Sense of belonging
Valuing a child's culture helps them feel they belong to their community.
Case study · Gloucestershire County Council · 2013 to 2019
Putting culture at the heart of children's services
How cultural competence training helped 300 children's services staff, and then the county's foster carers, understand and record the role culture plays in a child's life.
300
children's services staff trained in 12 months
97%
rated the children's services training excellent
12
foster carer sessions from 2015 to 2019
100%
of foster carers surveyed rated the trainer excellent
"This training is a must for anyone who fills in assessments for their clients."
The challenge
Gloucestershire County Council wanted every child's assessment and care plan to reflect who that child really is, including their culture, ethnicity and faith. In 2013 the council commissioned DiverseCT to train all staff in its Children and Young People Operations teams, going beyond the basics so staff could show in their assessments how culture shapes a child's needs and outcomes.
Why cultural competence matters for children
Positive self-view
Recognising a child's background places value on difference.
Mental health
Knowing who you are and where you belong lays the foundation for future wellbeing.
Better outcomes
Meeting each child's specific needs leads to person-centred care.
Who took part
- Social workers
- Family support workers
- CAF coordinators
- Disabled children's workers
- Fostering and adoption workers
- Looked-after children staff
- Community social workers
- Administrators
- The Family Information Service
Sessions were held across the county:
- Gloucester
- Cheltenham
- Stroud
- Cinderford
- Brockworth
What every participant learned
- The depth of cultural influence
- Their own unconscious bias
- Why culture matters in a child's assessment
- How to account for culture in assessments
- The individuality of families within communities
- How cultural competence works at every level
Results from children's services
Knowledge increased
- 85% a great deal
- 10% a lot
- 5% a little
Competence increased
- 83% a great deal
- 14% a lot
- 3% a little
Trainer rated
- 95% excellent
- 5% good
Training rated overall
- 97% excellent
- 3% good
"Best training I have been on."
"This has been the best training on cultural diversity that I have attended."
"Made to feel inclusive, humorous, really enjoyed it. Inspirational trainer. Would highly recommend this course."
Extending the training to foster carers
The council then asked DiverseCT to train its foster carers. "Understanding Cultural Diversity" was a 3-hour course run twice a year at fire stations, community centres and council venues around the county, with evening sessions added so working carers could attend.
2015
Two sessions
2016
Two sessions
2017
Four sessions
2018
Two sessions
2019
Two sessions
2020
Both sessions cancelled because of COVID-19
12
sessions from 2015 to 2019
108
places booked across five sessions with attendance records
22
carers booked per session on average
15
carers booked onto more than one session
November 2018 evaluation (20 carers)
Rated the trainer excellent100%
Rated the training excellent95%
Said their knowledge increased a great deal74%
"He was fantastic! Engaging and thought-provoking."
"I enjoyed the whole 3 hours. It kept me interested at all times."
"Open conversations between us all, and learning from Sultan's experience and knowledge."
Lessons for other organisations
Train the whole team
Training everyone who touches a child's case built a shared understanding across the service.
Link learning to everyday tasks
Focusing on assessments and care plans made cultural competence practical.
Go to where people are
Sessions across the county, and in the evenings for carers, made it easy to take part.
Build a long-term relationship
Starting with staff and extending to foster carers created consistency around every child.
Want culturally competent services for your community?
We design and deliver cultural competence training for social care, health, fostering and frontline teams, tailored to your service and your communities.