Cultural Safety policy

1. Purpose

SSAH is committed to respecting the cultural identities, needs, strengths and differences of clients, workers and stakeholders. This policy promotes culturally safe, responsive and inclusive services, especially for people and communities affected by marginalisation, racism, colonisation or other forms of structural disadvantage.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all employees, contractors, students, clients and visitors, and to every SSAH interaction, service, assessment, document, training activity and organisational process.

3. Principles

Self-determination. People are experts in their own identity, culture, needs and experience, and are supported to make informed choices.

Respect and humility. Workers remain curious, avoid assumptions and recognise that cultural learning is ongoing.

Power awareness. SSAH examines how professional authority, privilege, colonisation, racism and institutional practices affect engagement and outcomes.

Intersectionality. Culture interacts with race, Indigeneity, disability, neurotype, class, migration, faith, age, gender, sexuality and other identities.

Accountability. Cultural safety concerns are welcomed, acted on and used to improve practice without retaliation.

4. Definitions

Cultural safety: an environment experienced by a person as respectful and supportive of their cultural identity, free from assault, challenge, diminution or denial of that identity.

Cultural sensitivity: recognising and respecting differences in culture, values and practices and adapting behaviour accordingly.

Intersectionality: the way multiple aspects of identity and systems of privilege or marginalisation interact to shape a person's experience.

Cultural privilege: advantages experienced by a group because its identity, worldview or practices are treated as dominant or normal.

Safe-enough environment: a setting that actively reduces avoidable harm and supports honest participation while recognising that absolute safety cannot be guaranteed and difficult conversations may involve discomfort.

5. Legal, ethical and professional framework

SSAH applies this policy consistently with the following requirements, where relevant:

  • Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth), Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth), Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) and Age Discrimination Act 2004 (Cth).

  • Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic), Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 (Vic) and applicable New South Wales anti-discrimination law.

  • Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Vic), where applicable.

  • Health Complaints Act 2016 (Vic) and the General Code of Conduct for general health service providers.

  • AASW Code of Ethics 2020 and current AASW Practice Standards.

  • NDIS Code of Conduct, where SSAH provides NDIS supports or services.

6. Cultural safety in practice

SSAH workers are expected to:

  • ask how the person identifies, what matters to them and what would make the service more culturally safe;

  • reflect on their own cultural position, assumptions, biases, privilege and professional power;

  • understand relevant historical and contemporary influences on health and wellbeing, including colonisation and intergenerational harm;

  • respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander self-determination, connection to Country, kinship, community and cultural authority;

  • use affirming language and avoid colonising, pathologising, stereotyping or 'othering' terms;

  • accept different worldviews and adapt assessment, communication, goals and interventions where safe and appropriate;

  • provide qualified interpreters, accessible information and reasonable adjustments where needed; and

  • avoid placing the burden of education or advocacy on the person receiving the service.

7. Building a safe-enough environment

SSAH aims to create conditions in which people can express identity, preferences, disagreement and concerns without fear of humiliation or retaliation. Staff will acknowledge that discomfort may arise in difficult conversations, distinguish discomfort from harm, remain regulated and responsive, and provide support or pause the process when needed.

8. Training, reflection and support

SSAH provides proportionate cultural-safety learning and resources, encourages reflective supervision and ongoing professional development, and reviews policies, forms, language and service environments for barriers or bias. Learning is not treated as a one-off competency.

9. Responding to a cultural safety concern

  1. Listen without defensiveness, acknowledge the person's experience and check immediate safety or support needs.

  2. Ask what response or adjustment the person wants and whether they would like an advocate, support person or culturally appropriate practitioner involved.

  3. Notify the Director, SSAH where the concern cannot be resolved immediately, involves serious harm or suggests a systemic issue.

  4. Document only what is necessary, protect privacy and implement agreed practice, communication, referral, mediation, training or service changes.

  5. Follow up with the person and review whether the response improved cultural safety.

10. Compliance and complaints

Non-compliance may result in education, supervision, mediation, changed duties, disciplinary action or another proportionate response. A person may also use the SSAH Complaints Policy or contact an external discrimination, health complaints or professional body.

References

Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth). https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A00274/latest

Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic). https://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/in-force/acts/equal-opportunity-act-2010

Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 (Vic). https://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/in-force/acts/racial-and-religious-tolerance-act-2001

Australian Association of Social Workers. Code of Ethics 2020. https://www.aasw.asn.au/about-aasw/ethics-standards/code-of-ethics/

Australian Human Rights Commission. Cultural safety for health professionals. https://humanrights.gov.au/

Document contact

For questions or concerns about cultural safety or this policy, contact the Director, SSAH on 0435 005 669 or hello@socialsense.com.au. Correspondence may also be sent to PO Box 212, Brunswick VIC 3056.