Cultural Awareness

Dear Families and Service Users;

YRSDS OSH Program is a community where diversity is accepted and celebrated. We welcome people of diverse cultural backgrounds, race, religion, ability, gender and sexual orientation.

Where possible, YRSDS OSH Program always strive to familiarise ourselves with the cultural norms and practices of our service users in order to understand how these may impact on our service delivery, and allow us to demonstrate respect for that person’s beliefs, traditions and cultural identity. ​​

Although YRSDS OSH Program acknowledge that it is important and useful to build an awareness of our service users’ cultural norms and practices, we also acknowledge the importance of remembering that regardless of ethnicity, no two people are the same. For this reason, we will always be guided by the preferences of the individual when establishing a foundation for respectful communication.

As part of our ongoing reflection upon our own professional practice to improve cultural awareness and cultural competency, we have added a ‘Cultural Awareness’ section to our website. This page includes important and useful information regarding, and links to;

- Cultural Awareness Training

- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Awareness Training

- Person Centred Practice Across Cultures

- Practical Indigenous Protocols

- Department of Education and Training: Human Rights Charter Policy

- Cultural and Linguistic Diversity Strategy

- Enabling Choice for Aboriginal People Living with Disability

- The NDIS And Aboriginal Communities

- Links to support and advocacy

- Resources for working with Aboriginal families and the NDIS

- Research, discussion papers and submissions

In addition, the following questions will be added to, or modified on, our enrolment forms and service user profiles for new families/participants:

- What language(s) are spoken by the individual and their family at home?

- Do you require an interpreter?

- What is your preferred method of communication?

- What type of people are best suited to support your son/daughter?

- Are there any cultural or religious considerations you would like us to be aware of?

We also invite all existing families to provide us with the above information. If you wish to discuss this further or to provide feedback please do so via this link, in person, via email or via telephone.

Warm regards;

Luke Adams

YRSDS OSH Program Manager

Download this letter below as a .PDF

Cultural Awareness Letter to Family

.pdf

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