Health service cultural diversity plans
Page content: Overview | Progress of Health Service Cultural Diversity Plans | Present Practice | Review | Documents | Links
Overview
On Thursday, 30 March 2006, Daniel Andrews MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Health launched the Health service cultural diversity plans brochure. By 30.06.06 all health services were required to establish a cultural diversity committee and lodge a health service cultural diversity plan with the Director, Quality and Safety Branch. See the following document for more information.
Progress of Health Service Cultural Diversity Plans (HSCDPs)
Health Service Cultural Diversity Plans have been overwhelmingly supported by health services across Victoria, with virtually all health services submitting a HSCDP. The impact and achievements of these plans have been reported by health services in their 2006-07 Victorian Quality of Care Reports.
The Department of Human services through the Statewide Quality Branch is currently considering the development of a range of planning and evaluation tools, and cultural diversity standards to assist health services to further embed cultural diversity responsiveness into the structure of each health service.
Present Practice – Future Opportunities Statewide Forum, May 2008
On Friday 9 May, the Statewide Quality Branch facilitated the Present Practice – Future Opportunities statewide forum for health service providers and consumers to discuss the progress and implementation of Health Service Cultural Diversity Plans.
The aims of the forum were to: reflect on health services’ experiences with the introduction and implementation of Cultural Diversity Plans and Cultural Diversity Committees; identify exemplars of good practice and areas for improvement; and to identify future strategic priorities, including suggestions for revising the guidelines for HSCDPs. The report including key recommendations and the main findings is available for downloading in the documents below.
Review of current cultural and linguistic diversity and cultural competence reporting requirements, minimum standards and benchmarks for Victorian health services
The Department of Human Services through the Statewide Quality Branch is currently reviewing the guidelines for HSCDPs. The impetus for the review came from the findings of the statewide forum Present Practice - Future Opportunities held in May 2008, and has now commenced.
The key objectives of this project are to:
- Map and analyse current cultural diversity and cultural competence reporting requirements for Victorian health services from departmental and health service perspectives.
- Map and analyse current national and international literature on cultural diversity and cultural competence reporting requirements, minimum standards and benchmarks for health services.
- Develop a practical strategic framework for the development of appropriate standards for cultural diversity and cultural competence interventions for Victorian health services and make recommendations as to a set of minimum standards.
This project is lead by Professor Hurriyet Babacan at the Institute for Community, Ethnicity and Policy Alternatives (ICEPA) at Victoria University. Professor Babacan and her project team will embark on a series of consultations both within the department and with three health services each from metropolitan, regional and rural locations.
Health services will be selected randomly to ensure a diverse sample that comply with the following criteria: large CALD population; small CALD population; Indigenous population; Department regions; and health services that have multiple CALD reporting requirements through other programs such as Home and Community Care, Mental Health and Disability. As well, focus groups with consumers and members of Cultural Diversity Committees will be facilitated.
Documents
Health service cultural diversity plans (PDF File - 191.1 kb) Equal Access: Health Service Cultural Diversity Plans poster presented at the 5th Australasian Conference on Safety and Quality in Health Care 6-8 August 2007 (PDF File - 578.0 kb) 'Present Practice- Future Opportunities': Report on the Statewide Forum held on 9 May 2008 (PDF File - 536.3 kb) Useful References from Forum (PDF File - 8.6 kb)