Abstract
BackgroundEnsuring Cultural Competence (CC) in health care is a mechanism to deliver culturally appropriate care and optimise recovery. In policies that promote cultural competence, the training of mental health practitioners is a key component of a culturally competent organisation. This study examines staff perceptions of CC and the integration of CC principles in a mental healthcare organisation. The purpose is to show interactions between organisational and individual processes that help or hinder recovery orientated services.MethodsWe carried out a case study of a large mental health provider using a cultural competence needs analysis. We used structured and semi-structured questionnaires to explore the perceptions of healthcare professionals located in one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse areas of England, its capital city London.ResultsThere was some evidence that clinical staff were engaged in culturally competent activities. We found a growing awareness of cultural competence amongst staff in general, and many had attended training. However, strategic plans and procedures that promote cultural competence tended to not be well communicated to all frontline staff; whilst there was little understanding at corporate level of culturally competent clinical practices. The provider organisation had commenced a targeted recruitment campaign to recruit staff from under-represented ethnic groups and it developed collaborative working patterns with service users.ConclusionThere is evidence to show tentative steps towards building cultural competence in the organisation. However, further work is needed to embed cultural competence principles and practices at all levels of the organisation, for example, by introducing monitoring systems that enable organisations to benchmark their performance as a culturally capable organisation.
Highlights
Ensuring Cultural Competence (CC) in health care is a mechanism to deliver culturally appropriate care and optimise recovery
International research has shown that Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities fear and mistrust mental health services, and that BME groups, as they are called in UK policy, feel alienated and generally misunderstood (Mohan et al 2006 [1]; Bhui et al 2003 [2]; Leese et al 2006 [3]; Fearon et al 2006 [4]; Warfa et al 2006a [5]; Warfa et al 2006b [6])
Two thirds of the respondents were nurses, mostly of Black African ethnic origin; this was in accord with the proportional of Black African nurses employed in the Trust
Summary
Ensuring Cultural Competence (CC) in health care is a mechanism to deliver culturally appropriate care and optimise recovery. International research has shown that Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities fear and mistrust mental health services, and that BME groups, as they are called in UK policy, feel alienated and generally misunderstood (Mohan et al 2006 [1]; Bhui et al 2003 [2]; Leese et al 2006 [3]; Fearon et al 2006 [4]; Warfa et al 2006a [5]; Warfa et al 2006b [6]) This literature shows that patients from ethnic minority backgrounds are less likely to attend their GP, and more likely to be placed on compulsory treatment orders. It is suggested that the term came into use because it fits with work-based frameworks for competencies in a number of areas, an approach that has been used to train and maintain a competent professional workforce
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