What is Race Equality and Cultural Capability?
The RECC materials represent a valuable opportunity to provide
multi-agency training for all mental health practitioners with a clear
focus on Black Minority Ethnic (BME) service user needs and concerns.
The programme is also uniquely being delivered in partnership with BME
service user trainers and consultants.
Ferns Associates have been working with The National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE)
to develop Race Equality and Cultural Capability (RECC) training
materials as part of the Delivering Race Equality (DRE) strategy and in
response to the Inquiry into the death of David ‘Rocky’ Bennett. The
materials have been piloted in four areas in England and represent an
Advanced Level of the Essential Shared Capabilities materials.
Who is it for?
The RECC materials are primarily designed for all mental health workers
both qualified and unqualified across a range of disciplines. They can
also be used in training practitioners alongside service users and
families or carers.
What does the RECC training for practitioners consist of?
The RECC programme for practitioners consists of 12 two hour training Sessions with
twelve workplace tasks attached which can be dlievered as three one-day workshops with half-day debriefs.The materials provided include:
• Participant’s Reader.
• Practice Development Workbook.
• Senior Management Report template.
These documents are downloadable from the RECC Downloads page
Ferns Associates can directly deliver the RECC training programme for practitioners in the form of a series of three one-day workshops. We have a network of experienced and skilled BME service user/survivor, carer and practitioners trainers across the country. Please contact us for further details.
How should it be delivered?
The programme is uniquely delivered with service user/carer trainers in partnership with other trainers. The delivery of RECC training requires a particular set of skills and
knowledge as well as careful preparation. This is why NIMHE and Ferns
Associates recommend undertaking a RECC Trainer Programme prior to
local implementation of the programme across a Region. This will lead
to accreditation by NIMHE and Ferns Associates as a RECC Trainer – more
formal accreditation is being investigated at present.
Ferns Associates can deliver a six day RECC Training for Trainers programme with consultancy to facilitate the roll-out of RECC training for practitioners in a locality. Please contact us for further details.
Why RECC Training for Trainers is
important
- Quality of RECC Training
In some areas we are
still struggling to overcome the legacy of poor training around Race Equality
issues in the past. It is essential that any new initiative around Race
Equality training is delivered to a high standard if it is to build credibility
with practitioners and others.
- Service user/survivor and carer participation
A unique feature of
the RECC training is the full participation of service user/survivor and carer
trainers in its design and delivery. The RECC T4T is the only coordinated
approach so far in recruiting, developing and supporting service user/survivor
and carer trainers as well as training them thoroughly alongside practitioners
on a co-trainer basis.
- Support for trainers in delivery
The nature of training
around Race Equality is complex and demanding for any trainers, even very
experienced ones. It is important to have support and development mechanisms
for trainers to enable them to feel confident in their delivery and up-to-date
on equality issues that are rapidly changing in society.
- Sustainable roll-out of RECC Training
RECC training will
involve challenging institutional discrimination and improving services in a
‘whole systems’ way. Change may take some time to achieve as institutional
discrimination is often very complex and deeply embedded in the culture of
service organisations. There needs to be a sustainable effort by RECC trainers
in an area over time to have a significant impact on tackling racial discrimination
and promoting equality. The RECC T4T programme establishes a collaborative and
forward-thinking group of enthusiastic trainers to undertake this longer-term
effort.
- Continuous improvement of RECC materials
RECC Trainers who are accredited through the RECC T4T programme will receive support, advice and constantly up-dated materials and information through our electronic network which is currently being developed. This will add enormous value to the efforts of RECC trainers in an area and lead to greater sharing of expertise and ideas across regions.