Evaluating social work and medical practice with black and ethnic minority groups using the clinical audit model

This paper is based on the External Audit-Ethnically Sensitive Practice (EA-ESP) project which was undertaken within six primary and secondary health care settings. This project is used as an example of how the clinical audit model can be used to monitor and review health and social work practice in the UK. The paper examines quality, compares approaches to evaluation, and suggests that audit can be a useful tool for agencies in obtaining user and staff views on many areas of practice but in particular on equal opportunities, anti-racism and anti-oppression. Attention is drawn to audit within broader evaluative and review approaches already employed by social work academics and practitioners. The issue of quality and how it can be measured is considered through an analytical comparison with approaches which employ action research and other evaluative means in the process of review. Audit is explored in the context of a growing need for the development of monitoring and review systems which provide evidence to support and develop professionalism within social work. External audit is explored and compared to internal audit. Finally, the need for the development of quality services in anti-racist and anti-oppressive work is highlighted and it is suggested that audit can be a cost-effective and efficient way of achieving this.