Cultural Parenting Aziza Shafique / Joy Rurangwa “Making a difference to Children and Families”

Oxfordshire Cultural Parenting Project “Making a difference to Children and Families” Social isolation from within their community and wider community Stigma from within their own culture Cultural myths about having a disabled child, magic spell, a curse, or punishment Mothers often get the blame for having a disabled child Families from minority ethnic groups caring for a severely disabled child are even more disadvantaged than white families in similar situations for the reasons above.

Oxfordshire Cultural Parenting Project “Our Aim” To break down the internal barriers such as shame, guilt, embarrassment and blame To overcome external barriers such as language, culture, religion, race, poverty and disability For families to access our groups and have a network of support around them To support parents to talk about their experiences of having a child with a disability To develop self-esteem and confidence and be able to access main stream services

Oxfordshire Cultural Parenting Project Tailor made services in community languages Outreach programme One to one support Working with extended families Short breaks Day trips for families Group Work Sign posting Referrals from other professionals Integration into other services such as Children's Centres, pre- school services, Schools across Social Care, Education and Health.

Support Groups in Three Locations EHSAAS Group in Rose Hill Children's Centre Oxford EHSAAS Group in the Multi cultural Centre Woodgreen In Banbury Support Group For African Families In Cuddeson Corner Children's Centre Blackbird Leys Oxford Delivered in the Nine languages Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Pashto, Bangladeshi, Swaheli, Lingala, Kinyarwanda and French

Dill de Awaz EHSAAS ‘The voice from our hearts’ Rose Hill – Oxford Weekly support group Social and Emotional support Discussions Advice and guidance Eid celebrations Shopping trips Crochet Facials Massages

Dill de Awaz EHSAAS ‘The voice from our hearts’ Cultural Centre - Banbury Visits to Oxford Group Working in Partnership with Other Agencies Outreach - Children's Centre, Multi-Cultural Centre, Early Intervention Hub, Home Support Diverse Communities “Hard to Reach Families” Tailor Made Services Similar issues to Oxford Group

Support Group for African Families By Joy Rurangwa

Newly Established Group The families that we are working with are still going through the first stage of grieving for their child's (ren) disability Similar issues of guilt and shame as the Asian culture Mothers are often blamed for the child’s disability and therefore feel angry. Outside agencies are often seen as a threat to the families Language and Cultural barriers make it harder to understand their child's disability and access services

Weekly Group Some of the Issues we Come Across Supporting parents to talk about their experiences of having children with disabilities Understanding the child's diagnosis by inviting guest speakers to discuss some of the clinical issues behind disabilities Accessing our group and having a network of support around them to support them culturally and emotionally

Sharing Experiences

What do the women think about our groups “I am not alone I've met other women with children with cerebral palsy” “I don’t feel guilty any more” “I don’t feel judged” “I feel important” “It gives me an opportunity to socialise and meet new people” “I've made new friends” “I look forward to it all week” “It’s a life-line”

Some More Comments "I enjoyed today, It was so good and fun to know about parents feelings and how as African we think“ "I loved the meeting, I know now it's not my fault or my mother's fault if my son has special need. I'm not feeling guilty now” "I love attending the meetings every week as I learn a lot. I need this support from others mothers who are going through the same experience as me.” "I really learn a lot through the discussions, we talk about positive thinking; how to work with schools and Parent Partnership to help understand the Educational system"