Role of Identity in Participation in Children's Centre Services: the Subjective Experience of Minority Groups, 2007-2008

<P>Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.</P><br>The objective of this study was to explore how the identity experiences of minority ethnic and gender groups affect levels of participation and engagement in Children's Centre services. The study looked at two urban Children’s Centre areas in Tyne and Wear (Areas A and B) which differed in terms of their ethnic make-up. The first area involved one Children’s Centre serving two communities with a relatively small black and minority ethnic (BME) population. The second area, which served three communities, had three Children’s Centres and also offered English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) classes, which provided a focus for minority ethnic groups.<br>
<br>
Interviews were conducted with staff at the Children’s Centres and allied local agencies, to investigate perceptions of the level of participation of minority groups, and the efforts being made to engage them. Interviews were also conducted with local parents and carers who were eligible to use the services to explore how they saw their place in the community and how this related to their use of Children’s Centre services. The parents' interview transcripts are not available form the UKDA but themes which occurred in these interviews are available in the form of a typology of perceptions document. Basic demographic data and key responses have been drawn out from both the staff and parents’ perceptions by categories (staff, ethnicity, relationship to child). <br>
<br>
Further information is available from the <a href="http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/esrcinfocentre/viewawardpage.aspx?awardnumber=RES-000-22-2172" title ="ESRC Award">ESRC Award</a> web page.<br><br><B>Main Topics</B>:<BR><br>The staff interviews cover the following areas:<ul><li>role in current job</li><li>factors that affect how service users relate to staff</li><li>strategies used to engage with users</li><li>barriers to integration of BME groups/fathers</li></ul>The parents' typology of perceptions document includes summaries of the following areas: <ul><li>basic demographic information</li><li>definition of community</li><li>perception of community of residence</li><li>reasons for using the Children's Centre</li><li>whether able to mix with other service users</li><li>general perception of the Children's Centre</li></ul>