CHCDIV002 Early Childhood Education and Care

Published : 30-Aug,2021 | Views : 10

Question:

Identify the key cultural safety issues in your workplace. In your answer (no more than one page) you should discuss the following:
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
Do you think you are doing this effectively Explain why / why not and provide detailed examples and suggestions.

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:

Provide specific examples around communication strategies both current and proposed
Evaluate the extent to which cultural safety is currently integrated and its effects on your service
Discuss how processes and / or practices could be adapted and improved
Discuss partnerships with community and what resources are available

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.

Answer:

One of the important factor that plays primary role in building relationship with indigenous and aboriginals and Torres Strait islanders is the cultural identities that differ. Culture is the broader set of beliefs and practices based upon core values and ethics of the community. Getting idea of their distinct and complex nature of the culture from history, traditions and beliefs are difficult as these are not meshed into education system properly. Difference of language is another key factor that influences the relationship as it poses barrier in communication. Communication is one important mode of building relation and breaking the cultural barrier which is disrupted in this case. The disadvantage and bitter memories of the community in its historical struggle evoked sense of distrust that affect formation of healthy relationship

Cultural safety in workplace refers to an environment that ensures safety and acceptance to the existence of people upholding the dignity of them. It rightly protects people from assault, denial of identity, deprivation from needs and promotes mutual respect and shared knowledge. It empowers individual in a community to protect its own health, wellbeing while dealing with various social issues. Maintenance of cultural safety in workplace helps in accommodating the differences through acknowledgements and respects. To ensure the integration of cultural safety in the work place cross cultural training is mandatory. The strategies are adopted such a way that helps in bringing transformation in workplace slowly while creating better understanding and promoting awareness.

The idea of cross-cultural training through safety workshops is of greater importance as it rightly helps in promoting the better understanding and awareness regarding accommodation of the differences in culture. The workshops are perfect tool that allows individual to focus on themselves as bearer and representative of culture. It is great source of awareness of the culture and the sensitivity that makes one understand about the life experiences of people in this community and the underlying differences across indigenous and non-indigenous communities. These are important as the exposure to culture shape both individual as well as worldview of personal growth. The reason this kind of workshops and training program are effective because they efficiently escalate the personal empowerment, promoting self determination for indigenous people through effective and meaningful pathways. Arranging cultural festivals in workplace and make everyone participate can evoke sense of integrity among people consolidating the relationship.

There are various communication strategies pertaining to the mode of communication with the Aboriginals and Torres Islanders and they are mainly verbal, non-verbal and visual communication. Verbal communication can be of two types oral and written. For the employees in the workplace written communication can be of good choice. Moreover, one to one oral communication is also better way of connecting with these people. For the people who are not well versed with writing or speaking or even if the language barriers operate then non-verbal communications are important. These two are present strategies of communication in the workplace. One of the important suggestion can be implementation of visual communication a sit helps in drawing attention towards safety laws throughout the workplace with the help of illustrations, images or even webpage.
Important evaluation strategy regarding the cultural safety in workplace can be bringing advancement in the engagement level of indigenous people. More opportunities regarding the decision-making can be given to the these people. Improvement of relation with their family members is another key strategy to better evaluate the safe cultural promotion in the workplace. Ensuring mass acceptance of diverse cultural aspects and deep understanding of the cultural safety is source of proper evaluation of the process. It has to be ensured that everyone is treated with respect and dignity and there is openness in the treatment toward differed culture, religion, beliefs, language and so on.
One important strategy to develop and maintain workplace relationship effectively comes with establishment of culturally safe workplace practices. A culturally safe environment refers to an environment that promotes rather than denies the individual identity and needs. Regarding the indigenous Australian individuals belonging to different communities and other community service workers these practices always refer to shared experiences and knowledge. Culturally safe workplace practices would require one to establish rapport on large scale and also grow sensitivity toward different components including recipient of services, community members and educators. Using interpersonal skills to acknowledge integrity and worth of people and providing respect and empathy to promote non-judgmental and supportive attitude are also important practices.
Successful partnership requires full participation, involvement and continuous consultation of the Australian people in mostly decision making processes regarding the issues facing them. Community level decision making requires participation for which implementation and development of strategies needed to enhance the focus of delivery service programs. Arranging for proper consultation and negotiations are important to develop the credibility, trust among people. Identification and acknowledgements of the different social and ethical obligations among aboriginals are important. This tow way consultation processes are effective in building close contact with them and allow them to take part in the education, health and other community services.

Program: The organization that I work for has arranged for a monthly workshop based on the cross-cultural training as well as on the go activities allowing every individual to get hold of mutual cultural tenets, beliefs and practices. This monthly workshop engages people in oral communication, various visual illustrative documentation portraying the cultural hacks of different communities in the workplace. This promotes cultural safety as everyone derives some idea about the cultural background and existential history of every other colleague hence promoting sense of integrity and friendship than difference and denial of their identities and needs.

Outcome: There has been improvement in the workplace environment after continuous following up of this workshop and training. Compared to earlier low level of participation and lack of interest to know about the process there has been remarkable improvement in the enthusiasm of people evident in increased rate of participation. Moreover there has been various additions to the activities that attract people attention toward the process. The reported even of miscommunication and revolving personal issues between people of different communities have decreased over time with increased consultation, negotiation and involvement in important decision-making.

Evaluation: Participation rate of the indigenous and people from different communities in the cultural safety workshops and training program are important mode of evaluation as it is the first step towards promoting the safe cultural environment. Reduced number of miscommunication-based issues in within workplace and growing sense of integrity among people are important source of evaluation. The growing acceptance among people of their diverse mutual cultural, religious and knowledge based differences with proper respect and understanding provided to each other evaluates the strength of the program.