Creating a More Culturally Safe Workplace
Introduction
The strategy I have chosen is to introduce regular Cultural Awareness Training in the workplace.
I chose this strategy because I think understanding is an important first step towards creating cultural safety. Sometimes people may say or do something inappropriate without realising the impact it can have on another person. Training can help staff understand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories and experiences and also become more aware of their own attitudes and assumptions.
The purpose of the training would not be to assume that everyone from the same culture has the same needs. Instead, it would encourage staff to listen, communicate respectfully and allow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to express what makes them feel culturally safe.
The training should be developed or delivered with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people rather than the organisation deciding by itself what cultural safety should look like.
Our goals within 12 months would be to have 90% of staff complete cultural awareness training, include cultural awareness in the induction of all new employees, and achieve at least 80% positive feedback from participating staff about their understanding and confidence.
Implementation Process
The first step would be to speak with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives about what should be included in the training.
The organisation would then arrange an appropriate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural trainer to conduct the sessions. Training could cover cultural safety, respectful communication, the effects of colonisation and discrimination, cultural bias, appropriate terminology and the importance of listening to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices.
Staff would complete the initial training and then have opportunities to continue learning through workplace discussions and refresher sessions.
Cultural awareness should not be treated as something that is completed once and forgotten. It needs to become part of everyday workplace behaviour.
Responding to Challenges
One challenge is recognising our own cultural bias. People often see situations through their own experiences and may not realise that they are making assumptions about another person's culture.
I think it is important to be open to feedback and recognise that learning about cultural safety may sometimes make us uncomfortable. The purpose should not be to blame people, but to recognise where attitudes or workplace practices can improve.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should also be involved in decisions about services that affect them. This supports self-determination and community control, rather than the organisation making decisions on their behalf.
Staff would be encouraged to participate by explaining why the training is relevant to everyone and how better cultural understanding can improve communication, relationships and the overall workplace environment.
Evaluation Process
The strategy would be reviewed after six months and again after 12 months.
We would look at the percentage of staff who completed the training and ask staff to complete short surveys before and after training to see whether their knowledge and confidence had improved.
However, staff feedback alone would not tell us whether the workplace had actually become more culturally safe.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients and representatives should therefore be involved in the evaluation. They could provide confidential feedback about whether they feel respected, listened to and comfortable when using the organisation's services.
After 12 months, the organisation would compare the results with the original targets and discuss the findings with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives. If there were areas where people still felt culturally unsafe, the training and workplace practices would be changed based on their feedback.
I think this is important because cultural safety is not something an organisation can simply say it has achieved. The people receiving the service should have a voice in deciding whether they actually feel culturally safe.