Aussie Childcare Network Forum

Your Assignment Module Number and Heading: Work effectively with culturally diverse clients and co-workers
Your Assignment Type: Standard Question
Currently Working in Childcare? Yes
Your knowledge: Basic Knowledge

Your Question?
5. What resources and assistance are available within the service /centre and wider community in relation to cultural diversity issues?

What is your answer so far or What have you done so far as an attempt to solve this question?
I haven't answered anything yet? as I have been trying to find info on google to assist me to answer this and I cannot find the answer I am after.

Could someone help me by posting a link I can source this answer from please.

I have no reading material in regards to this module just the internet

Description and Message:
Thank you in advance your help would be greatly appreciated

Lorina you are a gem! Thank you

ok this module is challenging I have answered the following. If you so kindly could read over my answer I would really appreciate your help x

Questions
1. How would you describe work practices that are culturally appropriate?
Work practices that are culturally appropriate to me would be non-discriminatory and free of bias, stereotyping, labelling, bigotry, racism and prejudice.

2. ‘Australia is culturally diverse society’- what does this statement mean to you?
Australia as a Cultural diversity society to me is the quality of diverse or different cultures. Australia is a unique and diverse country in every way - in culture, population, climate, geography, and history. Australia is multicultural and multiracial and this is reflected in the country's food, lifestyle and cultural practices and experience. This diversity of influences creates a cultural environment in Australia that is lively, energised, innovative and outward looking.

3. Rich cultural influences continue to change the cultural practices in Australia. How have these influences impacted on the early childhood education sector?
Rich cultural tendencies impact the way children participate in learning and education. The change to how one thinks is what we include into the childcare environment to include cultural diversity.
Such as:-
- Singing songs in different languages- there has been a vast increase of this experience being included into my program and planning.
- Adding foods on the menu from different cultures.
- Providing different costumes from different countries for the children to dress up in.
- Providing resources and equipment that promote different culture.
For e.g. adding multicultural foods in home corner, using multicultural dolls during play time, displaying posters that promote cultural diversity.
- Reading stories which include images from different countries.
These are experiences I have seen change since commencing as a family day care educator.
I think the rich cultural influences and cultural practices have become more common to accommodate the society we live in this day and age.

4. How do equal employment opportunities, sex, and race, and disability, anti-discrimination and similar legislation impact on work and social practices?
Through a diverse workforce which is free of discrimination and reflective of the NSW community is more innovative and productive, and better able to deliver high quality services.
In the NSW government sector, workforce diversity encompasses initiatives to:
• build positive workplaces and provide support for all employees
• strengthen workforce planning capability to integrate workforce diversity strategies
• build a workforce which reflects the diversity of the wider community
• achieve the Government’s broader social responsibility objectives.
Government Sector Employment Act 2013
Diversity in government sector, workforce management continues to be a priority under the Government Sector Employment Act 2013 (GSE Act).

5. What resources and assistance are available within the service /centre and wider community in relation to cultural diversity issues?
Local libraries are a great source of information for multicultural resources.
Migrant Resource Centres can also be a valuable source of information.
Children’s Services Central is the Professional Support Co-ordinator for New South Wales and is part of the Inclusion and Professional Support Program funded by the Australian Government Department of Education.
Inclusion Support Agencies are responsible for managing and co-ordinating access to quality inclusion support that is relevant, appropriate and timely for all eligible education and care services within a defined region.
Australian Government - Department of Immigration and Citizenship
The Australian Childhood Foundation
New South Wales Health Multicultural Health Communication Service
NSW Department of Community Services
Victorian Department of Human Services
The Parenting Research Centre
The Australian Government, Child Support Agency
Making Multicultural Australia
Federation of Ethnic Community Councils of Australia (FECCA)
Forum of Australian Services for Survivors of Torture and Trauma (FASSTT)
Multicultural Mental Health Australia (MMHA)

6. Language is a key issue when working with others in the early childhood education environment. It is important that all languages are supported and recognised.
How does your organisation do this?
My organisation does this by reflecting on the cultural backgrounds of children, staff and families in developing routines and programs consistent with best practice and positive outcomes for all stakeholders.
My organisation does this by encouraging and supporting the sharing of individual home cultures, language, beliefs, rituals and customs to broaden awareness for all.
My organisations practice is to ensure that all individuals are treated equally and with nothing but respect at all times regardless of what language they speak.

7. What strategies could you implement to eliminate bias and discrimination in your workplace?
Provide regular training for staff, to develop their knowledge of cross-cultural practice and cultural sensitivity.
Employ bilingual staff or ethnic-specific workers to provide bilingual/bicultural services and also improve knowledge of cross-cultural practice.
Create an open atmosphere for staff to bring up their concerns.
By promoting cultural sensitivity and encourage others to take time to learn or develop an understanding with the aim to get others acknowledging all cultural factors and the individual beliefs (religious or cultural practices) and values. Encourage others to be sensitive to the individual preferred gender, beliefs (religious or cultural practices) and values.

