Cultural Competency in Social Care: Working Effectively Across Cultures

Overview

Children’s social care professionals work with children, young people and families whose cultures, beliefs, values, traditions and experiences may be very different from their own.

Developing cultural competency is not simply about learning facts about different cultures, nor is it the same as Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training. It requires professionals to recognise how culture can influence identity, communication, relationships, behaviour, expectations and experiences, while also recognising the influence of their own cultural background and assumptions on professional practice.

📅 Date & Time: 13th October, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
📍 Live Online via Teams
📢 Early Bird Price: £54 (VAT included) – Register 2+ weeks before
🎟️ Standard Price: £74 (VAT included) – Group Discount available for groups of 5+

This practical course explores how professionals can work effectively and respectfully across cultures without relying on stereotypes or making assumptions about individuals based on their cultural background.

A central theme throughout the course is cultural curiosity and cultural humility: having the confidence to ask appropriate questions, listen to individual experiences and recognise that no practitioner can be an expert in every culture.

The course also considers one of the most challenging areas of culturally responsive practice: how professionals can respect cultural differences while maintaining professional curiosity, safeguarding responsibilities and a clear focus on the individual needs and rights of the child.

Course Content

The course begins by exploring what we mean by culture and cultural competency and how culture can influence the way people understand family, childhood, relationships, authority, communication, behaviour, independence, identity and support.

Participants will consider how their own experiences, values and cultural perspectives can influence professional judgement. The course will explore cultural assumptions and bias, including the risk of interpreting behaviour exclusively through our own cultural expectations.

Attention will be given to communication across cultures, including differences in verbal and non-verbal communication, expectations around authority and respect, language barriers and the importance of asking rather than assuming.

The course will explore identity and belonging, including the significance that family, community, ethnicity, nationality, language, religion, faith, traditions, food, clothing, hair and other aspects of cultural identity can have for children and young people.

Participants will also consider the particular experience of children living away from their families or communities and the role that social care professionals can play in helping children maintain meaningful connections with their culture and heritage.

An important part of the course will examine the relationship between culture and safeguarding. Participants will explore how professionals can distinguish cultural difference from potential harm, avoid stereotyping and discriminatory assumptions, and equally avoid allowing concerns about appearing culturally insensitive to prevent appropriate professional challenge or safeguarding action.

Practice Application

The course is designed to encourage participants to translate cultural awareness into everyday professional practice.

Participants will consider how cultural information should inform assessment, care and support planning, matching, key working, communication and relationship-building.

Practical scenarios will encourage participants to consider how they might respond when their own values or expectations differ from those of a child, young person or family.

The course will explore how professionals can ask culturally sensitive questions without making assumptions, respond appropriately when they do not understand a particular cultural practice and identify when additional information or specialist advice may be needed.

Participants will also consider how organisations can create environments where children and young people feel that their identity and cultural experiences are understood, respected and represented.

Throughout the session, the emphasis will be on moving from simply being aware of difference towards developing practice that is curious, reflective, respectful and responsive.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, participants should be able to:

• Explain the meaning of culture, cultural competency and cultural humility.
• Recognise the difference between cultural competency and general Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training.
• Understand how culture can influence identity, communication, relationships, behaviour and expectations.
• Recognise how their own cultural experiences, values and assumptions can influence professional judgement.
• Identify the risks associated with cultural stereotypes and assumptions.
• Use culturally curious and respectful approaches when communicating with children, young people and families.
• Consider cultural identity and belonging within assessment, planning and everyday support.
• Support children and young people to maintain meaningful connections with culture, heritage and community.
• Recognise the importance of individual experiences within cultural groups rather than assuming that culture determines behaviour.
• Explore cultural differences without avoiding appropriate professional challenge.
• Distinguish between cultural difference and potential safeguarding concerns.
• Apply culturally responsive approaches to everyday social care practice.
• Reflect on how services can create more culturally responsive environments for children and young people.

Intended Audience

This course is suitable for professionals working across children’s social care, including residential childcare practitioners, children’s home managers and deputy managers, supported accommodation practitioners and managers, foster carers and fostering professionals, social workers, personal advisers, key workers and other professionals working directly or indirectly with children, young people and families from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Course Facilitator

Miguel Valerio is an experienced social worker, trainer, consultant and social care leader with more than 20 years of professional experience across social care, education and professional development.

His experience includes operational and strategic leadership across children’s homes and supported accommodation, including roles as Service Manager, Operational Manager, Responsible Individual and Registered Service Manager. He also has extensive experience supporting providers with service development, regulatory compliance, quality assurance and professional development.

Alongside his practice and leadership experience in the UK, Miguel brings an international and cross-cultural perspective developed through his professional and academic experience in different social and educational contexts.

His training approach combines professional knowledge with practical experience and reflective discussion, encouraging participants to question assumptions, explore different perspectives and consider how learning can be translated into meaningful everyday practice.

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