Foreword

I am pleased to write the foreword to this report, which provides an insight into the discoveries made through MEWN Cymru’s Communities and Advice Services Project. “Untangling the Web” captures the lessons learned from each of the four key strands of the project, which included - community development, advocacy, research and training.

The focus of the work was to improve access to legal advice and information for ethnic minorities in Wales, and over the life of the project, a number of barriers to access, and a range of possible solutions have been identified.

Of particular concern within the report, are the gaps across Wales in sharing information and best practice. Therefore perhaps one of the most positive aspects to this project has been to pull together all the good work that is already going on, or is currently underway in Wales. Cascading this information widely will provide a long-term impact, far beyond the life of the project.

In addition, the report sets out a series of recommended measures for change for a range of key partners, in order that the needs of ethnic minority communities in Wales may be better addressed. I am sure that those with a commitment to equality will wish to consider the role that they can play to improve the situation.

Bob Chapman

Acting Wales Director, Legal Services Commission

Untangling the Web…

The Community Legal Service was established in 2000 to co-ordinate legal and advice services in England and Wales and to contribute to making the justice system fair, accessible and affordable.

However, it has been acknowledged through the Legal Services Commission’s own work and Government reports that among members of ethnic minority communities’ take-up of mainstream advice services is generally low. “Black and minority ethnic respondents were less likely than white respondents to have taken action and more likely to think that nothing could be done to help them”[1], although there is little evidence that is Wales specific.

In July 2002, supported by anecdotal evidence from its members and through community development work, Minority Ethnic Women’s Network Wales (MEWN Cymru) established the Communities and Advice Services Project, to improve access to legal advice and information to ethnic minorities in Wales.

The project has four strands: Research, Community Development, Advocacy and Training and Education. Managed by a full time project manager, the project also employed three part time community development workers to undertake specific work to address the individual needs of both ethnic minorities and community groups in Newport, Swansea and along the north Wales coastline.

Untangling the Web is the result of this co-ordinated approach and provides an insight into what was discovered during the life of this project, as part of the community development, advocacy, research and subsequent training programme. As a consequence MEWN Cymru believes that key players including the Welsh Assembly Government, the Legal Services Commission and advice providers have a duty to recognise and respond to the issues addressed within this document and it’s recommendations.

The Research

Until now, the ‘Snakes and Ladders’ report (2002) is the only report that has investigated advice on an All-Wales basis to marginalised groups and the focus of that report was specifically to employment advice.

To date there have been no prior study investigating the specific needs and experiences of ethnic minority communities in accessing advice and information across Wales.

The University of Wales, Bangor and University of Glamorgan were commissioned by MEWN Cymru in April 2004 to examine these issues. This report looked to identify some of the reasons behind this with a view to look at how support could be better provided to BME individuals in Wales.

According to the 2001 census, of the 3 million people living in Wales, the ethnic minority population make up 2.1% of the total population, almost 62,000 people. It is important to note that this figure does not include students, migrant workers and asylum seekers and refugees.

It can be noted that in Wales there are specific factors that contribute to the disadvantage suffered by ethnic minorities. These include racism, cultural and religious factors, language, and a lack of outreach and community support in some areas, ineffective equal opportunities policies and a lack of role models. The geographical nature of Wales also makes issues regarding ethnic minority populations somewhat unique to the rest of the UK.

Geographical Remit

The target research areas were identified to coincide with the project’s wider remit in terms of community development work. Thus, this research supports work already being undertaken with communities and feeds into the project’s community development work, which continues until July 2005.

Research Aims

The research aimed to identify:

What problems BME individuals, both visible and non-visible, typically report as needing help with
Their knowledge of advice giving agencies
What barriers exist for BME individuals and communities, in taking up advice and information services in Wales

What perceptions service providers have of the delivery of services to BME individuals and communities and what support they need to deliver a more effective service
What examples of good practice exist across Wales

A number of strategies are used to elicit information from the target groups including a survey of around 200 EM individuals and groups and a survey of 90 service providers; focus groups with EM individuals, telephone interviews with both groups and semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Information was also obtained from related research reports and from development workers working with relevant EM communities.