8. Describe the different types of diversity that may be apparent in the clients and colleagues that you work with.
People are from different places cultural diversity and the different types that may be apparent in the colleagues and clients I work with could be:
Age
Gender
Race and ethnicity
Education
Physical appearance
Physical ability
Culture
Problem-solving ability
Critical thinking ability
Team building ability
Communication ability
Income
Music enjoyed
Type of books read
TV shows enjoyed
Experiences when being raised
Language
Capability for empathy
Ability to be kind
Ability to motivate people
Ability to work with others
Job description
Listening ability
Conflict resolution ability
Level of self-awareness

9. Explain what ‘stereotyping’ means.
Stereotyping is a form of prejudice that can form damaging images of people ... "Meaning" is the underlying fact, message, or definition of communicated terms. Classifying people because of one unique characteristic. Stereotyping is a form of prejudice that can form damaging images of people because of a particular characteristic without having any knowledge of the person.
Stereotyping is believing that because a certain number of people from a class or region do or have something, then everybody from the same area is the same way. Stereotyping can be either positive or negative in its outlook. Example: Boys play with cars and girls play with dolls.

10. Why do you think it is important to have a good awareness of your own cultural conceptions and perceptive of diverse cultures as a community worker?
Cultures are constantly changing and developing over time so is my awareness.
What you know about your own culture? What do you know about other cultures?
What I do know and think is Australia is made up of a multicultural society and we need to enable children to be acceptant and respectful of all cultures through what we teach and say to the children. Culture provides people with a blueprint for living, that is, it determines ideas about appropriate values and behaviours.
Our culture may determine when we sleep, how we bathe, what we wear and what we eat. It may tell us what is right and what is wrong, how to bring up our children, how to greet friends and address a stranger, what is polite and what is impolite. It may prescribe ways of grieving, ways to show affection and ways to cure illness.
Some aspects of culture are readily visible to the observer, such as clothing and language. These aspects help to make up the way of life section of our definition. Other aspects of culture are not visible from the outside, such as beliefs and values. These aspects help to make up the world view section of our definition.
The idea of culture being like an iceberg is useful to further exploring and understanding the concepts above this is important to me as a community worker this information as it is a key reminder that we are all different regardless of Age, Gender, Race and ethnicity
Education, Physical appearance, Language, Physical ability, Culture whatever it may be. And by using this guide as a reminder in my profession it is keeping me open minded and better accepting of difference.
Every culture has its own approach of doing things, its own set of rules. Cultural awareness is about having the resources to people from a diverse range of cultural background and appreciate the contribution that different group make.

11. What efforts are being made in Australia to meet various cultural practices that are relatively new for our society?
If we want to work harmoniously with people from diverse background, we need to be accepting, respectful and reverential about values, beliefs and religious practices, which may be very different from our own. The more we learn about other cultures, the more we can put ourselves in other people’s respect.

12. Discrimination is when a person or a group is treated less favourably than another person or group because of a range of reasons- can you identify some of these.
gender
marriage or civil partnership
gender reassignment
pregnancy and maternity leave
sexual orientation
disability
race
colour
ethnic background
nationality
religion or belief
age



13. What is equal employment opportunity and what are the implications for work and social practices?
Equity and Diversity is a diverse workforce which is free of discrimination and reflective of the NSW community is more innovative and productive, and better able to deliver high quality services.
In the NSW government sector, workforce diversity encompasses initiatives to:
• build positive workplaces and provide support for all employees
• strengthen workforce planning capability to integrate workforce diversity strategies
• build a workforce which reflects the diversity of the wider community
• achieve the Government’s broader social responsibility objectives.
Government Sector Employment Act 2013
Diversity in government sector, workforce management continues to be a priority under the Government Sector Employment Act 2013 (GSE Act). The GSE Act preserves the focus on existing diversity groups (Aboriginal people, women, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and people with disability), but also provides flexibility to encompass a broader spectrum of diversity, including mature workers, young people and carers.
Under Section 63 of the GSE Act, the head of a government sector agency is responsible for workforce diversity within the agency and for ensuring that workforce diversity is integrated into workforce planning in the agency.
The Public Service Commissioner leads the strategic development and management of the government sector workforce in relation to equity and diversity, including strategies to ensure the sector reflects the diversity of the wider community.
The GSE Regulation prescribes certain agencies and universities as government sector agencies, for the purposes of workplace diversity, and also deals with existing EEO plans.
The GSE Rules continue special arrangements for the employment of Aboriginal people, people with disability, and young people. This replicates the previous arrangements for 'Selection in special cases' in Clause 6 in the Public Sector Employment Management Regulation.
Workforce diversity priorities
The PSC is preparing further guidance on workforce diversity and its place in workforce planning for release in 2014.
Workforce planning is a continuous strategic process, which aligns an organisation’s workforce with its business objectives. The process involves forecasting the future business environment and identifying the expected future demand for workforce skills and capabilities.
Integrating workforce diversity objectives, strategies and programs into workforce planning ensures that a direct link between business needs and the benefits of a diverse workforce is established and maintained.
The PSC will also be working with agencies in the lead-up to the next annual Workforce Profile collection to help implement strategies to increase workforce diversity survey participation.
Disability
This remains a priority strategy area at both NSW and Commonwealth government levels. The PSC is finalising research which will be promulgated across the sector in 2014, as part of the review of Employability: A strategy to increase employment opportunities for people with a disability in the NSW public sector.
Women
The representation level of women in the NSW government sector is higher than in the NSW total workforce. However, women are under-represented in senior leadership roles and in certain trade or professional roles. These are areas of ongoing investigation in 2014.
Aboriginal employment and workforce development
The NSW Public Sector has exceeded the target of 2.6%, set by the Council of Australian Governments to be achieved by 2015. Whilst the current estimated representation level of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the NSW public sector workforce is 2.74%, improving employment and career development opportunities for Aboriginal people in NSW remains a priority.

