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4 Methodology
4.1 The steering group and action research
This study has been overseen by a steering group, comprised of a range of partners with different perspectives and areas of expertise. The group met regularly throughout the project and was comprised of representatives from:
- Scottish Government Homelessness Division
- Scottish Government Social Research
- The City of Edinburgh Council Housing Department (now Services for Communities)
- Edinburgh Cyrenians
- Foursquare (Cowgate Centre)
- Lothian and Borders Police
- Scottish Council for Single Homeless
The group was selected to offer a breadth of experience and points of view; to provide research support; to ensure accessibility to a wide range of EU8 migrants; and to enable access to and information from relevant agencies.
It was established that an 'action research' approach be taken throughout the duration of this study. As experience of EU8 migrants is still emerging, with limited knowledge available 26, it was acknowledged that new information was likely to emerge during the period of the study. This was particularly expected to be the case for services, which are accumulating experience, knowledge and expertise all the time. It was agreed that it would be useful to include this accumulated knowledge to give the most complete picture possible of the impact of EU8 migrants on key services.
4.2 Information gathered for the study
Community profile of EU8 migrants
Analysis of official data sources
National Insurance Number Registration data and data from the Worker Registration Scheme have given a useful starting point for identifying the numbers of people who have migrated to Edinburgh and are working in legitimate settings. However, no statistical sources can provide an exact figure for in-migration into Edinburgh. In addition, existing statistical sources do not allow for migrants moving from original destinations to new ones in the UK, nor for migrants returning to their country of origin after a short period. They also do not take into account those who have never applied for a NINo or registered with the WRS. These issues are explored in more detail in section 5.
Use of a questionnaire with a small sample group of 67 (referred to as 'Group A') to gather information, covering the following issues:
- General information about EU8 migrants (demographic data; reason for coming to Edinburgh; intended length of stay in Edinburgh; level of educational achievement)
- Employment issues for those who are employed
- Employment issues for those who are unemployed
- Housing issues
- Health and well-being
- Other issues, including:
- expectations and experiences of life in Edinburgh
- experience of discrimination
- opinion of the level of service from agencies in Edinburgh
- ways of disseminating information on rights, entitlement to services and obligations of EU8 migrant workers
Five volunteers from the EU8 countries were identified to pilot the questionnaire as interviewees, then to use their social networks in a 'snowballing process' to access respondents from EU8 countries. It was recognised that this method could carry the likelihood of accessing respondents who are alike in characteristics to the original group of volunteers. However, the group was selected to cover a mix of age, gender, background, country of origin and occupation, to ameliorate this concern.
In order to ensure the quality of information obtained (especially from migrants with poor English language skills) it was important that volunteers:
- Had a good level of English
- Were trained to ensure that the meaning of questions were understood; and that objectivity was maintained when collecting data, particularly where translations of questions and transcription of answers was required
- Obtained information from a wide variety of EU8 migrants rather than rely on those in their immediate social networks
A £5 incentive voucher was given to each respondent. The resulting sample reflected a wide range of age, nationalities, family composition and gender. In addition, it was possible to draw information from those who did not speak English well. Volunteers were recruited via a wide-ranging network - through representatives at the New Member States Migrant Forum - and were briefed to approach people from beyond their immediate social networks, for example pursuing contacts through the workplace.
Comparisons were made between other studies (as outlined in the literature review) and data from questionnaire responses. The research allows us to make some observations about the overall EU8 migrant population in Edinburgh. However, given the sampling method used, it cannot be regarded as 'representative' of the wider community; rather, it offers an indicative insight into the experiences of EU8 migrants. In many - though not all - respects, characteristics between our sample and information from other sources correspond. Some consideration was given to triangulating this data with other sources to construct a likely estimate of numbers of EU8 migrants and other characteristics. However, it was concluded that this method would not give sufficiently reliable estimates to prove useful for the purposes of the study.
EU8 migrants accessing frontline homelessness services
The community profile questionnaire was also used with those accessing frontline services, 'Group B' (17 respondents), which has enabled some comparisons to be made between groups.
In-depth interviews were also carried out with 17 Group B subjects. Frontline homelessness services were contacted to help access this group (see appendix (v) for a list of participating services). The questionnaire included questions relating to:
- General experiences of life in Edinburgh and reasons for coming to the city
- Experiences of employment, finances and looking for work
- Housing and accommodation
- Health and social care needs and access to services
- Access to information and support
Interviewers were native speakers of EU8 languages, but with good English language skills and, where possible, workers in the frontline services. Therefore, it was possible to draw out in-depth information, as clients had a high level of trust with interviewers. Interviews were then transcribed from the EU8 language by trained interpreters. This process therefore maintained the integrity of the primary information given by participants, as far as possible. Group B is relatively small because anecdotal evidence suggests those EU8 nationals accessing homelessness services make up only a very small proportion of the total number of EU8 migrants in Edinburgh.
Use was also made of existing monitoring information from the Cowgate Centre.
Agencies and experience of EU8 migrants accessing services
A questionnaire was used with statutory and voluntary services working in the fields of homelessness, health and social care across Edinburgh. Managers and frontline staff from 33 agencies were surveyed and there were 37 returns overall. Many participating agencies were represented at the forum which initiated this study (see appendix (v) for list of participating agencies). Two versions of the questionnaire were designed: one for service managers and one for frontline staff. This was done to take into account potential differences in perspectives between frontline staff and managers. Areas covered in the questionnaire included:
- Contact with EU8 migrants and monitoring of trends
- Length of contact
- Demographic information about EU8 migrants in contact with services
- Types of assistance required and knowledge of entitlements
- Capacity of organisation to understand and meet needs
- Barriers experienced by EU8 migrants to services
- Effect of this new group on existing services
The response rate was lower than expected, but did provide sufficient findings to offer some conclusions.
Follow-up semi-structured interviews covering similar areas to the original questionnaire were undertaken once gaps in information were identified. Ten agencies (see appendix (v) for participants) were targeted and views sought on the following two areas:
- Vulnerable women from the EU8 states. All the interviews with Group B clients were men. Very few women have accessed frontline homelessness services and concern was expressed at the steering group that women may be experiencing difficulties, but accessing other specialist women's services
- Support for families from the City of Edinburgh Council's Children and Families Department
The research instruments are available on request from Edinburgh Cyrenians.
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