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Implementing the Principles of Multiculturalism through the Multicultural Policies and Services Program

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Implementing the Principles of Multiculturalism through the Multicultural Policies and Services Program

2010 marked the first full year of implementation of the Multicultural Policies and Services Program, which was initiated mid 2009 following a suite of recommendations arising from the 25 Years of EAPS: Review of EAPS Operation in New South Wales.

That review found New South Wales to have one of the most mature and enduring systems of multicultural governance in the world, and commended the broad and consistent efforts of state agencies to ensure equitable access to programs and services. Yet, the environment in which governments operate has changed markedly since the Ethnic Affairs Priorities Statement (EAPS ) program was introduced in 1983. The concentration of NSW public sector agencies into twelve core Super Departments from July 2009 reinforced the opportunity for the program to further evolve.

The Multicultural Policies and Services Program grew from these EAPS foundations, but shifted the program’s philosophical underpinnings to create a greater emphasis on planning, leadership and strategic management to ensure the achievement of outcomes, and promoted the positive benefits of living and working in our culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse community.

The theme of this Community Relations Report which is entitled Looking In, Reaching Out–Our Evolving Community, reflects some of the adjustments NSW Government agencies have made over the past year and a half. The restructure of over 150 different agencies into 12 Super Departments continues to be a strong focus for agencies, as they adapt to the challenges and opportunities of being part of larger government communities. At the same time, the theme incorporates an awareness that established communities are ageing, new communities are arriving from different parts of the world, and migrant settlement is increasingly occurring in regional areas of the state. And, in response, agencies have been exploring innovative and effective ways to reach out to the rapidly changing demographics of New South Wales.

The Community Relations Commission has sought to mirror the Super Department concept of agencies working together, and to model the values inherent in the new administrative framework, by initiating a whole-of-government Multicultural Coordinators Forum which guides the strategic direction of the Multicultural Policies and Services Program.

Requirements of the multicultural policies and services program

In 2000, the NSW Government passed legislation which made the Principles of Multiculturalism state law. These principles were further amended in 2010, to strengthen them. Under the legislation, the chief executive of each public authority is responsible, within their area of administration, for the implementation of the Principles (section 3 (5), Community Relations Commission and Principles of Multiculturalism Act 2000 – ‘CRC Act’).

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Public authorities are defined as Government Departments, Statutory Bodies, State Owned Corporations, Universities and Local Councils, as well as any other body subject to NSW auditing procedures (see Public Finance and Audit Act 1983).

As a further public accountability measure, the Community Relations Commission is required to ‘... assess the effectiveness of public authorities in observing the Principles of Multiculturalism in the conduct of their affairs (section 13 (g) CRC Act).

Since 1983 all NSW Government agencies have been required to have a multicultural plan (from 1983 to 2009 known as an Ethnic Affairs Policies/Priorities Statement or EAPS). A multicultural plan shows how the agency will implement the Principles of Multiculturalism, and provide programs and services to meet the needs of the culturally and linguistically diverse society it serves.

Agency heads are required to report on the implementation of these multicultural plans and outcomes in their Annual Reports.

Under Schedules 1 of the Annual Reports (Departments) and Annual Reports (Statutory Bodies) Regulations 2010 all agencies that are required to prepare an annual report under the Public Finance and Audit Act 1985 are obligated to include a statement outlining :

the key multicultural strategies proposed by the [Department/ Statutory Body] for the following year and the progress in implementing the [Department’s/ Statutory Body’s] multicultural policies and services plan and information as to the multicultural policies and services plans of any body reporting to the [Department/ Statutory Body].

Please refer to Section 5 of this report for a detailed analysis of agency compliance with this legislative obligation.

In addition to the regulatory requirements, up to 20 key agencies have more detailed planning and reporting responsibilities (see below).

At its core, a multicultural plan shows the strategies an agency will use to ensure that all people, including those from different cultural, religious and language backgrounds, have equal access to government services. These strategies can include:

• the provision of interpreters to communicate with clients from non-English speaking backgrounds

• dissemination of key government information in community languages

• promoting or targeting programs and services to ensure access by all population groups

• consultations and client feedback mechanisms which involve a representative range of population groups in the community

• cultural diversity training of staff to support, initially, front line service delivery.


