Valuing Diversity

Purpose and responsibilities

Our Purpose is to work with others to continually improve social work services so that:

they genuinely meet other people's needs the public has confidence in them

The Social Work Services Inspectorate James Craig Walk Edinburgh EH1 3BA

Preface

The Children (Scotland) Act 1995 introduced new duties "to have regard to children's religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background" when reaching certain decisions about their welfare or providing services for them. These new legal duties reflect the importance for public services of recognising the diversity of the Scottish population. People practice different religions; they have different racial origins; speak a range of languages and have varying cultural backgrounds and practices.

Local authority social work services work with the most vulnerable people in Scotland. In addressing their needs it is important to take account of their individual characteristics. Race, culture, language and religion are among the most important of these. The Scottish Office Social Work Services Inspectorate commissioned this booklet in order to help local authority staff meet the new duties. The document describes examples of good practice already in place in Scotland, sets out the wider legal and social context and describes how existing services can be more effectively tailored to individual needs. It also provides a list of useful resources which local agencies can draw upon.

I commend this document to all those working in social work services. This includes those areas which have significant black and ethnic minority populations; and also those where the numbers of black and ethnic minority families are small. The new duties apply in both circumstances. The booklet provides advice and information for front-line staff working with people from a range of cultural, racial and religious backgrounds and can be used by local authorities and voluntary organisations in planning and delivering services in the future. The booklet will also be of interest to other public services, such as education and health, and has some relevance to all work settings in our increasingly diverse Scottish communities.

Responsibility for the contents of the booklet lie with the authors. Publication does not imply that the document represents the views of the Scottish Office.

ANGUS SKINNER Chief Inspector Social Work Services Inspectorate