Research with Black and Ethnic Minority people using social services

Introduction

During the last decade there have been considerable changes in how ethnicity is understood. Among these are exciting developments in research sensitive to ethnicity and the further development of anti-racist policy, practice and outcomes in social care.

Objectives

This review aimed to address research methods with Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) people using adult social care and support in England. Key objectives included:

• summarising the underlying methods of previous research;
• describing those methods, what contributions they have made, and their limitations;
• reflecting on their use in social care practice studies; and
• making recommendations for whether and how these approaches might be more widely or rigorously employed.

Findings

The review summarises developments in research approaches sensitive to ethnicity and offers practical advice on applying their lessons. Material from other disciplines including health and other disciplines is also drawn on for methodological advances relevant to social care research.

The review is designed to be useful not only for researchers who are new to social care (and health care in particular) and hoping to learn more about this important topic, but to seasoned researchers, social care practitioners and students as well.