CULTURAL MEDIATION TOOLKIT
Published by Hibiscus Initiatives
Resource for London, 356 Holloway Road, London, N7 6PA, United Kingdom
First published 2023
© Hibiscus Initiatives
Written
and designed
by Silvia Berastegui, Senior Cultural Mediator Researcher and Trainer
Graphic design: Prospectus
This publication is copyright, but may be reproduced by any method without fee or prior permission for teaching purposes, but not for resale. For copying in any other circumstances, prior written permission must be obtained from the publisher, and a fee may be payable.
CONTEXT
This toolkit is part of the Cultural Mediation Training Programme designed by Hibiscus. It aims to provide information on the cultural mediation approach and improve knowledge on key elements such as the role of the cultural mediator, best practices, communication skills, vicarious trauma, and more. Cultural mediation can be applied in many different settings and areas of work to help migrants access essential services, increase the quality of care they receive, and improve their integration into and understanding of the host country. The information contained here can be adapted and modified to any area of expertise. After completing your training in cultural mediation, you can refer back to the information in this booklet in a way that is useful for your work and clients.
This toolkit has been designed in conjunction with migrant women with lived experience.
CONTENTS What is Cultural Mediation? 2 Key skills required 3 Best practice 4 Main tasks and responsibilities 6 Building trust 8 Culture 10 Vicarious trauma 12 How to take care of yourself 14 Appendix 16 1
WHAT IS CULTURAL MEDIATION?
A SURVIVOR-CENTRED APPROACH to help reduce cultural and language barriers experience by migrants
A TOOL AND A METHODOLOGY to help migrants heal, gain independence, and re-establish control over their lives
MEDIATING BETWEEN TWO PARTIES who do not understand each other due to linguistic and cultural
2
2
KEY SKILLS REQUIRED
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
STRATEGIC SKILLS FOR BUILDING TRUST
CULTURAL AWARENESS
ACTIVE LISTENING
EMPATHY AND COMPASSION MEDIATION TOOLS MORE?
3
BEST PRACTICE
Be patient while facilitating communication
Provide additional support besides conveying information
Thank clients for sharing their stories and experiences
Adapt language to your client
Always include the client in the conversation
Show empathy and be an active listener
Explain cultural context if needed
Keep to your word and follow through with your actions
Respond to racist or abusive language
Do 4
Don’t
Make assumptions about a client depending on their culture, race and/or religion
Judge a client by their circumstances, choices and/or behaviours
Take control entirely over a conversation
Continue to interpret without fully understanding the client’s situation
Attempt to exercise power or influence over your client
Comment on what you interpret or answer a question on behalf of a client
Create stereotypes based on previous or personal experience
5
MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Cultural Mediator main duties are to:
Welcome the client and make them feel comfortable
Facilitate earlier understanding of needs and prevent mistakes or missed opportunities for timely access to care and services
Provide linguistic and cultural mediation before and during the session
Create itineraries based on culture aimed at helping clients integrate in a new place
6
Accompany the client to appointments and assist with reception and admission procedures
Provide advice on how to access services and inform on rights
Use management systems to collect and process data
Build trust between yourself and the client
7
BUILDING TRUST
Five key points: 1
2 3
HONESTY
Introducing yourself and your role in the session. Be clear about your role and how you can help (do not promise to do anything that exceeds your role).
ACTIVE LISTENING
Put all your attention on the client and the conversation. Use open questions and paraphrasing. Translate everything that has been said and do not miss a thing.
EMPATHY
Be empathetic with the client. Put yourself in their situation. Use kind and encouraging words. Thank everyone at the end of the session.
8
4 5
Explain that everything you hear will be kept confidential. Do not share information with third parties outside the session.
PROFESSIONALISM
Act professionally throughout the session. Do not let your personal beliefs and convictions interfere. Do not judge or make personal comments. 9
CULTURE
What is culture?
WAY OF LIFE
CUSTOMS RELIGION
FOOD
IDEAS
VALUES & BELIEFS
ART, MUSIC & CINEMA
SOCIAL CONDUCT & BEHAVIOURS
LANGUAGE
10
Why is culture important?
Forcing social relationships.