KEY AGENCIES

‘Key agencies’ under the Multicultural Policies and Services Program are required to demonstrate their progress in implementing the Principles of Multiculturalism to a higher standard of evidence than other agencies. Every year, the Community Relations Commission designates up to 20 agencies to fulfil these additional requirements.

The designation of key agencies is based upon the higher levels of contact they have with the culturally and linguistically diverse community of New South Wales, and in consideration of the services they deliver and the vital role they perform in achieving the multicultural objectives of the state.

In 2010, the Community Relations Commission designated the new Super Departments as key agencies. Each department was asked to collate a comprehensive report, based on input from a number of identified agencies having special functions within that department, as follows:

Communities NSW collates a report for the following agency:

• NSW Sport and Recreation.

Department of Education and Training collates a report for the whole department.

NSW Police Force collates a report for the whole agency.

Department of Health collates a report for the NSW Health Services.

Health Care Complaints Commission prepares a report as an independent body.

Department of Human Services collates a report for the following agencies:

• Ageing, Disability and Home Care

• Community Services NSW

• Housing NSW

• Juvenile Justice.

Department of Industry and Investment collates a report for the whole department, with a special focus on the following agency:

• State and Regional Development and Tourism.

Department of Justice and Attorney General collates a report for the following agencies:

• Attorney General’s

• Legal Aid NSW

• Corrective Services.

Department of Premier and Cabinet collates a report for the following agency:

• Division of Local Government.


Department of Services, Technology and Administration collates a report for the whole department, with a special focus on the following agencies:

• Fair Trading

• Industrial Relations.

Transport NSW collates a report for the following agency:

• Roads and Traffic Authority.

Requirements in summary

ALL AGENCIES are required to:

• have a current multicultural plan

• report on implementation of their multicultural plan in their Annual Report

• submit the relevant extract from their Annual Report to the Community Relations Commission once it has been tabled in Parliament.

In addition to the above, KEY AGENCIES are required to:

• consult with the Community Relations Commission to discuss expectations on the department

• develop a multicultural plan for the identified significant agencies within it, or on a whole-of-department basis

• provide a detailed multicultural report to the Commission, within the agreed timeframe, setting out implementation progress during the reporting period, and identifying multicultural priorities for the next reporting period.

multicultural Coordinators Forums

In December 2009, the Community Relations Commission launched the first of a series of Multicultural Coordinators Forums. In 2010, a forum was held every quarter – March, June, September and December – with representatives from 42 agencies attending throughout the year.

Many multicultural practitioners work in small units, or frequently as individual officers. The forums provide a valuable opportunity for multicultural planners and practitioners to network with one another and discuss issues that may be common across the public sector. The Community Relations Commission has used the forums to share information about developments in the field of multiculturalism, seek the opinions of colleagues with a diverse range of expertise and field experience, encourage networking between agencies and identify new project areas.

Members of the forum can resolve that an issue be considered by one of the other governance mechanisms coordinated by the Community Relations Commission, namely through the Regional Advisory Council structure or the monthly Commission meeting. This ensures that relevant issues receive the consideration they deserve and the most appropriate actions are pursued.


During 2010, the following items were addressed:

16 March 2010

• Presentation on key developments within the Multicultural Policies and Services Program Dr Stepan Kerkyasharian AM, Chairperson, CRC

• Presentation of Multicultural Forward Plans Ms Pam King, Manager, Communication, Information, Education & Business Reporting, Strategic Planning & Policy Division, Legal Aid NSW Ms Jocelyn Oatley, Manager, Housing Assistance, Housing NSW

• Presentation on the needs of new and emerging communities Mr Paul Mortimer, A/Manager, Multicultural Services Unit, Community Services NSW

• Presentation on issues being addressed in South West Sydney Ms Angela Manson, Director, Multicultural Health, Sydney South West Area Health Service

• Presentation on the programs and projects being undertaken by NSW Sport and Recreation Ms Liz Daykin, Regional Manager Central Region NSW, NSW Sport and Recreation

15 June 2010

• Presentation on data collection relating to ethnicity Ms Amanda Bourke, Coordinator, Multicultural Programs, Department of Education and Training

• Facilitated discussion on terminology used to identify ‘individuals and groups in a multicultural society’ Ms Steffanie von Helle, Director Government Relations, CRC

