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Working with Travellers

Working with Travellers. Sue Cox Suffolk Gypsy Roma Traveller Achievement Service. True or False?. Aims of this session. By the end of this session you will Know that there are different groups of Travellers with different origins Understand some aspects of Traveller culture

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Working with Travellers

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  1. Working with Travellers Sue Cox Suffolk Gypsy Roma Traveller Achievement Service

  2. True or False?

  3. Aims of this session By the end of this session you will Know that there are different groups of Travellers with different origins Understand some aspects of Traveller culture Have awareness of some of the barriers encountered by Travellers Understand some aspects of the racism encountered by Travellers Understand some strategies useful in working with Travellers

  4. Travellers in education

  5. What are the barriers? • Many GRT families have little contact with the settled (non-Traveller) community • Spoken language may be limited • Older adults may be non-literate and younger adults may have low levels of literacy and few or no qualifications • Reading information and filling in forms may present insurmountable barriers; recording and keeping appointments often presents difficulties • Many Travellers are anxious in formal settings such as schools and offices • Many Travellers are anxious about mixing with non-Travellers • Many Travellers will not respond to any kind of group provision • Traditional Traveller patterns of self employment no longer work well, and many Travellers have not yet developed the skills and attitudes needed for employment • Most Travellers fear racism, prejudice and discrimination

  6. Victims of prejudice? Gypsy, Roma, and Travellers of Irish heritage are included under the terms of the Race Relations Acts as minority ethnic groups. The CRE recognised the extent of discrimination and disadvantage experienced by all the Gypsy and Traveller communities and committed to helping bring improvements to Gypsies and Travellers in all walks of life. “For this group (Gypsies and Travellers), Great Britain is still like the American Deep South for black people in the 1950s. Extreme levels of public hostility exist in relation to Gypsies and Travellers – fuelled in part by irresponsible media reporting of the kind that would be met with outrage if it was targeted at any other ethnic group.” Trevor Phillips, Launch of consultation on October 2003 The Inclusion of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Children and Young People, DCSF, 2008

  7. Some aspects of prejudice • Daily experience of racist name calling • Refusal of service in shops, pubs, restaurants etc • Bullying in schools • “Postcode prejudice” when applying for work or services • Ill-founded and vitriolic attacks in the press • Attacks on property, sometimes putting life at risk

  8. Names and name calling • “Gyppo” and “Pikie” are racist names and should not be used • “Gypsy” should only be used for members of the Gypsy Traveller community • “Gypsy” has frequently been used in a racist way. “Gypsy Traveller” or “Romany Traveller” is often more acceptable. • “Traveller” is acceptable to most groups; if in doubt use “Travelling people.”

  9. Who are the Travellers? • Gypsies • Irish Travellers • Fairground Travellers • Circus Travellers • New Travellers • Roma

  10. Photo Activity

  11. Origins of the Traveller Groups • Gypsies – of Asian origin – arrived in Britain 500 years ago • European Roma – same descent as Gypsies – suffer extreme prejudice and discrimination in Eastern European countries – in this country as economic migrants • Irish Travellers – distinct cultural group in Ireland – believed to have roots going back to bronze age itinerant metal workers • Fairground – extended families with long history of working in Travelling shows – “our life is our work and our work is our life” • Circus – families from all over the world visit this country to perform • New Travellers – members of the settled community who have taken to the travelling life through ethical choice, personal difficulties, or other reasons

  12. Gypsy Travellers, Irish Travellers, and European Roma are ethnic minority groups protected under the Race Relations Act

  13. Cultural Characteristics of Gypsy Travellers • Long shared history • Shared language – Romani pogerti jib • Shared values and customs – hygiene practices, taboos, family attitudes and ties, weddings, funerals, and fairs • Self sufficiency and self employment • Trailers, jewellery, Chinaware, cushions • Horses, dogs, chickens and cage birds

  14. A few busted myths • Travellers living on authorised sites pay rent (or own their own land), council tax, water rates, and electricity bills • There are not enough legal stopping places for all our Traveller families; many are forced to camp illegally • 90% of planning applications from Travellers fail • Travellers form a smaller percentage of the prison population than they do of the general population

  15. Health Statistics • Life expectancy around 50 compared to 78 in the settled community • Infant mortality 7 to 12 times higher than settled community • 20% more likely to have a still birth/miscarriage • High incidence of maternal death • High incidence of anxiety and depression • High child accident rate • Poor dental health • More likely to have a long term illness

  16. What do Travellers want? • A safe and legal stopping place with clean water and sanitation • To be able to keep their children safe • Access to healthcare • Access to education for their children • To be able to work and earn a living • To be able to travel for work, family visits, and cultural events, and to stop legally and safely when they do so • To be treated with respect and not to be subjected to prejudice, discrimination and abuse

  17. Working with Travellers • Build relationships of trust • Convey information face-to face wherever possible • Keep language straightforward and free of jargon • Give explanation and reassurance to alleviate anxiety • Be flexible where possible, where this could resolve a difficulty • Offer help with form-filling • Simplify and illustrate written information • Follow up letters with phone calls • Give telephone reminders for appointments • Persevere – don’t remove the Traveller from your list • Consider home visits • Ensure front-line staff are informed and aware • Create and inclusive environment and inclusive events • Think creatively and constructively

  18. Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month • Takes place in June each year • Is intended to contribute to community cohesion and race equality by raising awareness and understanding of the Traveller communities • Is intended to contribute to raising the attainment of Traveller pupils by raising their self-esteem and their feeling of belonging in schools, and encouraging self-ascription • Is supported by lesson plans and resources available on the Suffolk County Hub, and by the Gypsy Roma and Traveller History Month website

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