The Cultural Family Life Library

CFAB has initiated this project because serious case reviews have highlighted that social work professionals sometimes require further support and training to work with families whose culture or religion differs from their own. Culture-specific training can help inform practice and avoid the risk of inadvertently enabling situations that put some children at risk. Some professionals also feel they lack the tools or confidence to build on cultural strengths, or to question specific cultural practices, potentially hindering better outcomes for children. This is an introductory guide intended for social workers supporting families in the UK. This guide may also be of interest to education, health and legal professionals, supporting children and families from different communities.  

An introduction to working with families with heritage from Romania

Romania has a fascinating and varied culture, strongly influenced by religious beliefs and folk traditions. This introductory guide contains information that could be helpful for understanding the cultural context within which a family of Romanian heritage is operating. However, not everything in this guide will be applicable to all families. No culture is homogeneous, and culture can be influenced by regional, age, gender, class and other factors. As with many countries, culture can vary significantly in different regions. For example, Transylvanian culture in Western Romania is multicultural with strong Hungarian and German communities, whereas Eastern Romania may have more influence from the Caucuses and Tatars (Turkic ethnic group). Furthermore, there will be differences between culture in Romania versus diaspora communities in UK.

This introductory guide covers topics including:

• Short history of the Romanian diaspora in the UK
• Religion and celebration
• Food  
• Healthcare
• Family structure
• Education
• Perception of social services
• Roma peoples from Romania
• Working with interpreters
• Culturally relevant networks and resources

‍