Information was gathered on advice seeking in relation to the problems/disputes related to advocacy, welfare benefits, debt, immigration, consumer issues, education, cultural issues, housing or employment. The emerging findings from the research and the full report can be downloaded from MEWN Cymru’s website at: www.mewn-cymru.org.uk

Community Development Work

Community development work took place in Newport, Swansea and along the North Wales coastline from October 2003 through the employment of three part time development workers.

In each area, the aim was to work closely with local BME individuals and community groups in order to ascertain what their needs and experiences where in respect of advice provision in their locality, and to look at ways in which these issues may be addressed through pilot initiatives.

Newport

In Newport, the project focused around the Maindee area of the city and set about establishing a one-day per week drop in referral service. This service received little promotion. Despite this our community development worker found that as a result of his community language skills and the trust that he gained from initial users of the project, news of the service spread through word of mouth. As a result the community development worker has forged close working relationships with local advice agencies and solicitors firms, providing supported referral where appropriate. However, he has also acted in an advocacy role providing interpretation for clients and accompanying them to court or solicitors appointments where required.

In Newport we also established a joint initiative with Newport Citizen’s Advice Bureau to encourage individuals from the local BME communities to become volunteers within the service

North Wales

Our community development worker established links with individuals and community groups along the north Wales coastline and sought to identify their individual needs in respect to advice and information and respond to these where appropriate. Due to the rurality of the region, the small numbers of ethnic minorities in the area and limited support mechanisms available to them, this task was extremely challenging. During this period the project worked closely with NWREN and BVSNW to establish a BME workers forum in order that information could be better exchanged between such workers in the area and they could work as effectively as possible given the limited resources and area specific challenges to them.

One of the main successes of the project in the area has been to develop a comprehensive information booklet specifically for ethnic minority individuals in the area, providing information on a range of issues from emergency telephone numbers to how to find accommodation. For more information about this booklet please see our website at: www.mewn-cymru.org.uk

Swansea

In Swansea we completed the task of mapping the ethnic minority communities living within the area, their needs and experiences, whilst also interviewing advice providers as to the services they provided and their accessibility. During this project MEWN Cymru fundraised to cover transport costs for women from the Bangladeshi community in Swansea, in order to encourage women to attend English classes. The aim was to allow them to feel more confident about accessing local services and in understanding their rights.

Work was also undertaken to advise individual providers as to why ethnic minority individuals chose not to access their services and advice was provided around measures that might be taken to address this situation. A full report including recommendations for action is available from our website at: www.mewn-cymru.org.uk

The current funding for the remaining community development work ends in July 2005 and MEWN Cymru is currently looking for ways to continue our presence in Newport and North Wales in order that we may build on the relationship and work we have established in the regions.

Training

The training package was initiated as a result of the feedback we received from advice providers during both our community development work and research. Providers informed us that they recognised that they were not attracting ethnic minority individuals to their organisations, but either didn’t know why or very often felt that when they did, they lacked the knowledge and resources to do anything to address the barriers to access.

The package aimed to encourage providers to take a step back and look at ways in which their organisation may be more inclusive within the limited resources and time available, whilst also providing some evidence on the barriers to individuals accessing their services, including case studies. The session includes the opportunity to action plan for the way forward and also offers some tools to enact change for providers.

Eight sessions were delivered during February and March to voluntary sector advice providers across Wales. Feedback from these sessions has been extremely positive and has indicated that providers would benefit from receiving this more widely within their organisations, but also to extend this work to other areas including how to include ethnic minority individuals within planning and consultation processes, how to engage with local community groups and individuals and tailored advice on change for individual organisations.

Findings

So what did all this work tell us?

Investigation into the needs of BME individuals in rural areas is required

Further investigation into the situation of BME population in rural areas is urgently needed. Support networks and access to information for isolated ethnic minority individuals living in rural areas is very poor.

An example of this would be in North Wales, where information about advice agencies can be difficult to access, particularly if you are not familiar with the British System (as many newcomers including seasonal workers, students and migrant workers are not).

This is further compounded by the lack of awareness and acknowledgement amongst providers of the existence of ethnic minorities within their locality, “Some areas where there were known transient, mixed race or white minority ethnic communities, workers did not identify that there were any BME residents, seemingly associating BME only with those who were visibly black or Asian”[2].

