North Lanarkshire is Scotland’s fourth largest local authority area by population and in relation to ethnic diversity, the 2011 census revealed that the area is home to a number of BAME communities (National Records of Scotland, 2021).

It is envisaged that data from the most recent national census carried out in 2022, will show an increase in the ethnic diversity of the overall Scottish population including in North Lanarkshire.

Until recently, there had not been an undertaking by North Lanarkshire Council (NLC) to examine the lived experiences of BAME communities. However, in 2020, a working group was formed with a commitment to explore and understand the needs and issues facing BAME people. The group agreed an approach to carrying out a piece of research over 2 phases.

Phase 1 involved a questionnaire of BAME communities and was conducted between December 2020 and February 2021 (Policy and Strategy Committee, 2021).

Although some useful quantitative data was generated, it was deemed that phase 1 did not capture the qualitative aspect of the lived experiences of BAME communities. It was felt that this could be addressed through a qualitative study involving focus groups and interviews with BAME communities that would provide a voice to those communities and a deeper insight into their real-life experiences.

Hence, NLC commissioned phase 2 of the research, the aim of which was to develop an understanding of the lived experiences and future needs of North Lanarkshire’s BAME communities in relation to:

• an ageing population
• digital skills and inclusion
• employment and skills
• community cohesion and integration
• the specific experiences of the Syrian refugees.