The Art of Communication: - Derry City Council

• All of the Chinese focus group participants confirmed that they had no awarenessof council policies or procedures relating to ethnic minority employers.• Environmental Health focus group participants agreed that councils needed toadopt a more integrated corporate, as opposed to departmental, approach whendealing with the issue of communicating with ethnic minorities.4.6 The Sills and Desai ‘Seven Stages’• A majority of EHOs and Chinese employers indicated that they did agree with theseven statements.• A majority of EHOs answered ‘no’ or ‘don’t know’ when asked whether they feltthat their organisation had taken the seven stage process into consideration whencommunicating with Chinese employers.4.7 Focus Group ResultsThe following are examples of qualitative responses that were obtained from the separatefocus groups that were held for EHOs and Chinese employers.4.7.1 Environmental Health Focus Groups4.7.1.1 Verbal and Written Communications• Face-to-Face communication is a problem therefore a priority with employeesalso.• One lady (Chinese) who owns a takeaway uses a translation book duringinspections in her premises.• We have no way of knowing how effective translation and interpretation is.• Effective verbal communication helps premises improve.• ***Council spent a lot of money to translate - £400 per letter, to no obviouseffect.• My previous personal experience is that Chinese have excellent English and theyare comfortable with English correspondence etc.• Some employees pretend not to understand.24The Art of Communication: A landscape shared between regulator and ethnic employer