In North Wales there is no central place to go for information about advice agencies. Many EM individuals rely on people from their own culture and community who have lived in the area for longer for advice. The number of EM individuals is relatively low so there are few EM social networks/organisations. The organisations that do provide support to EM individuals are often under funded and overstretched. This leaves many EM people are isolated without knowing where to go for help (See the capacity building section later in this paper).

As a result, “Members of minority ethnic groups in rural areas can also experience a double form of isolation, they are, to a large extent, cut off from most of the activities of the majority of their community… and they also find there are serious barriers between themselves and the white majority”[3]. The NCVO Challenging Rural Racism report (1995) also noted that isolation is a ‘particularly acute factor for minority ethnic women who are less likely to have access to appropriate community structures.[4]

Advice agencies are few and far in-between. The quality of advice differs between agencies and regions. Many have limited opening hours and most are only open during office hours. This makes it very difficult for people who are working to visit the advice agency.

Furthermore, there are many physical barriers that make it difficult for EM individuals to seek professional advice, for example, public transport. The provision of public transport in north Wales is poor.

The public transport network is not well integrated. This can make travel very time consuming and expensive to reach advice agencies by public transport. Many times people are forced to take time off work to meet with an advice provider. “many advice services operate only during normal working hours, making them difficult to access for those who work such hours”[5]

Another barrier to using public transport is to feel ‘on the spot’. It can be challenging to use public transport for EM individuals as the number of EM individuals in North Wales is low and people feel uncomfortable being the only EM on the bus.

“I cannot use public transport. People stare at you when you go on a bus. I am forced to use a taxi”.

EM woman in North Wales

Poor public transport networks make people heavily reliant on access to a car. In order to drive a car you must have a driving licence, the appropriate tax, MOT, know how to read a map and know how to put in petrol into your car. These can all be challenges to people who have recently moved to the UK. Newcomers from certain countries can only use the driving licence from their country for the first year. After this time they must apply for a UK driving licence. Passing the driving test requires English skills. Furthermore, the rural nature of North Wales often requires people to drive long distances to the appropriate advice agency, this many times requires ability to read a map or follow instructions. These can be barriers. In some countries a person at the service station puts petrol into your car. Not knowing how to put petrol into your car yourself makes it difficult for you to use a car, even if a friend offered you to borrow theirs.

“ I felt so free when I first got my car but then after one year I couldn’t use my driving licence any longer and had to go everywhere by bus. It took me a while to pass the driving test”.

EM woman North Wales

MEWN Cymru would argue that more investigation should be made into the best ways to access and provide support to isolated ethnic minority individuals within rural areas

Further work in mid Wales needed

Our research proposed to undertake a snapshot analysis in mid-Wales. However, in reality, this turned out to be extremely difficult.

As noted in the examples above, the needs of rural communities are very different, as research recently undertaken for the Local Criminal Justice Board Dyfed Powys- Black and Minority Ethnic Communities and the Criminal Justice System maintains, there is a “need to fully consider the implications and effects of geographic isolation on BME residents”[6] in the Dyfed Powys area. MEWN Cymru believes that further research is urgently required in this area.

The study further acknowledges the potential vulnerability of ethnic minority individuals within mid Wales. Particularly as “isolation and its effects are considered to be a significant issue when considering BME populations in Dyfed Powys, as co-ethnic, co-lingual or co-religious links that may form the basis of a community are minimal, indeed prohibited by rural factors that present significant inter ethnic networking” pg 12

“Many BME residents in rural Wales feel disadvantaged due to the lack of acknowledgement of their presence in the area and they have significant experiences that often fail to be addressed” pg 28 (Gardener Forthcoming 2004)

Require a more co-ordinated approach in supporting ethnic minority community organisations develop and deliver their support services

Local ethnic minority groups are crucial in sign posting, advocacy and support for the individuals they represent. This should include skills development for advisors who are often untrained and overwhelmed.

It has become clear from the findings of the ‘Bridging the Gap’ report and also the project’s development work that some individuals feel more comfortable approaching local BME groups as a first point of call when experiencing difficulties. This is supported by the LSC’s Annual Equalities Report 2003/04, which confirms, “BME respondents were less likely to contact a CAB, solicitor or trade union as a first advisor

However, these groups are often run on a shoestring with little or no funding. In our experience however, whilst many such organisations struggle to meet the demand for support from the individuals, they nevertheless attempt to assist as best as their capacity will allow.

