Cultural competence in health visiting practice: a baseline survey

The aim of this research study is to explore health visitors' beliefs, knowledge and practice in cultural competence. A baseline survey was undertaken with all health visitors working within a West Midlands primary care trust (PCT) which served a significant population of minority ethnic communities. The results show that half the respondents were themselves members of a minority ethnic community. Caribbean origins predominated, with little representation from those of Asian descent. Non-parametric testing indicated that respondents showed there was a significant difference in their ability to meet the needs of minority ethnic communites as opposed to their ability to meet the white population needs. Respondents were able to identify factors which promote, and barriers which hamper use of health visiting services by minority ethnic communities, for example, the standard yet important factors of language and culture. However, racism was not recognised as a significant issue. The need for cultural competence training was seen as a key outcome.This training must reflect the diverse cultural needs of staff and service users.