How to engage CALD communities and carers to ensure a culturally diverse client poolIngrid Boland and Stephanie De LorenzoEthnic Community Services Co-operative

Ethnic Community Services Co-operative

Our vision is that every Australian from a culturally and linguistically diverse background has the opportunity to participate fully in Australian society and receive services that are relevant and appropriate to their needs.

Ethnic Community Services Co-operative

Cultural Diversity and DisabilityECSC’s experience•“Double Disadvantage” pioneered in the 1980s; concept of multiple disadvantage is still relevant today

Ongoing focus•Information and advocacy for CALD people with disabilities and their families

•Community outreach and NDIS capacity building

•Multicultural respite services and carer support groups

•Specialist advice, training and resources to services

CALD Capacity Building ProjectProject goals•Raise awareness about disability rights and supports

•Develop skills and confidence required to exercise greater choice and control

Core activities•Community outreach and consultation

•Information sessions on disability in a cultural context, disability rights and the disability system in Australia

•NDIS workshops and pre-planning mentoring

•Resource development

•Stakeholder engagement

Ethnic People with Disabilities Program

Promoting the rights of people with a disability from CALD backgrounds through:•Individual advocacy, information and referral

•Community development

•Systemic advocacy

•Training and support for service providers

Engaging CALD communities: what matters most?

Tip 1: Get to know your community

• Why outreach

• Research community profiles

• Find out a little about the culture(s) your clients may identify with

• Don’t make assumptions

• It’s not what you know…

• Power of partnerships

Tip 2: Take time to build trust

• Listen and respond to immediate concerns

• Be careful and patient with the information you provide

• Be an ally

• Do what you say you will do

• Be upfront and realistic about the limitations of your service – but acknowledge the impact this may have

Tip 3: Assume nothing! Be curious.

• Don’t make assumptions about an individual’s level of awareness of disability rights, the disability support system, the NDIS..

• Realise there may be a reason you haven’t thought of…

• Things may not always be what they seem…

Tip 4: Bring it back to human rights• A shared foundation

• A link to person centred approaches

• Empowering carers to advocate for themselves and their family

Tip 5: Communication matters• If you are struggling to understand,

straining to follow or feeling a bit lost: offer an interpreter

• Ask clients for their feedback on working with an interpreter

• Help with forms and letters

• Level of language (formality)

• Interpreters or bilingual workers?

• Repeat messaging

Tip 6: Celebrate strengths and achievements• Easy to forget…

• Look for strengths in the family in terms of what is meaningful to them

• Celebrate increasing confidence and empowerment

Tip 7: Reflect on your practice

• Cultural competency is an ongoing process

• Be aware of your own cultural position: you are not neutral!

• Make use of existing resources

What next?

• The world of disability services is changing

• Remember the reasons for the change:

“The current disability support arrangements are inequitable, underfunded, fragmented and

inefficient and give people with disability little choice”

(Productivity Commission, 2011)

• How will you engage CALD communities to use your service?

Thank you!ingrid.b@ecsc.org.au

stephanie.d@ecsc.org.au