BME organisations feel they do a lot worse for funding than their English counterparts and feel that this is partly due to the fact that Wales has relatively small numbers of BME individuals. However, due to the limited support mechanisms that come with this, there is an argument that such support is all the more necessary.

This issue could be resolved by ring-fencing funds from local authorities or the Welsh Assembly Government for BME communities and in particular smaller organisations that have day-to-day contact with their communities.

MEWN Cymru believes that funding organisations should constantly consider ways to create a level playing field between BME organisations and large mainstream organisations that are continually fighting for the same funds.

In light of the above, MEWN Cymru welcomes the Welsh Assembly Government’s commitment under section 10.19 of its 2004 Race Equality Scheme to review the Voluntary Sector Scheme and particularly look to develop a disadvantaged communities fund for minority ethnic voluntary/community groups and initiate research into the capacity and effectiveness of minority ethnic community/voluntary organisations.

MEWN Cymru would add however that it is imperative that whilst such a review is undertaken the Welsh Assembly Government must establish for transitional arrangements around funding and capacity building.

There is poor support to migrant workers

This sector of the population is poorly supported and have very limited access to information. They also require appropriate support mechanisms and opportunities to integrate more effectively within their communities and “there appears to be little or no knowledge of the migrant population amongst people in the areas in which they live, and there is little action taken to provide positive or practical support to them”[7]. It is important and urgent therefore to take action to further investigate the specific needs of this group.

There has recently been a large number of people moving from other European countries to some areas of Wales to take up employment. An example of this would be in North Wales. Many individuals have come into the area from the new accession countries to the European Union, but also Portugal. The numbers of EM people has doubled and even quadrupled in some localities.

They are vulnerable and are often taken advantage of. They urgently require appropriate support mechanisms and opportunities to integrate within their new communities. Some of their immediate problems include: No/very limited support and information; Poor/over-crowded housing; Health and safety concerns both about housing and employment; Poor working conditions and poor English and Welsh language skills.

This issue was first identified in the BEST North Wales BME Communities Mapping report 2004 and has been repeated in MEWN Cymru’s Bridging the Gap report. It recognised however that no research is available on the situation of these newcomers in Wales. An investigation to the size and needs of this growing group is crucial.

Further to the formal identification of this issue in the BEST report, MEWN Cymru calls for urgent work to be undertaken in this area. To view the executive summary of the BEST report, please visits the BEST project area of MEWN Cymru’s website at: www.mewn-cymru.org.uk

Interpretation and translation facilities are insufficient

EM individuals with poor English or Welsh language skills have great difficulty obtaining quality advice and support. When translation services are available, there is often a lack of awareness among front line staff how to utilise these services and how to promote them to their clients.

In our ‘Bridging the Gap’ report, “both individuals and service providers mentioned language as one of the main barriers to services”[8]

An example of a particular problem would be automated telephone messages. These are difficult to understand, especially for people who are not used to speaking English, whilst being prevalent among advice agencies. They are inflexible and complicated to use. Many times the system forces you to select a number out of a long list of options, otherwise you get cut off. This causes great difficulties.

Even advice agencies that offer interpretation facilities force you to go though the automated system first and it is not possible to request for interpretation until you have selected the correct options that connect you with a member of staff.

Translated information is also patchy between agencies and regions. Where organisations do have translated brochures or other materials available it is often difficult to access them. Front-line staff rarely know how to access their translated materials and as a client you are often sign posted to different members of staff before you can request the material. This makes it essential to being able to explain what you need in English or Welsh.

Current interpretation services available are in some cases of questionable quality. Sometimes advice agencies are not able to afford to access translation via a professional company and use friends or acquaintances to translate for their clients. Translation is a task that requires training and accuracy. Misunderstandings, inaccuracies or lack of confidentiality cause problems and mistrust between both parties.

MEWN Cymru would welcome the production of standard guidelines for advice agencies in the use of interpreters.

Note: MEWN Cymru welcomes the Legal Services Commission’s extension of its Community Legal Service Direct telephone helpline to enable access to language line, but would note that this service requires more effective promotion to ethnic minorities and advice providers alike.

