ABSTRACT
As on many social work courses, peer support groups and mentoring have been running for some years at Bristol for black, disabled, gay and lesbian students and, more recently, for carers. Support groups facilitate mutual support and empowerment in responding to institutional discrimination. Cropper (2000) refers to internal barriers for black students once in HE, culminating in experiences of racism and difficulties maintaining a positive racial identity. She discusses mentoring as an ‘inclusive device’, building on self-help and consciousness-raising principles, to assist in overcoming such barriers.