Making sense of the world and our place in it.
Shaping our everyday actions and experiences in society.
Feeling that you belong to a group or place. Understanding the behaviours and actions of others.
Maintaining and challenging the social order/ status quo.
11
VICARIOUS TRAUMA
Vicarious trauma is the experience of trauma symptoms that can result from being repeatedly exposed to other people’s trauma and their stories of traumatic events. A person’s world view (belief systems) can be significantly changed as a result of hearing those stories. Vicarious trauma is cumulative, building up over time.
Signs of vicarious trauma
Anxiety
Numbness
Hyper vigilance
Feeling unsafe
Isolation
Anger & irritability
Mood changes
Grief and feelings of loss
Inability to experience pleasure
Trouble sleeping
Reactivation of own traumas
Workaholic
Physical symptoms (headaches, stomach problems, inflammation, exhaustion, etc)
12
13
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
Keep professional boundaries
Listen to music / sing / play an instrument
Speak with another colleague or manager
Dedication time to your hobbies and interests
Self compassion
Write a journal
! 14
Take breaks and time off work
Spend time outdoors
Have adequate supervision and training
Seek counselling or therapy
Spend time with your loved ones (partner, family, friends, etc)
Learn coping skills
15
APPENDIX
Glossary of terms
Asylum Seeker: is a person who has left their country and is seeking protection from persecution and serious human rights violations in another country. Someone is an asylum seeker for so long as their application to the Home Office is pending. Not every asylum seeker will be recognised as a refugee, but every refugee is initially an asylum seeker.
Refused asylum seeker: a person whose asylum application has been unsuccessful and who has no other claim for protection awaiting a decision. Some refused asylum seekers voluntarily return home, others are forcibly returned. For some, it is not safe or practical to return until conditions in their country change.
Refugee: In the UK, a person becomes a refugee when government agrees that an individual who has applied for asylum meets the definition in the Refugee Convention they will ‘recognise’ that person as a refugee and issue them with refugee status documentation.
NRM: The National Referral Mechanism is a framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery and ensuring they receive the appropriate support.
Intersectionality: the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.
Intersectional Feminism: the understanding of how women’s overlapping identities — including race, class, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation — impact the way they experience oppression and discrimination.
Unconscious Bias: In social identity theory, an implicit bias or implicit stereotype, is the pre-reflective attribution of qualities by an individual to a member of some social out group
Institutional Racism: Institutional racism refers to the policies and practices within and across institutions that, intentionally or not, produce outcomes that chronically favour, or put a racial group at a disadvantage.
Cultural Mediation: An approach and methodology to bring the gap between differences and understanding. This requires understanding the experiences lived by the other through knowledge, empathy and respect for their culture.
16
External organisations
Asylum Support - Migrant Help: https://www.migranthelpuk.org/contact
Trafficking Concerns – Hestia: https://www.hestia.org/ modernslaverresponse
Foodbanks: https://www.trusselltrust.org/get-help/ find- a-foodbank/
Mental Health and Therapy services: https://www.nafsiyat.org.uk/ https://www.mayacentre.org.uk/
FGM: https://www.forwarduk.org.uk/
Salvation Army: https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/ modern-slavery/supporting-survivors
Domestic Violence Support: https://www.solacewomensaid.org/
Accommodation: https://www.refugeesathome.org/
LGBTQ+: https://microrainbow.org/housing/ Refugee Council: https://refugeecouncil.org.uk/
Cultural Mediation Support https://hibiscusinitiatives.org.uk/ resource/cultural-mediation/
Training
Anti-Trafficking: https://atleu.org.uk/training
OISC training: https://www.ragp.org.uk/fiap/oisctraining
Hibiscus training: https://hibiscusinitiatives.org.uk/getinvolved/training/
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Published by Hibiscus Initiatives
Resource for London, 356 Holloway Road, London, N7 6PA, United Kingdom
hibiscusinitiatives.org.uk
020 7697 4120
info@hibiscus.org.uk
Twitter: @hibiscuscharity
Instagram: hibiscuscharity
Hibiscus Initiatives Limited is a registered charity no. 1104094 and a company limited by guarantee, registered in England no. 4533442
