I-CARE – Intercultural Care in the Social and Healthcare Sector

i-CARE aims at enhancing the services provided to people with different cultural background in the social and healthcare sector.

Grant Agreement: 2019-1-UK01-KA202-061433

Funded by: Erasmus+ Duration: 01/12/2019 – 31/12/2021

Challenge

Communication between employees working in the social and healthcare sector and their clients with migrant background is greatly influenced by the ability to deal with cultural diversity. In general, the work of the socio-health professionals with people of different national, ethnic, social and economic origins creates difficulties and complexities in the relationship and in professional interventions. Differences in attitude and approaches to clients with different ethnic backgrounds often give rise to misunderstandings and irritation, sometimes even leading to dissociation and isolation of specific groups of staff and groups of clients/patients.

Considering the increasing number of immigrant users within social and healthcare services, a person-centred approach and diversity management are important new elements to be included in the professional training path. However, vocational education and training for people in the social and healthcare sector rarely include the acquisition of knowledge, skills and competencies to deal proficiently with clients with a migrant background.

Innovation

By developing the intercultural and social communication skills of social and healthcare sector employees, i-CARE aims at enhancing the services provided to people with different cultural background.

Action

The Guidelines aim at enabling human resource managers, decision makers, and team leaders in the social and healthcare sector to decide on the introduction of intercultural competence training. The Guidelines focus on how employees in the social and healthcare can develop their intercultural skills and cover topics such as:
·         cultural diversity – different value systems and the role of religion
·         working with culturally different clients
·         intercultural communication in social and healthcare services
·         barriers to effective multicultural relationships

The Action Sheets for Intercultural Competences are comprehensible awareness raising material for staff working in the social and healthcare sector, covering all issues of intercultural communication with clients with migrant background. They will provide first-hand information to gain knowledge, skills, competences and self-confidence in dealing proficiently with aspects of intercultural learning in their daily work.

The i-CARE toolbox is an interactive learning resource adapted to the learners’ needs. The toolbox aims at assisting HR managers, team leaders, VET teachers and trainers across Europe in composing tailored education and training measures for their target groups, i.e. professionals working in the social and healthcare sector that offer services also to people with migration background. The toolbox includes modules, covering topics such as: life skills, social skills, personal skills, competence of action.

The platform is a virtual learning environment where users can find the online modules, participate in learning activities, use assessment tools and communicate with other learners and instructors. The online platform also supports the digital resources data base for the Guidelines and Toolbox, and delivers all online tools of the project.

The mobile application includes suitable learning materials in order to enable users to get informed and learn wherever and whenever they prefer.