21 September 2010

• Presentation on the summary of responses from NSW Government agencies – data collection relating to ethnicity Ms Steffanie von Helle, Director, Government Relations, CRC

• Presentation on The Law and You: legal information for African communities Ms Julia Haraksin, Manager (Diversity Services), NSW Department of Justice and Attorney General

• Presentation on issues in the provision of interpreting and translation services Mr Hakan Harman, Director Operations, Chief Financial Officer, Community Relations Commission

15 December 2010

• Presentation on issues relating to the settlement of refugees in New South Wales Mr Paul Power, Chief Executive Officer, Refugee Council of Australia

• Presentation on the ‘Triple Zero Challenge’ national emergency services online educational game Mr David Weir, NSW Fire Brigades

• Presentation on the consultation process for the development of the NSW Police Multicultural Plan Ms Ezel Jupiter, Senior Programs Officer, Cultural Diversity Team, Operational Programs Command, NSW Police


In 2011, the Commission will explore hosting biannual multicultural coordinator forums in selected regional areas. These forums will complement the Regional Advisory Councils that bring together both government and non-government multicultural interests, but will have a specific focus on public sector issues. A dedicated government sector forum in the regions would facilitate a more frank and open exploration of the challenges associated with public service delivery for emerging settlements.

multicultural planning: a Resource for practitioners

In 2009, the Community Relations Commission released a revised Multicultural Planning Framework. The Framework provides an outcomes-focused structure to assist agencies to address their legislated obligation to implement the Principles of Multiculturalism, and underscores the critical importance of planning for service delivery.

During 2010, the Commission worked closely with key agencies on the development of Multicultural Planning: A Resource for Practitioners. This is a comprehensive and practical manual, for use in conjunction with the Multicultural Planning Framework. To be launched in 2011, the resource will illustrate how the Multicultural Policies and Services Program can integrate into existing corporate structures and obligations and provide guidance for navigating around the Multicultural Planning Framework. It is intended that the resource will also act as a reference for the development of strategic actions to achieve outcomes.

The development of the manual was initially facilitated by the consultant group Cultural Perspectives, under the direction of the Government Relations Division of the Community Relations Commission. A steering committee provided critical input into the process, and thanks are extended to the following participants:

• Ms April Deering, Acting Manager, Primary Health and Equity Division, NSW Health

• Ms Sue Souter, Manager, Social Inclusion, TAFE NSW

• Ms Oriana Acevedo, Multicultural Consultant, State Library of NSW, and

• Ms Ann Pitkeathly, Principal Adviser, Roads and Traffic Authority.

The Commission’s appreciation also extends to NSW Police, Legal Aid Commission, Community Services, TAFE NSW and the Diversity NSW Professional Network for reviewing the final drafts of the manual.

It is planned that the resource will be disseminated to all NSW public authorities in 2011, including government agencies, local councils and universities.

Development of a complementary resource for chief executives and senior officers will commence in 2011. This manual will emphasise the legislative foundation for multicultural governance in New South Wales, and stress the strategic and business imperatives of planning for our culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse community.


KEY AGENCY REPORTING IN 20102009 was characterised as a transitional period between the Ethnic Affairs Priorities Statement (EAPS) Program and the Multicultural Policies and Services Program. For most agencies it also marked the transition into the new NSW Government Super Department structures. In recognition of the significant adjustments required of most agencies, the Community Relations Commission requested that in 2009 agencies focus on multicultural planning only. Agencies were advised that in subsequent years the Commission would expect a report detailing the agency’s achievements against that plan for every year of the plan’s duration.

agency multicultural forward plans submitted in 2010

The majority of key agencies submitted new multicultural plans that aligned with the Multicultural Planning Framework in 2009. However, some agencies were impacted on by other significant corporate priorities – such as national reform agendas, extended periods of adjustment to the Super Department structure, or temporary postponement of the multicultural planning process so as to align with corporate planning cycles – and consequently experienced delays in developing a plan.

