Further information for counsellors

Foundations of migration-sensitive counselling

The foundations of migration-sensitive employment-oriented counselling were summarised by the IQ Centre for Intercultural Competence Development and Anti-Discrimination in the training manual "Foundations of migration-specific counselling“. Here you will find exercises and concepts on different topics such as intercultural sensitisation and dealing with difference, dealing with multilingualism and dealing with experiences of discrimination.

Discrimination-sensitive design of the counselling

On the website of the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency you will find the General Equal Treatment Act, which provides information on the legal foundations. At the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency you can find information and advice on preventing discrimination on the grounds of age, disability and chronic illness, ethnic origin and racism, gender, religion and belief, and sexual identity.

For a sensitive approach to religious and ideological diversity in administrations and companies, the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency in its brochure "Religious Diversity in the Workplace" provides information on the foundations and examples for their practical implementation.

The study "Muslim Women and Men in Rural Areas in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia — How can the Municipal Administration master new tasks well?" explores how the integration of Muslims in eastern German municipalities can succeed. It is aimed at representatives of politics and administration in municipalities who want to actively shape the lives of Muslims in their locality, as well as at civil society participants. Experiences should be passed on to them in order to enhance their competence to act. The study is dedicated to practical questions of coexistence and provides background knowledge on religious practice and community life of Muslims, dealing with Islamophobia and religious extremism. Published by the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation and the Robert Bosch Foundation.

Breaking down language barriers

Tips on characteristics and strategies of language-sensitive counselling are provided by the IQ Fachstelle Berufsbezogenes Deutsch [IQ Centre Job-related German]. In the publication "Language-sensitive counselling" you will find simple phrases, a checklist for your own language use and suggestions for practical solutions.

How terms from the SGB [German Social Code] II can be easily paraphrased and explained is shown in the "SGB II Easy Language Dictionary" by basis & woge e.V.

Sometimes additional help is needed to understand specific technical terms in the SGB II. In the funding programme "Integration through Qualification (IQ)", corresponding cards were developed in eleven languages in the brochure "Visualisation Aid for SGB II" .

Language mediators with knowledge of different languages are trained, among other things, through the project SiSA language mediation in Saxony-Anhalt of the Saxony-Anhalt state network of migrant organisations. They support migrants, for example, as volunteer telephone interpreters or by accompanying them to appointments.

Discovery of strengths and areas of potential

The practical handout "Migration-specific procedures for assessing competences for employment agencies, job centres and labour market participants" of the IQ Fachstelle Beratung und Qualifizierung shows different competence assessment procedures for people with a migration background that can be used in the guidance process.

Self-reflection of the counsellors

An insight into the case management process is given in the working guide "Case Management in Migration Counselling for Adult Immigrants (MBE) — A Working Guide" of the Paritätischer Gesamtverband.

The working guide "Organisation, Reflection and Quality Assurance of Counselling Processes" of the Paritätischer Gesamtverband deals with the organisational handling of counselling as well as special situations that arise in the everyday work of migration counselling. The working aid addresses aspects such as time and organisational management.

The measures to be taken for the sensitive handling of personal data are clearly shown in the brochure "Data protection in the field of migration counselling" of the Paritätischer Gesamtverband. This includes a data protection checklist with which you can assess your virtual counselling according to data protection criteria.