Minority ethnic heritage parent perceptions of accessing children’s services: a scoping review

Purpose Children’s services must meet the needs of the diverse communities within which they are situated. This study aims to explore minority ethnic heritage parent/caregiver experiences of accessing and engaging with children’s services, to identify barriers and facilitators which can inform service development and professional practice. Design/methodology/approach This systematic scoping review included qualitative papers indexed within Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ASSIA), Education Resources Information Centre (ERIC) and Web of Science published between 2018–2023. Studies were included if they captured views of marginalised ethnic heritage parents in relation to children’s services. Forty-eight papers were included within the scoping review, across 14 countries and a range of services including health, education, autistic spectrum disorder and mental health. A process of reflexive thematic analysis was undertaken to develop codes and themes. Findings The themes identified that parents valued accessible services that centre community needs and professionals who are competent, caring and work in partnership with families. Barriers included hard to research services and intersectionality of discrimination through racism and stigma. An overarching theme of safety and power to engage mediated parent experiences. Research limitations/implications The findings collated parent views from a wide range of marginalised ethnic heritage communities, identifying the need to develop culturally safe services which reduce barriers to access and better meet community needs. It also highlighted the importance and value of listening to and collaborating with minoritised groups to inform service design. Implications for practice and service development are outlined. Originality/value The review builds upon previous research by providing a current literature review from a wider range of children’s services. It also broadens the conceptualisation of ethnic minority families to include those from Aboriginal and indigenous communities, as well as asylum seekers and refugees. The findings gather parent/carer insights from 48 papers to identify barriers and facilitators to service access which can be used to inform practice.