In 2009, NSW Police Force advised that it would commence a thorough multicultural planning cycle in 2010. By the beginning of 2011, the agency had completed their research and consultation process, and based on this information, developed a draft plan that articulates clear strategies and responsibilities within Head Office, Local Area Commands and specialist units until 2014. The plan also sets measurable targets, with one example being the requirement for 40% of all Local Area Commands to have a localised multicultural plan by January 2012, rising to 80% the following year. The draft plan was submitted for review by the Community Relations Commission (under the Multicultural Policies and Services Program) prior to internal approval by the NSW Police Force, and is assessed in the interim as being compliant with the requirements of the Multicultural Policies and Services Program.

NSW Health is also finalising a multicultural plan that has been developed following consultation across the department and the services that comprise the NSW Health system. This planning occurred amidst a National Reform Agenda process which will significantly transform the way that health services are delivered in New South Wales, and which has refocused attention on those functions that need to be administered centrally. In 2010, NSW Health compiled a report on the activities of the Area Health Services, which addressed cultural and linguistic issues within population groups, as well as the priority needs of particular population groups such as refugees. Whilst the report demonstrates excellent initiatives in program and service delivery, use of interpreters, communication and recruitment of staffing to address client needs (only some of which are highlighted in Section 2), it did not demonstrate department-level coordination and planning, nor priority setting and performance indicators which could be monitored across all units and Area Health Services. As NSW Health has not provided either a multicultural plan, or a report against this plan, it cannot be considered to be compliant with the requirements for key agencies under the Multicultural Policies and Services Program.

Department of Education and Training (DET) will commence development of its multicultural plan in 2011, aligning it with the development of the agency’s corporate planning cycle. For 2010, under a memorandum of understanding with the Community Relations Commission, DET submitted a comprehensive, evidence-based report against its existing Ethnic Affairs Priorities Statement (EAPS) plan which expires in 2010.


Some agencies failed to provide the Community Relations Commission with a multicultural plan, nor did they advise the Commission of extenuating circumstances. For the second year in a row, the Roads andTrafficAuthority, which is an agency under Transport NSW, has not satisfied the requirements of the Multicultural Policies and Services Plan.

Mid-way through 2010, WorkCover engaged the Community Relations Commission to discuss ways of adapting their Social Justice Plan 2009–2012, as it was assessed in 2009 as not meeting the requirements of the MPSP. The Commission advised on ways to align the Social Justice Plan with the requirements of the Multicultural Policies and Services Program. However, WorkCover failed to submit a revised plan in 2010, and consequently cannot be assessed as compliant with the program.

Juvenile Justice NSW, an agency of the Department of Human Services, submitted a multicultural plan in 2009 which was assessed as being compliant with the Multicultural Policies and Services Program, however in 2010 it failed to submit a report against that plan.

agencies reporting against their multicultural plans

Agencies that submitted a multicultural forward plan in 2009 were required in 2010 to report on their progress in implementing that plan. The Commission had previously advised agencies that this assessment would be against the agency’s own performance indicators, not against the Multicultural Planning Framework. This ensures that the MPSP is seen as the everyday business of the agency, rather than it being perceived as an additional reporting requirement to the Commission.

The following pages provide a summary of how NSW Government agencies have addressed their agency’s multicultural priorities, and provides commentary on the facilitators and obstacles to achieving their planned goals.

Activity Area A– Planning and Evaluation

Planning and evaluation are critical elements of any policy development and service delivery initiative, regardless of the subject matter or target audience. Planning and evaluation in a multicultural context enable agencies to allocate resources and funding where they are needed most, to redress imbalances and ensure that the highest level strategic goals of the organisation are progressed equitably.

Under the Multicultural Planning Framework, there are three areas of planning that key agencies are expected to address:

• Planning and performance measurement – All NSW public sector agencies, key and non-key, are required to have a current multicultural plan that articulates the strategies, actions, timelines and resources that the agency dedicates towards meeting the needs of culturally and

Multicultural policy goals are integrated into the overall corporate and business planning, as well as the review mechanisms of the agency

PlanningOUTCOME 1


linguistically diverse communities. The plan should also include clear mechanisms for assessing the agency’s performance against that plan, and evaluation mechanisms that demonstrate how the agency can improve performance in this area over time.

• Integration with corporate planning – Multicultural planning is most effective when it is positioned within the overall strategic and business planning of an agency, with clearly defined links to broader corporate objectives and articulated channels for resource allocation.

