The Challenges of Providing Culturally Competent Care Within a Disability Focused Team: A Phenomenological Exploration of Staff Experiences

Purpose: The study explored how service providers address the challenges of providing culturally competent care within disability services in the United Kingdom.Design/Method: Focus groups and interpretative phenomenological analysis were used to explore the experiences of 20 service providers from a range of professions, working with South Asian families. Results/Findings: Two superordinate themes emerged. The first concentrated on difficulties with language and communication and the challenges posed by the use of interpreters. The second included five subthemes that broadly described a five-stage process of dealing with barriers and engagement to service delivery, followed by reflections on the effort made to provide culturally competent care in the face of limited resources and training. Discussion/Conclusion:The study makes recommendations for cultural competency within health and social care services.