14. What should a centre do to ensure a culturally safe environment? Where could you get further assistance external to the service/centre in relation to cultural diversity issues?
Centre should keep cultural interpreter and community services provide external supports in relation to cultural diversity issues.

15. What is the difference between a translator and an interpreter?
A translator deals with written text. They translate from one language to another.
A translator is needed for documents like a Birth Certificate, Driver's Licence and other written documents.
An interpreter deals with the spoken word or signed language (eg. Arabic).
They interpret what someone says into another language. An interpreter is needed for situations where you need help in understanding what someone is saying or to help someone else understand what you are saying.

16. Sometimes it may be better to ask for a cultural interpreter.
When might this be the case?
When someone comes to the centre with little English from different culture.

17. Explain your understanding of special needs for people seeking political asylum.
They need help in the areas of:
Communication
Languages
Religion/beliefs
Building trust
Employment skills
Cross-cultural differences

18. If a colleague disclosed to you that they believed a client was not ‘normal’ because of their cultural beliefs, how would you respond?
I would let the colleague know that "just because they have different beliefs to us doesn't mean they are not 'normal'.
I would let her know she should not talk about other clients and if she keeps discussing it I would let the supervisor/manager know. I would show respect for cultural diversity in all communication and interactions with co-workers, colleagues and clients.

Task 1

a. List 3 ways in which you would demonstrate respect for cultural diversity whilst communicating and interacting with families.
1. By being flexibility is the key strategy to working in a multicultural environment and when communicating and interacting with families; flexibility is so important in dealing with anything that does not confirm to our own beliefs. Being effective in how you communicate will demonstrate respect for the family culture diversity.
2. Develop understanding from the family through a variety of method to gain this different cultures and values and respect those differences.

b. What are some common causes of disputes between colleagues who have cultural differences?
Personal Problems
Cultural Differences
Management Styles
"Just a Job" Vs. Career Aspirations
Responsibility
Leadership
Personality

c. What strategies could be implemented to resolve those disputes?
Act immediately to resolve any dispute. Conflicts do not go away they just escalate.
Meet with people involved in the conflict separately.
Perception is reality.
Decide whether to mediate or to call in others to help.
Arrange the next stage as soon as possible
Encourage engagement in team building days
Schedule professional development training
Assess the arrangement of staffing & decide if a change needs to be implemented

d. If you were experiencing difficulty receiving a dispute, what action would you take?
This is information from my service’s policy in dealing with a dispute.
• As a first option, you should try to sort out any dispute directly with the person(s) involved. Sometimes people do not realise they have hurt or affected others with their actions or words. If you can, you should tell the person that their behaviour is unacceptable or hurtful or offensive and give them the opportunity to apologise and change their behaviour. In case the situation is not resolved by this type of approach, you should also note the details of the occasion on which you spoke to them.
• If the person(s) take no notice of your approach and you feel that the issue is unresolved, contact your immediate Team Leader, Supervisor or one of these people listed above as responsible for implementing the grievance procedure.
Explain the problem to this person and indicate how formal a procedure you wish them to undertake. Sometimes you may just want them to have a low-key discussion with the person, establish that the allegation is genuine and ask them to stop the behaviour on your behalf.
• There may be circumstances where you wish to complain about your Team Leader, Supervisor or another senior staff member, or you do not feel comfortable discussing the matter with these people. You can choose to report the complaint to someone else. You should never be reticent to speak about the situation. Remember that your complaint will be treated confidentially, privately, impartially, seriously and quickly and there will be no victimisation afterwards.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A COMPLAINT HAS BEEN PROVEN OR UNPROVEN? IS THERE AN APPEALS PROCESS?

