Better Communication for Black and Minority Ethnic Communities of Tameside - The Co-Worker Scheme

This information guides staff on how they can ensure better communication with the Black and Minority Ethnic communities in Tameside. This information may also be useful for social care students for members of the public take a look at our page How someone can help you communicate with services in your language.

• Why do we need a Bi-lingual Co-worker Scheme?
• What does the Co-worker Scheme offer?
• What is a Co-worker's role?
• Which languages can Co-workers speak?
• How will a Co-worker work with staff?
• What training do Co-workers receive?
• Does it cost anything to use a Co-worker?
• What if you work in the health sector?

Why do we need a Bi-lingual Co-worker Scheme?

We have a duty under Race Relations legislation to provide equal access to services to all members of the community.

Co-workers support Adult Services staff to meet these requirements and support an individual's right to fair and equal access. Click here to see the Equal Opportunities Policy.

What does the Co-worker Scheme offer?

• The Co-worker Scheme supports social workers and assessors, working with Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) service users. With the co-workers help we can ensure that service users and families receive culturally competent assessments to enable them to access social care services. Cultural competence is the ability to maximise sensitivity and minimise insensitivity when providing services to culturally diversified communities.
• We increase individual support available for Carers.
• By gathering information about unmet needs we aim to develop and improve services.

What is the Co-worker's role?

A bi-lingual co-worker's role is to:-

• Bring culturally specific information to an assessment.
• Support service users, carers and families to understand the assessment process better.
• Use their language skills if needed to interpret for service users, carers and families.
• Find ways in which services can be delivered to B&ME communities in creative ways.

Which languages can Co-workers speak?

We can arrange a co-worker for people who speak:

• Arabic
• Bengali (Sylheti)
• Farsi 
• French (African origin)
• Goran
• Gujarati
• Hindi
• Mandarin
• Polish
• Urdu/Punjabi 

How will a Co-worker work with staff?

What training do Co-workers receive?

Each co-worker attends a 40 hour induction programme covering:

• Assessment procedure and processes
• Relevant legislation e.g. Children's Act, Community Care Act, Carers Act.
• The structure of Adult Services and local health organisations such as the Primary Care Trust and Acute Trust.
• Plus ongoing training and supervision

Does it cost anything to use a Co-worker?

Currently co-workers are available at no cost to Adult Services staff.

What if you work in the health sector?

Contact your Team Manager for the services available to you.

The Bi-lingual Co-worker Scheme is part of the 'Race Equality and Diversity Team', part of Tameside Adult Services. To use a Bilingual Co-worker or if you have any queries about the service or related areas of work you can contact us:

Contact Information
Send us a Message	Tameside Adult Services Stalybridge Resource Centre Waterloo Road Stalybridge SK15 2AU  View local map
0161 342 2400
0161 342 2460
0161 342 3602