• Use of data and analysis – As the NSW population diversifies, it is essential that public sector agencies can gather and analyse data on the composition and characteristics of existing and potential users of their services, and maintain agency responsiveness to emerging needs. Evidence-based planning is recognised as an effective and efficient way of establishing and resourcing core and priority business areas. Agencies should be aware that the analysis of data may not reflect the existence of small or emerging communities, and supplementary methods may be required to identify these needs.

In 2009 the majority of agencies submitted their multicultural plans for the coming three to five years to the Community Relations Commission, as required under the Multicultural Policies and Services Program. A multicultural plan is generally a mid-level plan that connects the strategic focus of the agency’s corporate plan with specific or localised initiatives contained within a regional or business unit plan. A challenge for agencies is to effectively integrate the priorities of a multicultural plan throughout all levels of planning in an organisation.

Throughout 2010, a number of agencies (including Corrective Services NSW and Local Government Division of the Department of Premier and Cabinet) focused on reviewing and aligning their regional and business unit plans with their broader multicultural plans, and ensuring that the agency’s corporate plans make a commitment to responding to the culturally and linguistically diverse operating environment. As a Super Department, the Department of Justice and Attorney General (DJAG) has started working with its Business Centres (including Victims’ Services and Local Courts) to ensure integration of the plan throughout all departmental areas.

Community Services NSW reported that by mid-2011, all seven regions had developed regional implementation plans to address priorities outlines in the agency-wide Multicultural Strategic Commitment. A Multicultural Advisory Committee meets quarterly to assess regional implementation of plans, and the Multicultural Services Unit also maintains a communication and advisory function for the regions. The multi-agency child protection reforms flowing from the Keep Them Safe program have given Community Services NSW an opportunity to integrate multicultural service components into a number of assessment and reporting tools, practice and business systems and recruitment programs. Housing NSW also incorporates cultural diversity considerations into policy and program guidelines, resulting in the capacity to tailor housing assistance for specific client groups, such as refugees.

The Community Relations Commission would hope to see more agencies placing a greater emphasis on monitoring and evaluation strategies in subsequent years, noting that a plan has little value if attempts are not made to implement it, or to assess its effectiveness.


Ageing, Disability and Home Care (ADHC) focused on revising policy statements on a range of operational issues to ensure that the priorities of the multicultural plan – Valuing and Managing Diversity, Cultural Diversity Strategic Framework – were integrated throughout the day-to-day business of the agency. ADHC also developed and disseminated a comprehensive Language Services Policy and Guidelines as a practical complement to the plan.

Use of data and analysis has been a topic of ongoing discussion throughout the year at the Multicultural Coordinators Forum. A number of key agencies, including Community Services NSW, Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Department of Education and Training and Corrective Services NSW completed a Commission initiated data mapping survey to identify which forms of ethnicity data are collected by NSW Government agencies. While the majority of agencies do collect some relevant data on the users of their services, there is very little consistency across the sector about which ethnicity or language information is most relevant. While there are plans for a more focused working group on this issue throughout 2011, many agencies have undertaken special initiatives in 2010 to improve their use and analysis of data.

Ageing, Disability and Home Care has commenced developing a common definition of ‘cultural and linguistic diversity’ within the agency, so that data collection and analysis can be more consistent and effectively incorporated into future research projects. ADHC has also planned to map the demography of young carers, and plans another project on the feasibility of new models of care for children and young people. Both would include information about cultural and linguistic diversity. An analysis of client data in the Hunter region has also resulted in the recruitment of a Multicultural Access Worker.

NSW Sport and Recreation, through its Sports Research Group, analyses a range of publicly available data against agency-collected data to establish service priorities. The agency has responded to a trend for under-representation of cultural and linguistic diversity in sport, by incorporating multicultural issues into guidelines and agreements for major funding projects with a view to attracting more diverse customers.

Corrective Services NSW carries out an annual census of offenders in custody and under community service orders. The census, which includes comprehensive information about the diversity of offenders, informs decision-making. In recent years, this data has been used to deploy more targeted chaplaincy services across detention centres.

Housing NSW has analysed data in 2010 to target housing assistance to the needs of particular client groups as they settle into regional and non-metropolitan areas. The Health Care Complaints Commission has also taken steps to improve its collection of data by introducing a new demographic information form and data collection fields to capture information on the frequency of requests for language services. The auditing of the integrity of the data at the end of each assessment process provides a solid foundation for data analysis, and integration into planning strategies.