• Formal written advice will be provided to both the complainant and the offender. This advice should indicate that either party can appeal against the decision and that the matter and all documentation would then be passed to the CEO. The result of the CEO assessment (in conjunction with legal counsel) will be conveyed, within 2 weeks, firstly to the staff member who undertook the investigation and then to both parties.
• If the matter cannot be resolved satisfactorily, the grievance should be referred to any representative group whom the individuals may wish to consider.
• Potential outcomes of the grievance process and resolution of the issue could include: a written apology: counselling: an official warning; disciplinary action, dismissal, etc. The aim of the resolution should be to explain any misunderstanding, make people aware of the inappropriate nature of their behaviour and to prevent the behaviour occurring again. If the complaint is proven not to have occurred and is in fact a frivolous, reckless or malicious complaint similar outcomes may be pursued.
• The person who resolved the grievance should continue to monitor for some time the outcome in the work area in which the situation occurred to ensure that the people involved abide by the resolution determined. If the complaint cannot be proven but the complainant has perceived some type of harassment or mistreatment, counselling and discussion should be arranged to allay that person’s feelings. The area manager (as part of their duties) should continue to monitor the situation for any further incidents. Any further issues should be addressed swiftly and advice sought from the CEO.
• All documentation related to the grievance to be kept by the CEO and filed in strict confidentiality in a restricted access filing area (not the usual Records or Personnel File areas). If a grievance is found to be not proven, all notes should be destroyed. If it is not possible to prove or disprove the allegation, a record of the complaint will remain with the CEO in restricted access.

All your responses are well thought out and you're on the right track... I'm adding some more information in which you can add to the questions below:

6. Language is a key issue when working with others in the early childhood education environment. It is important that all languages are supported and recognised. How does your organisation do this?

- Provide information translated into different languages
- Add labels and signs within the room in different languages
- Provide reading books in library corner in different languages

7. What strategies could you implement to eliminate bias and discrimination in your workplace

Treat all co-workers with respect - It is important to be fair towards all your co-workers, regardless of who they are and how different they may be from you, be this in cultural and linguistic background or some other area (eg, age, gender, lifestyle, disability, position in the organisation).
Treating all workers equally means being inclusive, eg, including them in the conversation. It means being respectful by paying attention, listening carefully, and responding appropriately. It means being courteous and professional and being open and honest about your feelings and giving others the opportunity to do the same.

Share information about cultural practices - You and your co-workers might share aspects of your culture and religion and, if relevant, experiences (eg, growing up in Australia or migrant/refugee experiences). Look for common interests—you might find that you have as many differences as similarities.

Understand and accept cultural differences - If we are going to work harmoniously with people from diverse backgrounds, we need to be tolerant and respectful about values, beliefs and religious practices, which may be very different from our own. The more we learn about other cultures, the more we can put ourselves in other people’s shoes and respect their position. When you and a co-worker do not agree, try looking at things from their perspective.

From: https://sielearning.tafensw.edu.au

14. What should a centre do to ensure a culturally safe environment?

Show respect
Ask permission/informed consent
Seek cultural knowledge
Ask questions
Build on strengths
Avoid negative labelling
Ensure confidentiality

,
L.A

Thanks again xxx

1. What is 6 basic rules of communication that you could consider when communicating with people from culturally diverse backgrounds?


2. Think of five areas that constitute cultural diversity and then explain 2 of those.


3. What are the 4 steps involved in resolving a cultural conflict



4. a) Explain how to avoid offending a person that you meet someone who is clearly from a culture you know little about or have little real experience

b) Describe the type of social expectations that you would have have for an Aboriginal person or a person from another cultural group?

rjcenter wrote:1. What is 6 basic rules of communication that you could consider when communicating with people from culturally diverse backgrounds?


2. Think of five areas that constitute cultural diversity and then explain 2 of those.


3. What are the 4 steps involved in resolving a cultural conflict



4. a) Explain how to avoid offending a person that you meet someone who is clearly from a culture you know little about or have little real experience

b) Describe the type of social expectations that you would have have for an Aboriginal person or a person from another cultural group?

What do you have so far?

,
Lorina

hi im working on the same book and im stuck with my homework could you help me as i just signed up tonight my question are Understand and accept cultural differences - If we are going to work harmoniously with people from diverse backgrounds, we need to be tolerant and respectful about values, beliefs and religious practices, which may be very different from our own. The more we learn about other cultures, the more we can put ourselves in other people’s shoes and respect their position. When you and a co-worker do not agree, try looking at things from their perspective.

How did you ensure that you were being culturally sensitive? Who would you share this information with?