Professional Social Work magazine, 16 August, 2021 Social workers from overseas continue to face challenges to successfully establishing a career in the UK - a combination of bureaucracy and racism, according to the Diaspora Working Group of the BASW International Committee. PRIYA REBECCA DAVID was recruited by a UK agency from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) nearly two decades ago. She tells her story … I was working as a school social worker in the UAE when my CV was picked up from one of the local authority applications I had completed. It was a fairytale at first, from the initial email to the telephone interview, to being flown to the UK for a full day recruitment process, to being offered a job the very next day. But the reality of moving to a completely foreign country and a new way of working soon hit me like a tsunami. I realised social work in Britain was different to what I knew and practised in UAE and India. Statutory work requires that social workers are offered qualitative training and induction to ensure their practice is safe. However, my experience - and that of many other diaspora social workers - involved being thrown into an overstretched social care team, where all that mattered was having another pair of hands to share the burden of hugely burnt-out social workers and managers. Management had little or no time to empathise with the struggles of a newly-recruited overseas social worker. I did not have a clue about the area, how to get to different places, the road signs, housing, needing a utility bill to start a bank account, applying for an NI number, TV licensing… Not having any family and friends to speak to at the end of a difficult day made it tough. I had to find creative ways of quickly learning in practice: not feeling shy to ask, reading the work of other colleagues, and volunteering to shadow as much as possible. I enhanced my learning by tapping into training available within the authority. This gave me the much-needed time and space to reflect on my practice amid the firefighting. Looking back, I believe it was purely divine protection that helped me make quick and safe decisions on my feet. I was very conscious I would have little support if I made a mistake and so my attention to detail proved to be advantageous. A recent survey conducted by BASW International Committee highlighted an overrepresentation of diaspora social workers in disciplinary matters, I wonder if enough thought has been given to the possible reasons behind this? Poor induction has been reported by many overseas workers and one has to question who in reality should be held responsible. Racism and hostility The greatest struggle for me and many others is the undermining of our command of the English language. This is despite the fact most people report their education was in English - I have a Master’s degree in social work. There was little credit given to the skills I had from my international experience, and sadly I faced various subtle remarks that go against social work’s ethos of inclusivity and respect. My first year in the UK remains vivid and there are memories I choose to forget. I have had several moments of regret after becoming a manager myself: most of all, not being fully informed or, worse, misinformed when I started my career as a social worker in the UK. I query if those responsible for hiring understand fully their duty of care to newly recruited overseas social workers. I am unsure if they realise the power and fear managers hold over a worker who feels vulnerable in a new environment, and even worse when one’s immigration status is dependent on the line manager needing to confirm one has passed the probationary period. A common experience Two decades later, I am frustrated and saddened that many diaspora social workers continue to echo similar or worse experiences to me. Many encounter racism and differential treatment to their white colleagues or hit a glass ceiling when wanting to make progress. Just like me, many diaspora social workers come to the UK with high expectations of better prospects for themselves and their wider family. Many come with responsibilities to support their families back in their home country, leaving behind their spouse, children and parents. They come with the knowledge of social work in England being strictly regulated and have high expectations to learn and practice safely. They are aware that social work in the UK is underpinned by legislation and clear guiding principles of respect, equal opportunities, anti-discrimination and anti-oppressive practice. However, that expectation of equal treatment and opportunities is sadly not always met. In my work with diaspora social workers, I have repeatedly been told about the difficult experiences people continue to face. I reckon local authorities consider overseas workers as merely a short-term fix to staff shortages, primarily recruited to fill a gap. If so, they miss out on tapping into the strength, resilience and confidence diaspora social workers bring to the profession and an increasingly globalised UK community. It is disheartening that the caring and respecting element of social work seems to be lost within social work culture. I would like to think this is not intentional and could be put down to unconscious bias, but the personal and professional experiences of many social workers from black, Asian and East European countries has been one of bewilderment and despondency. Some even feel traumatised, and this impacts further on their confidence to challenge appropriately and progress in their careers. What is diaspora? When we use the term ‘diaspora’ it involves various groups and categories of people who: Trained and qualified abroad and are working or seeking work in the UK Moved to the UK to train or study in social work Trained and qualified in the UK but identify themselves as belonging to a diaspora community For those in the first group, the enthusiasm expressed during recruitment and reallocation quickly dies away as they land in their respective teams. Many go through a baptism of fire with minimal induction and poor support from managers. There is a clear disconnect between the recruiters and the employers. Recruitment agencies are quick to wash their hands of diaspora social workers after the first three months of hiring them. If they are lucky, such workers might be placed under a sensitive manager. However, most local authorities are so stretched, and expectations are so high that many managers fail to recognise the magnitude of the change these workers are faced with in their new environment. Paradoxical The second group - those who have moved to the UK to train under spouse or student visas - face an even harsher and at times paradoxical situation. Their struggle begins right from the registration stage where they are required to pay to get their overseas qualifications recognised. The current cost is £495. This is equivalent to five months salary in some countries. Many in this group state their applications are rejected several times. This experience clearly can be puzzling when the same authorities seem to actively recruit from these countries. Most diaspora social workers who are qualified abroad hold a Masters degree in their country of origin but end up starting as family support workers to gain some experience prior to being selected as a social worker. One qualified overseas social worker under a spouse visa told how she was offered a support worker role despite holding an MA in social work from India. She was told that she did not have the relevant experience for a social work appointment, yet when she tried to get a job through the ‘return to social work’ scheme she was told she was not eligible because she was overqualified! Many report similar disappointments and long waits, resulting in choosing other less qualified jobs. Finally, for the social workers who are trained and qualified in the UK but identify themselves as belonging to a diaspora community, they report experiencing covert and subtle discrimination, undermining of work, differential treatment, and comparisons with white colleagues. Many say there is little appreciation of the diversity of experience and expertise they bring to a team, and the cultural competence they add to the practice. Barriers to progress Ravi Baines (2020) writes in CMM Care Management Matters:"It’s a shocking but sad true fact that the care sector has a diversity problem. It’s not that people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds are underrepresented in the adult social care workforce – they make up 21 per cent of all jobs, which is more diverse than the overall population of England. However, this representation grinds to a halt when it comes to senior roles.” He goes on to reveal that, at the time of his research, out of 36 of the biggest care homes and home care providers providing information on their board members, only five per cent came from a minority background. Or, to put it another way, only 14 board members out of a total of 258 positions were from a black and Asian background. Most diaspora social workers are ambitious and hard workers and are keen to make progress. However, like me many report there is no proactive encouragement offered by managers to promote them to senior positions. I have had to work four times harder and prove my ability repeatedly to make every small move. Many report being overlooked, ignored, or not informed when promotion opportunities arise. It is a common experience that white colleagues who are less experienced get shortlisted and secure jobs with ease. There are others who state that they might be shortlisted, but the position is mostly given to a white colleague who again may be less experienced. This has created much unspoken frustration and a deep sense of unfairness. Many diaspora workers and academics have experienced their own students, predominantly white, moving up the ladder swiftly as they are actively supported by the management team to do so. Diaspora social workers unanimously echo that until there is a sense of fairness, inclusion and openness to the richness and diversity they bring to UK, the struggle to understand and meaningfully address the diverse needs of the increasingly mixed communities in the UK will continue. Pandemic pressures Chasma & Khonat (2020) inform us that the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted this vast underrepresentation of the workforce at a higher level suggesting poor access to senior positions by this cohort. It is high time social work in the UK reflects its own underlying principles of equality and respect to all staff regardless of the country of origin. Priya is an improvement consultant, practice teacher and experienced service manager in children's services. She is a member of the BASW International Committee and co-chair of the Diaspora Social Workers Working Group. The Special Interest Working Group aims to address the numerous concerns experienced by diaspora social workers in UK. It is currently working on guidelines for the recruitment and induction of diaspora social workers. They hope to present the diaspora issues expressed in the survey at BASW’s AGM on 15 September.
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