The Local Government Division of Department of Premier and Cabinet does not deliver services directly to the public, however it does service and support all local councils in New South Wales. In 2010, the division initiated a Social Justice Initiatives Survey, which included some questions about how councils responded to multiculturalism. While the findings have not yet been reported, the Community Relations Commission trusts that the survey results will inform future planning across the local government sector.


Some agencies reported that they are still in the process of developing their multicultural plans, delivering interim reports only. This is particularly the case for large and complex agencies (such as the Department of Education and Training) or those agencies that have elected to report in their capacity as Super Departments, rather than as the individual agencies that comprise them. For example, the Department of Services, Technology and Administration (DSTA) has a number of larger agencies (namely the Offices of Fair Trading and Industrial Relations) that deliver strong multicultural initiatives. However, the department is commended for also working towards its smaller agencies achieving the same high standards by developing a comprehensive multicultural plan across the department. Similarly, Industry & Investment NSW (I &I) has elected to report on a department-wide basis. Again, a number of sub-agencies (namely Primary Industries, State and Regional Development and the NSW Food Authority) have strong mechanisms and initiatives which could be translated across all of the I & I agencies into the future.

Another department that is progressively rolling out uniform standards across all its constituent agencies is the Department of Justice and Attorney General, which will use its LawAccess NSW function to collect relevant data and establish baselines to inform strategic planning.

The NSW Police Force is in the process of finalising its multicultural plan, and submitted the final draft to the Community Relations Commission for comment. The agency is commended for its attempts to integrate the multicultural plan into the work of business units. It has held comprehensive consultations with Local Area Commands, each of which must adapt the plan to their local operating environment. The plan also makes effective links between the broader priorities of the Corporate Plan and the Multicultural Planning Framework, and establishes a Multicultural Policies and Services Program planning and monitoring committee.

The public sector trend for evidence-based planning is sometimes interpreted as a demand for hard data. However, there are a number of sources of information about communities that can be equally informative and valid when considered in conjunction with the more concrete forms of information. This includes the information and expertise of the agency’s staff, its clients and multicultural advocates.

This Outcome is premised on participation and empowerment principles, and supported by the notion that service users and their advocates are often best positioned to express their own views, needs and concerns.

A range of mechanisms can assist agencies to capture the individual and collective needs of culturally and linguistically diverse service users. The Multicultural Planning Framework has three criteria which will assist agencies to consult and gain feedback on their business functions. These streams are:

Policy development and service delivery is informed by agency expertise and by client feedback and complaints and participation on advisory boards, significant committees and consultations

Consultation and feedback

OUTCOME 2


• Staff expertise and research – Agencies are encouraged to tap into the expertise of internal staff and/or commission external research when developing, implementing or monitoring policies and services for culturally diverse communities. Within the higher range of this stream, agencies would investigate ways they could engage with smaller or more isolated groups, such as emerging or non-metropolitan communities, in order to improve the responsiveness of their programs and services.

• Client and community feedback – Mechanisms are in place to identify collective community concerns. In the higher ranges, these mechanisms would also capture complaints and feedback from individuals and community groups, to be analysed and incorporated into future planning and resourcing.

• Participation on advisory bodies – Depending on the business of an agency, representation of persons with expertise in cultural diversity or specific cultural issues on either internal or external advisory bodies can enhance its capacity to deliver responsive and effective policies and services. It should be noted that, within the higher ranges of this Outcome area, appointment to advisory bodies is not merely an equity measure, but diversity expertise can be used to enhance the organisational capacity of the agency.

Community Services NSW regularly holds Policy to Practice seminars for staff to make them aware of current research and policy developments, including issues associated with cultural and linguistic diversity. These seminars, alongside the Multicultural Staff Conference, support staff to develop their capacity and share experiences with colleagues.

Ageing, Disability and Home Care has established a centralised Internal Advisory Group, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Reference Groups and CALD Practice Forum in the Metro South and Metro North regions respectively, where internal multicultural practitioners can share experiences with one another and with service providers.

