Service Standard, Requirements, Evidence and Comments pertaining to Cultural Safety and Awareness in working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and people.

Standard on Cultural Safety and Awareness in working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and people: The organisation is culturally safe for staff and clients, is well connected to local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and responds to the identified needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The organisation is accessible to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and people and provides services in a culturally safe and appropriate manner.
Documented Procedures / Evidence Indicators / Demonstrated Compliance
1 / Documented procedures to ensure cultural safety across all services & activities and at all levels of the organization. /
  1. Reconciliation Action Plan.
  2. Cultural Safety Policy.
  3. Aboriginal Employment Strategy.
  4. Cultural Environment Policy.

2 / Processes to identify, understand and monitor existing and emerging legal and social needs of Indigenous communities within the catchment area. /
  1. Centre has access to Aboriginal Advisory Committee.
  2. Centre undertakes legal needs analysis.
  3. Centre understands the demographics within catchment area.
  4. Centre has formal and informal based relationships with community members and attends relevant meetings where appropriate.
  5. Monitoring service delivery trends – Centremonitors trends (statistics) in service delivery to Indigenous clients periodically and sets appropriate targets for the delivery of advice, casework and CLE to this client group, informed by strategic planning.

3 / The organisation is connected to the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, families and people, with formal consultation processes functioning to inform strategic planning and service delivery activities such as outreach, CLE & Advice, and participation in Indigenous community-building events. /
  1. Outreach – it is important for Centres to consider outreach options to Indigenous communities as part of strategic planning and service delivery, specifically to Indigenous Agencies (e.g. Land Councils/AMS etc.).
  2. CLE to Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communitiesneeds to be considered as part of a Centre’s overall CLE strategy and ideally followed-up with advice wherever possible (this will help in identifying emerging legal need in communities).
  3. Centre participates in culturally specific events. For example; NAIDOC and Reconciliation weeks.
  4. Centres Aboriginal Advisory Committee is involved in Strategic Planning
  5. Strategies to create and strengths connections to Communities.
  6. The Centre knows and works with the Aboriginal Elders in the community.
  7. MOUs and ‘Statements of Cooperation’ with Aboriginal Organisations are supported by relationships with key Aboriginal organisation contacts.

4 / Centres to consider capacity to employ Aboriginal legal access officer staffing to engage with their communities wherever funding permits and seek alternate sources of funding for such roles /
  1. Aboriginal Employment Strategy: Employment and retention strategies for Aboriginal members of staff
  2. Centre implements Aboriginal Employment Strategy.
  3. Mentoring program
  4. Support to participate in NACLC conference.
  5. Consultation in relevant law reform inquires.
  6. Advertising for non-identified positions in Aboriginal media.
  7. Professional Development Plans that include pathways for employees (at any level) to move through the organisation.
  8. Study leave support
  9. Inclusion strategy
/ NB: With regards to ‘*Consultation in relevant law reform inquires’. This ‘evidence’ has the additional benefit of assisting people to feel ‘heard’, which has a positive effect on retention.
5 / Annual Cultural awareness/cultural competency training for all Management Committee members, staff and volunteers. /
  1. Annual Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Training (ACAT) – Centre undertakesACAT periodically either internally or through an external arrangement (noting Legal Aid NSW as a potential partner).
  2. Progress and completion of CLCNSW Cultural Safety Workbook.
  3. Participation in relevant training opportunities as they arise.

6 / The internal areas of the centre, and the outside of the building and surrounds where possible, are welcoming, culturally sensitive, and create culturally safe environments for clients and staff. /
  1. Policy concerning the Cultural Safety of environments.
  2. Flag and mural outside.
  3. Posters, artwork, flag, maps, events calendar and subscriptions inside.
  4. Staff engaging in outreach activities, like CLE and advice, are trained to work in a culturally safe manner. This may, for example, involve ensuring the venue is appropriate by checking with local communities.
  5. Policy for office space staff (for example; reception and finance staff) to ensure office cultures are culturally safe.

7 / Evaluation, monitoring and continual development of cultural safety and responsiveness strategies. /
  1. Client Satisfaction Surveys – Centres should seek to get an adequate proportion of survey responses from Indigenous clients in order to get informed feedback about the appropriateness of services.
  2. Client feedback – if there are complaints from clients or staff about the cultural safety of the service, then response mechanisms include the centre having resilient relationships with an Aboriginal Advisory Committee, or Elders Group.
  3. Report to Reconciliation Australia on Reconciliation Action Plan progress.
  4. Report to CLC Board.
  5. Report to Legal Aid NSW.

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