Economic development and social regeneration

Access to Voluntary and Municipal Services by Ethnic Minorities (AVANCE) was a European Union (EU) anti-discrimation initiative commissioned by Medway Council to examine the extent to which discrimination affects ethnic minorities in their attempts to access local care services for people with physical and or mental disabilities.

The research was delivered in collaboration with European partners from Grand Synthe (France), Cartagena (Spain) and a voluntary sector forum called Solidarite d'Alternatives Wallones (Belgium).The contribution from Medway was provided by representatives of the ethnic minority community and the findings were based on the expressed views of its members (both individuals and organisations) on issues surrounding access to services. The AVANCE project was commissioned in 2001 and acted as a catalyst for the establishment of Medway Ethnic Minority Forum (MEMF).

AVANCE set out to explore the reasons behind the significant incidence of multiple discrimination faced by people from ethnic minority communities as recipients of local care services. The report found that not only do they experience discrimination for the same range of disabilities as found in the wider community but they also often face further discrimination as a result of the lack of awareness and sensitivity of service providers to the cultural issues which are important to them.

With six per cent of Medway's population made up of ethnic minorities, the report attempted to survey grass-root experiences and highlight the shortcomings in current social care services in relation to specific cultural requirements.

Through AVANCE it has been possible to define and identify the actual circumstances of multiple discrimination affecting these people and to make recommendations for service improvement. The report not only stimulated a passionate debate and comparative analysis with the circumstances prevailing in the other EU partner areas but also had a significant effect on mainstream Medway Council policy. This work has also informed policy makers in care management in Medway and aims to secure improvements in the quality of health service delivery. Following the successful implementation of the project, further funding was made available by some of the partners to commission the CULMINER project.

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