MEWN Cymru also welcomes the measures taken by some local authorities in Wales to provide access to language line on request, but would also question the knowledge of this service both within the organisation and amongst potential service users.

MEWN Cymru would also suggest that the language support currently offered by the Welsh Assembly Government to Refugees could be extended to include all those from ethnic minority communities who require such support.

Require equalities practices and awareness of the needs of different groups within statutory and voluntary organisations

The awareness of EM individuals needs is patchy among advice providers. Issues specific to EM are often dealt with on an ad-hoc basis and many times front-line staff are poorly informed.

As the findings of the Hidden Needs report commissioned by Tai Hafan, BAWSO and MEWN Cymru into the ethnic minority women in North Wales outlines, there is a “low awareness of how BME women would access support or indeed what their particular support need would be”[9] among services providers.

EM individuals have complained that they have often been given incorrect advice. This is a major barrier that causes both short-term and long-term negative consequences.

“They told me I was not eligible for benefits even though I was from an EU country. After months I found out by chance, that this was not true. When I applied again it took me months to sort it out properly. It was almost impossible to find someone who knew what I was entitled to.”

EM woman in North Wales

In areas outside of the urban conurbations there are also few EM specific organisations representing and supporting EM community needs, therefore to obtain support from an ethnic or culturally specific group is not an option for individuals. Many advice agencies are unaware that they are not accessible to people from EM background. They don’t see diversity training as relevant and immediately applicable since they don’t advise many EM people.

There lack of sharing of information and good practice

Service providers would benefit from greater opportunities for interaction and coming together with ethnic minority organisations. See the good practice section below.

Poor signposting and follow-up makes the “advice system” feel complicated. Advice agencies in some areas are poorly informed on whom and where to signpost individuals both within and outside their agency.

“They kept asking me to call someone else and in the end the last person I spoke to asked me to call back the main number, where I had started!

EM woman in North Wales

This issue is particularly concerning, as “BME respondents who tried and failed to get advice about their problem were more likely to subsequently do nothing rather than go on to handle their problem alone” [10]

Ethnic monitoring

The ethnic monitoring and evaluation of both staff and the client base is crucial to an integrated service approach.

Our experiences have illustrated that in some areas, BME community groups have taken an entrenched position with assumptions that statutory, voluntary service providers, as well as private organisations, are only interested in ticking boxes. Service providers would do well from the outset to explain to community groups that on many occasions they are required by their funders to provide statistics on ethnicity, gender and faith as well as the number of individuals using their service. It is also important to highlight to individuals that these procedures are to ensure that the service is representative. This assists to gain the trust of individuals to participate in this process.

Strengthened links between EM communities and service providers at all levels. Development work has highlighted the limited level of interaction some service providers have with their local BME community.

As highlighted by the Hidden Needs report (2004) investigating the needs of ethnic minority women in north Wales, “assisting support staff with little or no previous contact with BME communities, to be aware of the many different cultures and backgrounds, and the importance of ethnic needs monitoring to inform future provision is key”[11]

Evidence has shown that by establishing such relationships, service providers may better understand the needs of this section of their local community and gain their trust to improve service uptake. For instance, consultation groups were set up by Gwent Police Authority to identify whether BME communities are satisfied in the way their communities are policed. This is never an easy task, but as the example of Gwent Police shows, persistence and commitment can build better relations and trust.

This is not to say that all service providers should initiate consultations with their local communities, but to better understand the composition of BME communities and how they feel providers could make themselves more approachable would undoubtedly be a step forward.

Proactive recruitment of BME individuals

Positive and visible approaches should be used in employing individuals who are from BME communities. This would allow for the effective rebuilding of relationships between communities and service providers. This should also be a long-term aim.

It is important to note that this requires more than having an equal opportunities policy regarding the recruitment and retention of staff. Historical disadvantage and preconceptions regarding certain appointments still exclude and prevent many members of BME communities to consider themselves suitable for some roles. Proactive work regarding recruitment and retention of such individuals should be a priority. Organisations should also evaluate their current recruitment processes and working conditions to assess if they are suitable for some individuals and should be prepared to revise these and make adaptations where required.

