Promote Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Safety in the Workplace

This document discusses the key cultural safety issues in the workplace for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It provides strategies for promoting cultural safety, gaining input from the community, evaluating current integration, and improving processes and practices. The document also discusses partnerships with the community and available resources.

Participant Workbook
CHCDIV002 Promote Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander safety
Assessment Task Two: Extended Answers
In this task, you will need to answer the following questions in as much detail as possible.
Your answers should be based on your current workplace or one that you have been part of.
1. Identify the key cultural safety issues in your workplace. In your answer (no more than
one page) you should discuss the following:
a) What are the critical issues that influence relationships with Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people and how do you ensure that cultural safety is
integrated into your work practice?
b) Do you think you are doing this effectively? Explain why / why not and provide
detailed examples and suggestions.
a- The issues include racial and economic disadvantage at which both the communities
have been facing because of government policies especially segregation,
displacement, separation of families and others. Even in developed countries,
Aboriginal and Torres's communities are marginalised that increase disadvantage
toward their development. The other prominent issues include discrimination, racism
and lack of cultural understanding from both sides that increase inequality and social
injustice. Research determines that the cultural believes of people, their values, and
their world-wide views influence critical thinking and behaviour of people that they
reflect in their judgement without having a complete understanding about the
experiences they face in a professional work setting. I believe that these elements
increase the gap in their services, I have experienced the same elements in my
workplace. Thus, I have handled this issue by listening to them closely so to have a
clear understanding. I have read about the cultural backgrounds of both the
communities so that I can response them more adequately (Cultural Capability Team,
2015).
b- I personally believe that I have been successful in communicating with Aboriginal
and Torres communities, the main feature of my efforts while communicating with
them was to make eye contact in a respectful way. Another thing that I have been
focused on talking to them in detail and a simple language. This has helped us avoid
any misunderstanding. As I have defined that I have read about their culture, thus, it

has helped me adopt the best way to distribute information throughout the community
(Cultural Capability Team, 2015). For example, when I was hired in the firm, there
were already 3 employees (belonging to Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander
community) in the firm, thus, I started talking to them about general things in order to
build connection, hence it helped me improve my perception towards them. I would
suggest the same tactic to other people in same position as it will help us create a
diverse environment.
2. You are looking to promote Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultural safety in
your workplace. Suggest how you gain input from Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people in your organisation. Ensure in your response you: (2-3 pages)
a) Provide specific examples around communication strategies both current and
proposed
b) Evaluate the extent to which cultural safety is currently integrated and its
effects on your service
c) Discuss how processes and / or practices could be adapted and improved
d) Discuss partnerships with community and what resources are available
a- I believe that in order to promote communication strategies associated with
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander is to promote Interactive communication, the
strategy will promote the use of emails, question and answers, online chats, discussion
forums, and telephone hotlines. These strategies will encourage the employees to ask
questions anonymously and seek facilitation from the employees. It will promote two-
way communication and feedbacks efficiency; meanwhile, the employees can adopt a
more clear approach considering mass communication to achieve collaborative targets
(Cultural Capability Team, 2015).
b- There is a non-discrimination policy adopted in the firm, at our workplace we
promote open and flexible communication to all types of people without them feel
dominating from anybody. Research determines that cultural safety for these two
communities have become an essential element in Australia because people are
required to respect them and make sure that they feel connected from other people
without any pressure. It is found that following the cultural competency model and
cultural element works to improve cultural awareness and sensitivity to adopt a
legitimate framework in supporting collaborative framework. With this model, our

Participant Workbook
CHCDIV002 Promote Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander safety
company is able to reduce the institutionalised racism to maintain an indigenous
workplace and cultural standards. The system is designed with value diversity,
promoting the capacity of cultural self-assessment, and be conscious about the
dynamics to interact with multiple cultures at a single time to avoid discrimination
(Sully, 2001).
c- Festivals and traditions are very different when it comes to respecting cultural
diversity and knowledge of the Aboriginal community, for example, people have a
different attitude to death, its associated ceremonies, time, and others. Even in service
delivery, the community have certain expectations. Thinking and learning style that is
required to be promoted while bringing cultural equality and diversity at the
workplace. For example, in the case of indigenous Australia, people prefer to focus on
identifying the needs of the society, focus on predetermining issues and expect that
their culture is to be taken seriously (Cultural Capability Team, 2015). At our firm,
we understand that remote limitation of this community in terms of employment,
therefore, we are planning to expand the number of opportunities to these people
having few opportunities in terms of welfare services, and others. It results in
improving the number of opportunities to people, promotes their learning styles, and
reduce the barriers in terms of health, welfare, education, and community-related
services (Morello et al., 2013).
d- The planning and delivery services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children is
a complex task for the practitioner and policymaking. These are required to work on
social problems to work on issues in order to consider historical, social, communal,
and family-based factors to work on different consideration. The two communities are
focused on characteristics based on geographical location with significant values for
example, the lifestyle, living pattern, services, and others to work with the right kind
of staff and adopting a right research approach to manage and offer equal
(indiscriminate) services to people and overcome the issues such as poor health,
education, social outcomes, and others (Rhys Price-Robertson ; Myfanwy McDonald,
2011). Some important resources include information about treatment and

communication options, risks and benefits, care plan, follow up professional network
and funding to improve their work approach.
3. Describe a program or service your organisation offers that has a cultural safety
component/strategy and explain the outcomes and how they are measured and
evaluated.
It has been found in researches that Australia government and companies have worked
strategically to plan strategies forming a cultural identity as a key part of their development to
support indigenous community, people, especially students so that they can be a part of
Australian national without feeling discriminated by the policy or any other factor. To
support development, the people have worked together to address the issues faced by
indigenous people, looking for adequate solutions in promoting equal opportunities and other
facilities to offer extensive leadership program and capacity development in improving the
lives of Australian Indigenous community (Rhys Price-Robertson; Myfanwy McDonald,
2011).
In order to follow equal opportunities for all and respect other cultures, I believe that our firm
should plan its cultural safety framework to embrace based on four parts – over-arching aim,
domains of cultural impact, application to medical practice, and implication of service
professional. The domains of cultural impact are called different service perspective, values,
symptom hierarchies, and variation in community capacity. To correspond the service
application are required to be planned according to conceptual understanding, professional
practices, and care for all even in a professional setting. The implication of these plans are
based on the role of management, workforce composition, and the registration of employees
according to the relevancy of the professional setting to achieve collaborative goals and
objectives successfully (Morello et al., 2013).

Participant Workbook
CHCDIV002 Promote Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander safety
1. References
Cultural Capability Team. (2015). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Patient Care
Guidelines. Retrieved from
https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0021/151923/communicating.pd
f
Morello, R., Lowthian, J., Barker, A., McGinnes, R., Dunt, D., & Brand, C. (2013). Strategies
for improving patient safety culture in hospitals: a systematic review. BMJ Qual Saf,
11-18.
Rhys Price-Robertson; Myfanwy McDonald. (2011). Working with Indigenous children,
families, and communities: Lessons from practice. Retrieved from
https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/publications/working-indigenous-children-families-and-
communities
Sully, M. (2001). When rules are not enough: Safety regulation and safety culture in the
commercial driving context. In INSURANCE COMMISSION OF WESTERN
AUSTRALIA CONFERENCE ON ROAD SAFETY, 2001.