Cultural Competency Training & Consultation with ESA Scotland

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Inclusive practice starts with understanding and awareness.

We support organisations, professionals, researchers, and service providers to build programmes, policies, and research that are inclusive, equitable, and culturally competent. We know that effective engagement starts with trust and long-term relationships. That’s why our approach is grounded in community knowledge, lived experience, and proven methods of meaningful outreach.

Our team includes experienced consultants and community members, recognised leaders and expert advocates who bring deep, nuanced understanding of East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) migrant and diaspora experiences across the UK. From broad systemic issues to specific cultural and social contexts, we offer insight that strengthens the impact of your work.

We also work closely with trusted partners and frontline services across the UK to help ensure ESEA communities can access support that is culturally appropriate and responsive to their needs.

Whether you're:

  • developing a new service or policy,

  • designing inclusive community engagement strategies,

  • or conducting qualitative research with ESEA participants,

our training and consultation services will help you work respectfully, effectively, and sustainably with ESEA communities across Scotland and the wider UK.

To learn more about why this service is important, please read our Ethical Engagement and Consultation Policy, which includes guidance for partners, collaborators, and funders.

Let’s collaborate to create work that is meaningful, ethical, and led by those it seeks to serve.

What We Offer

interactive cultural sensitivity workshops and training that explore:

  • Contextualising service delivery in real-world community experience

  • A general outlook of East and Southeast Asian communities in Scotland and how these communities intersect.

  • Effective and respectful engagement with ESEA service users and clients

  • A contextual understanding of East and Southeast Asian migration, histories, and lived experiences, with relevance to both the Scottish and wider UK context.

  • An understanding of intra-community sensitivities and communication norms that can support effective engagement with complex or challenging issues.

  • Inclusive, Human-centred, trauma-informed, and anti-racist approaches to cross-cultural work.

  • Working with interpreters and community languages.

One to One or group Consultation Sessions

Organisational Policy and Procedure Design & Review:

We support professionals and services in developing or reviewing internal policies to ensure equity and safety for those most marginalised. We specialise in:

  • Safeguarding policy and practice (children and adults)

  • Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) policy development

  • Safer recruitment and retention practices for diverse workforces

  • Inclusive approaches to working with racialised, migrant, and precarious communities

Inclusive Recruitment & Representation:

We assist organisations seeking to diversify their teams and embed more equitable working cultures by:

  • Reviewing recruitment language and accessibility

  • Advising on fair processes that remove barriers for underrepresented groups

  • Supporting strategy for workforce inclusion when serving racialised and migrant communities

Strategic Advice & Co-Design:

We offer structured consultancy to help organisations respond effectively and ethically when engaging with communities affected by racism, xenophobia, gendered violence, trafficking, and poverty. This includes:

  • One-to-one strategic advice sessions

  • Organisational reviews and equity assessments

  • Support with trauma-informed service design

  • Facilitated co-design and community engagement

Our clients include:

  • NHS, Statutory Service Providers and first responder services

  • Local authorities and government departments

  • Academic institutions and Researchers

  • Arts and cultural Organisations

  • Community-based and Voluntary-sector Organisations

Corporate Clients:
We offer expert consultation and cultural competency training to help businesses, including those wishing to sell East and Southeast Asian products or food, engage with these communities in a culturally sensitive and respectful manner. Our services are designed to help you avoid cultural appropriation, enhance your corporate social responsibility, improve workplace diversity, and ensure your products resonate authentically with East and Southeast Asian communities.

Compliance and Safe Practices

While we do not provide specialist GDPR or data protection consultancy, we work in full compliance with:

  • The Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR

  • Relevant safeguarding legislation and best practice

  • Community-developed ethics of care and accountability

Legislative & Policy Frameworks Our Work Aligns With

Our services are informed by and designed to support compliance with:

  • Equality Act 2010 – including the Public Sector Equality Duty

  • Human Rights Act 1998 – particularly Articles protecting against discrimination and inhumane treatment

  • Fairer Scotland Duty – supporting public bodies to address socio-economic disadvantage

  • UNCRC (Scotland) – relevant when working with children and young people from migrant or care-experienced backgrounds

  • Trauma-Informed Practice Framework (NES)

  • The Race Equality Framework for Scotland (2016–2030)

  • New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy

  • National Standards for Community Engagement

We are committed to intersectional, rights-based approaches that prioritise lived experience and community leadership in service development.

Pricing & Booking
ESA Scotland operates on a sliding scale payment system, based on the size and nature of your organisation, your budget, and the scope of work. As a guide:

  • Half-day training (approx. 3 hours):
    From £400 (small community groups) to £850 (larger institutions)
    Includes 1 x 30-minute follow-up consultation for up to two selected team members

  • Full-day training (approx. 6 hours):
    From £750 to £1,500, depending on content and format
    Includes 2 x 30-minute follow-up consultations for up to two selected team members

  • Bespoke consultancy and co-design support:
    Priced upon request, starting from £75/hour

We are keen to understand which community or communities you work with, the context and industry you operate in, and the reasons for your engagement with this specific group. This allows us to assess whether we are best positioned to provide the support you need or if we can refer you on to our partners.

These prices are in line with sector standards and competitive with other UK providers.

We prioritise accessibility for grassroots and voluntary organisations while ensuring the highest quality delivery.

Workshops and consultations are available online or in person, and are designed to be practical, reflective, and rooted in real-world experience.

Corporate Clients:
We offer expert consultation and cultural competency training to help businesses, including those wishing to sell East and Southeast Asian products or food, engage with these communities in a culturally sensitive and respectful manner. Our services are designed to help you avoid cultural appropriation, enhance your corporate social responsibility, improve workplace diversity, and ensure your products resonate authentically with East and Southeast Asian communities.

Book an initial 15 minute chat with us!

We offer a free 15-minute review call/video-call to help clarify the scope of your needs and determine whether ESAS is the most appropriate service to support your organisation. This helps ensure that the guidance we provide is aligned, purposeful, and in the best interest of the communities you serve.

To arrange this, please email us at services@esascotland.org or:

We look forward to hearing from you and exploring how we can support your journey toward more equitable, inclusive, and culturally competent practice.