Short term funding

Short-term initiatives and projects, often caused by short-term funding, exacerbate an already bad situation and create even greater mistrust within local communities, especially when trust begins to develop and individuals begin to rely on a service/initiative.

“For organisations in the voluntary sector, attracting funding is a constant struggle and time consuming. It was also reported that a financially uncertain future makes the planning of services ahead difficult”[12]

In fact “most providers recognised their “inability to support people in the best way. Several spoke of the need for outreach workers that would be more easily accessible to people, including in rural areas and others for opening hours and/or helpline facilities that would be more user friendly”[13].

Promotion in an appropriate way to the whole community

Service providers need to work through many different channels when attempting to access BME communities/individuals. Traditional and obvious means of outreach may not always be suitable when trying to engage with some members of these communities, therefore diverse and dynamic approaches needs to be employed according to differing target audiences. Examples of this would be to target women’s groups and youth groups, through Mosques and community groups. This involves more effort and resources, but has the potential to be more fruitful. Developing relationships with strategic BME organisations and local community groups may help to access less visible individuals.

In light of the above, MEWN Cymru welcomes tie Welsh Assembly Government’s research project as outlined in it’s 2004 Race Equality Scheme, which “looks to identify how effectively information is given to different groups and through this implement new methods for consultation with ethnic groups and implement new methods for increasing access to information”[14]

Immigration and asylum

Government policies are putting certain sections of BME communities at a direct disadvantage, specifically asylum seekers & refugees through the new immigration and asylum legislation. It is important that when dealing with clients with immigration issues, service providers take the time to explain the difficult climate in which they are working, which will give clients a better understanding of why they may not be able to take up their cases or help them further.

Note: MEWN Cymru welcomes the Legal Services Commission’s commitment to an investigation of the appropriateness of immigration advice provision in Wales, with a view to identifying any areas in which the needs of individuals to receive this service are not at present being met.

Joint Working

More joint working/partnerships has to be encouraged between small BME organisations & mainstream organisations in both the statutory and voluntary sectors. Mainstream organisations could consider mentoring smaller BME organisations & sharing their staff, skills and knowledge with these small organisations when appropriate.

Additional points

MEWN Cymru would also like to raise its concern about the disparity between those individuals from ethnic minority communities gain specialist advice provision in order to attempt to resolve their problem and the wider population. According to the Legal Services Commission’s Annual Equalities Report 2003/04, the refusal rate of applications for civil representation amongst clients from an ethnic minority has increased since 2002/03, in far greater proportions than the white population. MEWN Cymru notes the Legal Services Commission’s commitment to looking into this issue further and looks forward to further work to address this.

Problems of engagement and over-consultation within statutory agencies

Statutory authorities are often the bodies that must be engaged with in order to resolve individuals’ particular problems. This is particularly apparent by the relatively high numbers of ethnic minority individuals requiring support around issues of community care, welfare benefits and housing[15] (other major issues are immigration and nationality and employment). However, few local authorities have a strategic plan of how they administer advice. When people do experience problems this is seldom down to one agency. However, each statutory body and each department within that body will have its own processes. Whilst information sharing and co-ordination is often limited.

It may be argued that statutory agencies are often unaware of how their policies and practices may impact on ethnic minority individuals. Under Race Relations Amendment Act (2000), local authorities now have a duty to consult with all the communities they serve. However, it may be maintained that for each agency to consult and then assess impact on their policies is not only time consuming, but also incredibly difficult. This is particularly true when trying to engage minority groups.

If local authorities and other statutory bodies were to better co-ordinate consultation initiatives and impact assessment tools, they would be able to consult with and deliver for communities including ethnic minority groups more effectively.

Good practice examples from across Wales

During the life of the project, positive examples of inclusion strategies were uncovered. MEWN Cymru believes that good practice in respect to engaging with and delivering for ethnic minority communities in respect to good quality advice and information is available in Wales. We believe that agencies should be looking to share experiences and good practice in a more co-ordinated manner, both internally and across sectors. The following are some of the examples encountered:

· “Career centre, Career Wales I think it is called. I went in there and they were very helpful. I met with the professional career development person and I told that I don’t know the area very well and so on.. They were very good and supportive and they listened and they made me feel like.. they didn’t judge me. I think it is sincere the advice they are giving.”