The Department of Services, Technology and Administration (DSTA) established a Multicultural Policies and Services Program Coordinating Committee, comprised of representatives from agencies across the department. The committee reports on a regular basis to DSTA executive. This initiative clearly gives multicultural planning and delivery a priority within the department, and could be further strengthened by a process of identifying and engaging departmental staff with particular cultural and/or linguistic skills to inform the committee’s deliberations.

The NSW Housing multicultural plan establishes the Housing NSW Multicultural Forum, comprised of representatives of key migrant and humanitarian non-government settlement organisations, and details a comprehensive set of participation strategies and advisory mechanisms. While little evidence about these has been included in the 2010 report, these strategies could provide valuable input into policy and planning activities if implemented consistently across the agency.

NSW Sport and Recreation commissioned research through the Refugee Council of Australia to improve the participation of refugees in sporting activities. The agency could build on this research by developing a human resourcing strategy that links culturally and linguistically skilled staff with priority projects and seeking the views of communities impacted by the research.


In 2010, Ageing, Disability and Home Care engaged bilingual facilitators to conduct consultations with the Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Greek and Italian-speaking communities to inform the revision of policy and procedures for the National Standards for Disability Services. Additional regional forums were held with the Greek and Vietnamese communities, and a two-day symposium on best practice in responding to diversity was held in the Northern Region of New South Wales.

Corrective Services NSW conducted a number of consultations with community leaders on a range of issues, including transition from custody to the community. In particular, the agency’s work with the Pacific Islander community revealed a need to adopt a more holistic approach incorporating offenders’ families, the community and church organisations. Other consultations included meetings with leaders of the Vietnamese community, and working with Jewish Care and the Islamic Council.

The various units and business centres of the Department of Justice and Attorney General engaged with a wide range of communities – including the Sudanese, Pacific Islander and Vietnamese – to enhance services provided to these groups. A major project, The Law and You DVD (see Section 2 Principles in practice) arose from consultations with African communities.

Corrective Services NSW also participated in a number of broader forums and initiatives organised by the Departments of Justice and Attorney General, and Human Services, relating to the Vietnamese and Pacific Islander communities respectively. Participation in discipline-specific (in this case law enforcement and corrections) strategies will assist this agency to cooperate with other organisations on ethno-specific issues.

The Department of Services, Technology and Administration participated in a number of externally convened committees, including the Joint Outreach Initiatives Network, the NSW Government Immigration and Settlement Planning Committee, the Refugee Support Network, local inter-agencies and the CRC Regional Advisory Councils.

The Health Care Complaints Commission has appointed a representative of culturally and linguistically diverse communities on the agency’s Consumer Consultative Committee which meets four times annually. This mechanism provides a potential avenue for further integrating multicultural and diversity issues into broader corporate planning.

While some agencies provided evidence of participation in external bodies addressing multicultural issues (including the Community Relations Commission Multicultural Practitioner’s Forum), many agencies did not have explicit policies or strategies to ensure diverse representation on, or participation in, internal advisory bodies or other formal decision-making bodies. Such agencies could consider developing a register of staff with specific language or cultural skills, and including the need to have representatives with multicultural expertise in the terms of reference for committees and advisory bodies.

Ageing, Disability and Home Care convenes a Cultural Diversity Expert Advisory Group comprised of internal representatives (including members of ADHC’s Cultural Diversity Team and Executive), as well as external non-government and advocacy bodies. This group has the capacity to inform planning, policy and program issues across the agency.

The NSW Police Force has identified the need to engage more effectively with the community as a priority.


Activity Area B– Capacity Building and Resourcing

CEOs and senior managers actively promote and are accountable for the implementation of the Principles of Multiculturalism within the agency and wider community

LeadershipOUTCOME 3

Under the Community Relations Commission and Principles of Multiculturalism Act 2000, the chief executive officers of all NSW public sector agencies are required by legislation to implement the Principles of Multiculturalism within their agency’s area of business. Leaders are essential to establishing the strategic direction of an organisation, and make critical decisions about how limited resources are allocated.

• Active involvement of senior management – All NSW public sector agencies must make a commitment to observe the Principles of Multiculturalism. Higher performing agencies will engage in a range of communications, planning and corporate activities to promote and embed the agency’s multicultural objectives.

• Accountability of senior management – This criterion emphasises that the ultimate responsibility for implementing the Principles of Multiculturalism resides with the chief executive and encourages clear lines of reporting and accountability mechanisms.

