Abstract
The satisfaction of social care among service users provides an important
indication of how services are performing. Although there is evidence to
suggest that people from black and minority ethnic communities
experience less satisfaction with social care than majority groups, there is
little literature which focuses specically on people from Chinese
backgrounds in England. This article provides an opportunity to hear the
voices of people from Chinese backgrounds and their experiences of
social care for a physical disability. Individual semi-structured interviews
and focus groups were conducted in 2012 and 2013 respectively with
people from Chinese backgrounds who lived in England, were aged
between 18 and 70, and received social care for a physical disability.
Interview and focus group transcripts were analysed using a thematic
approach. The ndings show that language difference created a structural
barrier for most participants to negotiating access to and navigating
through social care. Language difference and the cultural expectation that
families should look after their own were main factors that explained
their late utilisation of social care. Because of limited social support,
many families struggled to meet the long-term care needs of their relative
with a physical disability and hence initially welcome the input of social
care. However, many found that social care could not adequately meet
their needs but did not feel that they had the right to voice their
dissatisfaction. They would either stop using social care services or
become more reliant on their family for support. Chinese welfare
organisations play a crucial role to meet the cultural and linguistic needs
of people from Chinese backgrounds. Closer collaboration between local
authorities and Chinese welfare organisations is needed to enable an
effective use of social care and community resources to meet the needs of
people from Chinese backgrounds with physical disabilities.
indication of how services are performing. Although there is evidence to
suggest that people from black and minority ethnic communities
experience less satisfaction with social care than majority groups, there is
little literature which focuses specically on people from Chinese
backgrounds in England. This article provides an opportunity to hear the
voices of people from Chinese backgrounds and their experiences of
social care for a physical disability. Individual semi-structured interviews
and focus groups were conducted in 2012 and 2013 respectively with
people from Chinese backgrounds who lived in England, were aged
between 18 and 70, and received social care for a physical disability.
Interview and focus group transcripts were analysed using a thematic
approach. The ndings show that language difference created a structural
barrier for most participants to negotiating access to and navigating
through social care. Language difference and the cultural expectation that
families should look after their own were main factors that explained
their late utilisation of social care. Because of limited social support,
many families struggled to meet the long-term care needs of their relative
with a physical disability and hence initially welcome the input of social
care. However, many found that social care could not adequately meet
their needs but did not feel that they had the right to voice their
dissatisfaction. They would either stop using social care services or
become more reliant on their family for support. Chinese welfare
organisations play a crucial role to meet the cultural and linguistic needs
of people from Chinese backgrounds. Closer collaboration between local
authorities and Chinese welfare organisations is needed to enable an
effective use of social care and community resources to meet the needs of
people from Chinese backgrounds with physical disabilities.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Health and Social Care in the Community |
| Early online date | 21 Jun 2015 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2015 |
Keywords
- Chinese
- physical disability
- social care
- satisfaction level