MEWN Cymru (north Wales) is developing an information booklet for ethnic minority individuals in the region, which will include local information on anything from emergency telephone numbers to how to find accommodation. The booklet will be translated into the five most commonly used ethnic minority languages in North Wales.

The Cynnwys Project has been set up by Gwynedd Advice and Information Partnership to ensure equal and fair access to advice and information for members of the society in Gwynedd and Ynys Môn. The aim of the project is to raise awareness of the needs of minority groups and find gaps in the existing services.

Fair CV is an enterprise being set up in North Wales in response to the report that BME individuals do not have equal opportunities to their white counterparts in the job market. Fair CV aims to change the name, gender and ethnic group of the applicants into bar codes and therefore provide an equal chance to everyone.

Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) has set up the Access for Migrant Workers Programme in North Wales and provide English and IT classes for migrant workers.

Development workers and other key workers working with ethnic minority communities in North Wales have now established a BME Workers Forum. The aim is to develop co-operation and information sharing. These meetings are facilitated by NWREN, BVSNW and MEWN Cymru.

Gwynedd Local Authority has developed a diversity-training programme, which will be piloted in the near future. It is an e-learning project aiming to reach all the staff of the local council.

Some government departments are developing or extending outreach facilities in communities, including BME communities. Such facilities clearly make access easier and encourage the use of specialist skills.

A specialist BME advisor in South Wales, reported, “We ensure, that by speaking to the families we work with, that they are satisfied that the organisation is not dominated by one particular ethnic group.”

The Legal Services Commission is funding Riverside Advice in Cardiff, to support a Positive Action Training Post. The post is for a member of the BME community to become an accredited caseworker through university and practical experience. The Training Post will ensure there is a fully accredited caseworker in Welfare Rights and Housing with Urdu/Sylheti language skills. This will serve as support to the local community in terms of language provision thus encouraging people with language difficulties to access advice and services.

· As part of its’ Communities and Advice Services Project, MEWN Cymru are delivering training specifically developed for advice service providers around more effectively meeting the needs of ethnic minorities in Wales. The project is also working with Cynnwys to deliver this to their partners, whilst Cynnwys is also delivering wider diversity training.

·        MEWN Cymru has redesigned it’s website to include a comprehensive advice and information section, which provides includes sections on: Living in Wales, Your Rights, Your Health and Professional Development

Action for Change

It has been widely acknowledged that “lack of access to legal advice can be a contributing factor in creating and maintaining social exclusion” and as a result “economic circumstances can change as a result of experiences of justifiable problems, for instance, people become more isolated, socially excluded and more sceptical when experiencing problems again in the future”[16].

MEWN Cymru would argue that in Wales, due to the nature of the ethnic minority experience, these groups are particularly affected by lack of access to quality advice and support at an early stage, which directly affects their life chances and experiences.

Indeed, as the Bridging the Gap report maintains “barriers to access to information and advice exist for BME groups in respect of most services in Wales”[17]. The Welsh Assembly Government has made social justice a national strategic priority as outlined in ‘Wales: A Better Country.’ In the Welsh Assembly Social Justice Report 2004, this notion is confirmed and defines social justice as “about every one of us having the changes and opportunities to make the most of our lives”. MEWN Cymru also warmly welcomes the Welsh Assembly Government’s Race Equality Scheme 2005-2008 ‘Race Equality in Action’, and in particular the commitment to “Develop policies and deliver services in a way that takes account of the needs of different ethnic groups in Wales and does not racially discriminate”[18] and to “help build the capacity of minority ethnic groups so that they have the confidence to engage with the Assembly and gain access to services and information with ease”[19]

With these commitments and the opportunity for real action through the implementation of its Race Equality Scheme, MEWN Cymru would call on the Welsh Assembly Government to note the issues raised in this report and commit itself to addressing the disparities in access to advice and information for ethnic minority communities in Wales. It is for this reason that MEWN Cymru feels that now is the time for change.

As a result of both our community development work and the ‘Bridging the Gap’ research report we commissioned to support this, MEWN Cymru recommend the following measures for change in order that the needs of ethnic minority communities in Wales may be better addressed.

