’

9. Black Identity Development
Not everyone knows that they are
black, some people discover it…

10. Dr William Cross
 A clinical psychologist practicing in
the USA
 Aim – to explain the need for
psychological liberation under
conditions of oppression
 Central issues is IDENTITY and
TRANSITION

11. Published..
 Negro-to-Black conversion. 1971
 Models of Nigrescence. 1980
(Nigrescence – from the French ‘the process of
becoming Black’)
 Shades of Black. 1991
 His work has been modified and adapted
to the British context by Dr June Farrell

12. Development of identity
 AUTOMATIC  DISCOVERY
 ‘socialisation’  ‘encounter’
 Early childhood  ‘the process of
 Adolescence becoming black’
 adulthood  ‘nigrescence’

13. Stages in Black identity development
 Pre-Encounter - Identifies with White culture,
rejects or denies membership in Black culture.
 Encounter - Rejects previous identification with
White culture, seeks identification with Black
culture.
 Immersion/Emersion - Completely identifies
with Black culture and denigrates White culture.
 Integration/Commitment - Internalizes Black
culture, transcends racism, fights general cultural
oppression.

14. A look at racial identity…why?
 Gives a framework for understanding of
responses and presentations
 Acknowledges the impact of racism and
discrimination on choices
 Help referrers to make more appropriate
referrals to services
 Assists commissioners to understand and
value of a wide spectrum of services

15. In a word…
 Some black people use or services
because we are Black like them,
whilst others in our communities do
not use our services because we are
Black’

16. Making it real…
Involve the communities as experts
in your service delivery

17. Why ?
 Ownership
 Relevance
 Source of knowledge
 Addresses the underlying
contributing factors

18. Be creative about who you listen
to..
 Hairdressers and Barbers
 Street Cleaners
 Churches, Mosques, Gudwaras’
 Noise Nuisance – Environmental
Health officers
 Shops who sell ‘exotic goods’ direct
to the community

19. Delivery – what’s in it for the
community ?
 Our buildings stand empty, and are
mythical places
 People always looking for venues for
Births, Marriages and Deaths
 ‘Venues that are known and used by
the community are not feared by
the community’
 Get to know family, friends and
peers – invite them to your events

20. Service Review – who’s the piper ?
 Invite community to tell you how
you are doing… but only if you are
going to act on what they say
 Open lunches
 Entertainment events with feedback
 Paid rota visits by members of the
community
 Committee of elders

21. A focus on the Causes
 The real challenge is to deliver
services that causes of vulnerability
and disadvantage.
 Exclusion from education,
employment, feeling valued, social
life, information, valued
relationships, good parenting, safe
neighbourhoods etc..

22. Critical Quality Questions
 What are you doing to prevent
family breakdown ?
 How are you responding to
exclusions form schools ?
 How are you preventing substance
use/abuse ?
 How do you help service users find
and maintain relationships ?