‘Ensuring equal opportunity – that’s our role as social workers’
Social workers must prioritise cultural sensitivity to build trust and rapport with the people they support.
And promoting equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the workplace is essential to ensure staff feel welcome and valued.
That's the message from Vivian Okeze-Tirado, a practice educator and trainer who has won awards for her work promoting equality and diversity in social work.
Vivian, who wrote the book D.I.V.E.R.S.I.T.Y inspired by the death of George Floyd in the US in 2020, says: “EDI should be the thread that runs throughout social work, it is everyone’s business.
“The IFSW [International Federation of Social Work] defines social work as ‘a practice-based profession and academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion and the empowerment and liberation of people’.
“EDI is not an afterthought. It's not something that can be ignored later. It is something that rolls with social work because that definition by the IFSW has told us that promoting diversity, anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice, is key to social work.”
Vivian believes social work is a humanitarian career choice, and so it is only right that the ethos underpinning diversity and inclusion extends to social work practitioners themselves.
Equally important, Vivien believes, is the need to respect the diverse cultural backgrounds encountered in social work practice.
Emotional intelligence and cultural sensitivity are crucial for understanding and valuing the unique cultures, values, and beliefs of people with experience of social services.
"Diversity is in fact many different things,” Vivian says, “and promoting diversity is an important aspect of making equality a reality.
"You are ensuring equal opportunity and protecting from discrimination - that is our role as social workers."
Cultivating a sense of equity in the workplace is just as important, says Vivian, who won England’s social worker of the year award in 2021.
“Equity is the quality of being fair and reasonable in a way that gives equal treatment to everyone – it’s about giving people what they need to succeed, which is a basic need for both individuals and professionals.
“We all want to feel a sense of belonging, and I would like to see organisational cultures that make us welcome, because when we feel welcome, we're able to enjoy our profession.
"Every single day when you and I go to work, we are working with diversity in so many different ways.
"We work hard to make sure we give the people we work with the very best that we can do – and so promoting diversity is integral to social work. It's about recognising, valuing, respecting and welcoming difference.
"It is crucial for making equality a tangible reality.”
Vivian has developed her own social work equation, which brings together emotional intelligence, cultural sensitivity and clear communication.
"It is within the intersection of these three things that good social work is achieved,” she says.
She has also constructed an acrostic poem building on the word D.I.V.E.R.S.I.T.Y
D Decide to be a Culturally Sensitive Practitioner
I Invite people to talk about their cultures, values, beliefs, and experiences
V Value their history, individuality(,) and differences
E Explore the client's realities, show curiosity
R Reflect upon information and knowledge received
S Scrutinise yourself
I Identify strategies to aid your work
T Train yourself to treat people, children, and families individually
Y Yield to culturally sensitive practice
What organisations can do
- All social workers, managers and leaders should attend anti-bias and unconscious bias training
- Leaders must prioritise inclusive workplaces and provide training to support marginalized staff
- Interview panels should be diverse and mentoring programmes should be in place
- Teams should be managed fairly and objectively, accommodating differences and committing to EDI
- Ensure marginalised voices are heard and provide extra support for staff
- Learn about different cultures and identities to provide informed, sensitive support
Find out more about Vivian’s work at https://vottraining.co.uk