Law Schools could:

Provide greater opportunities for skills development in legal education in Wales, particularly in those topics facing increasing demand for expertise

Advice Providers could:

Implement a diversity check-up or evaluation of their organisation and include diversity considerations, such as ethnic monitoring within all policy and service delivery areas.

Promote opportunities for members of the BME community to work within service providing organisations as either employees or as volunteers or board members. This is especially important in the generalist provider sector

The Legal Services Commission could:

Invest in strategies to improve the visibility and accessibility of service providers targeted in particular at the BME community. This might include the promotion of outreach work with these communities.

Establish a database of approved translators and interpreters available in Wales and produce guidance on appropriate translation of literature to ethnic minority communities.

Encourage CLS partnerships to work towards greater representation of BME organisations within their local networks of agencies.

Enable free/low-cost awareness raising training specific to the needs of different advice service providers around diversity issues, this should be supported by a training pack that organisations may use to develop action plans and undertake equality impact assessments.

Consider developing alternative funding streams following their audit of the CLS development fund, in order to support voluntary organisations who are providing quality information to communities outside contractual agreements.

Encourage the CLS to further build on the partnership model as much more needs to be done to ensure that service providers are aware of services offered by other local organisations.

Local Authorities and other funders could:

Investigate the amount of current funding being provided to voluntary organisations, especially generalist advice providers, and aim to increase the funding provision and period.

Local Authorities could:

Use the revision of their race equality schemes by 31^st May 2005 to ensure that they have in place the necessary work programmes on meeting the needs of ethnic minority individuals in their localities.

The WCVA could:

Support an audit of funding to ethnic minority voluntary organisations in Wales through the Voluntary Sector Partnership Council in co-ordination with the WAG, WLGA, BVSNW and MEWN Cymru.

Trade Unions could:

Develop better links and strengthen ties with the ethnic minority voluntary sector.

The Equality Commissions could:

Engage in the development of all Wales advice forum, in order to improve liaison, quality of training, competency, developing and the sharing of expertise.

The CRE, and the DRC in particular, can use the findings and recommendations of this report to highlight the importance of effective advice services and support which respond effectively to the needs of ethnic minority individuals in its work.

Take on the lessons learnt from recent research projects, in regard to ethnic minority disadvantage and ensure that these are considered as part of the development of the CEHR

More effectively promote their role and the support that they provide. In particular consider ways to use access points to ethnic minority communities such as through ethnic minority voluntary organisations and ethnic minority specific media

The National Assembly for Wales could:

Establish a campaign to promote rights awareness to ethnic minority communities and other minority groups on their legal rights and promote the benefits of early access to good quality advice and support

Develop an all Wales strategy to fund interpretation and translation facilities. Co-ordinate funding to develop and effective all-Wales provision for individuals and organisations, especially those in the voluntary sector

Co-ordinate the provision of funding to voluntary sector bodies to enable effective capacity building that is relevant to small ethnic minority organisations needing to develop their management and representational skills and relevant to established bodies which need to provide services to local ethnic minority users.

And finally….

MEWN Cymru is itself committed to continuing to work with the relevant agencies to deliver on the above objectives and would welcome the support and engagement of other agencies who wish to work with us to deliver these aims.

Acknowledgements:

We would like to thank the Legal Services Commission for the continuing commitment to working with us on this initiative. We would also like to express our thanks to the Citizen’s Advice Cymru, the Welsh Local Government Association and the Commission for Racial Equality for working with us to draw up the above recommendations.

[1] Pascoe, P. et al, (2004) Causes of Action: Civil Law and Social Justice, London, TSO (pg56)

[3] Kenderson & Kaur (1993) in VALREC- Racism in the Valleys- Perception or reality? (2002)

[5] Pascoe, P. et al, (2004) Causes of Action: Civil Law and Social Justice, London, TSO (pg 55)

[6] Black and Minority Ethnic Communities and the Criminal Justice System, Identification and analysis of BME communities in Dyfed Powys (2004:40)

[10] Pleasance, Pascoe- (2004:12) in the Legal Services Commission’s Annual Equalities Report 2003/04

[15] Legal Services Commission Annual Equalities Report 2003/04

[16] Pascoe, P. et al, (2004) Causes of Action: Civil Law and Social Justice, London, TSO

[18] WAG Race Equality Scheme 2005-2008 ‘Race Equality in Action’