The Department of Justice and Attorney General is aiming for senior management to be identified as ‘champions’ of cultural diversity in biennial staff surveys (the next to be held in 2012). To achieve this, senior management have endorsed 11 articles promoting multicultural issues in 2010 internal publications. Performance agreements of Senior Executive Service (SES) employees underscore this responsibility.

The attendance of the Minister for Community Services, the Director-General of the Department of Human Services and the chief executive of Community Services NSW at the Community Services NSW Multicultural Staff Conference, as well as the inception of a Multicultural Achievement Award, has sent a strong message of leadership within the agency in regard to multicultural planning and services. Other significant multicultural projects, such as the African Foster Care recruitment project, were launched by Regional Directors and senior executives.

The executive of Corrective Services NSW plans to have a high level of involvement in initiatives under its Cultural and Linguistic Diversity Strategic Plan 2010–2012, with the Assistant Commissioner responsible for executive oversight. The agency’s 2010 report would have been strengthened had there been greater specificity about how this function would be coordinated. However, it is noted that the reinstatement of the position of Manager, Equity and Diversity will go some way to ensuring that this level of senior involvement is maintained.

Similarly, while a number of agencies (such as NSW Sport and Recreation) had planned for Senior or General Managers and/or Directors of the agency to provide regular reports on progress of the plan to the agency’s executive, many agencies provided insufficient detail about the mechanisms and outcomes of this process. Small agencies, such as the Health Care Complaints Commission, can experience challenges in the active involvement of senior management when there are movements in key staff.


The Community Relations Commission is of the view that it is imperative that vacant Multicultural Coordinator positions are filled promptly to prevent undue disruption to the implementation of an agency’s multicultural plan.

Those agencies that provided clear information about how multicultural leadership integrates into broader corporate mechanisms are commended. The Department of Services, Technology and Administration (DSTA) reports that the most senior representatives of each agency within the department (Deputy Directors General and Commissioners) participated in the multicultural planning process, and multicultural responsibilities are detailed in the Senior Executive Performance Agreements. The Division of Local Government, Department of Premier and Cabinet has also structured senior and chief executive officer meetings to progress multicultural planning, and allocated responsibilities to the Branch Manager level through performance agreements.

Industry & Investment NSW has appointed the Manager of Corporate Governance to be the Multicultural Coordinator across the entire Department. This dedicated position will be supplemented by draft statements that have been submitted to the Industry & Investment NSW Executive Board of Management for inclusion in senior management performance agreements. When implemented, these strategies should form a strong foundation for accountability at the leadership level.

The NSW Police Force has planned for a number of senior police to provide leadership for multicultural planning across the agency. The Commissioner and senior executives were involved in the development of the multicultural forward plan, and the Deputy Commissioner is also the agency’s Corporate Spokesperson for Cultural Diversity. An additional role of Regional Sponsor for Cultural Diversity will be established, and senior executives are charged with the oversight and reporting of multicultural planning through the Commissioner’s Advisory Council on Culturally Responsive Policing. Accountabilities for implementation of the Principles of Multiculturalism will be incorporated into performance agreements of all managers of police business units.

Agencies should seek to develop a staffing profile that has the capacity to effectively respond to the full range of needs of their service users. Because our state is so culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse, this means that agencies should reflect and/or have a solid appreciation of that diversity. The NSW public sector is fortunate to be able to draw upon a pool of potential applicants that is as diverse in skills as it is in cultures and languages. However, targeted and proactive recruitment is often required to ensure that the agency attracts the right applicants for these positions, and that the cultural and linguistic skills of staff are effectively deployed within the organisation.

A number of agencies elect to recruit to ‘multicultural’ or ‘culture specific’ positions that require language and/or cultural diversity expertise as essential employment criteria. These positions may improve performance in a number of areas such as client service, community outreach, and program management and policy. This strategy assists an agency to reach out more effectively to clients at the point of public contact, and represent the ‘face’ of government to communities.

The capacity of the agency is enhanced by the employment and training of people with linguistic and cultural expertise

Human resources

OUTCOME 4


In addition, most large agencies have at least one designated multicultural position (entirely or partly dedicated to multicultural activities) which is responsible for providing advice and coordinating multicultural policy development, program development and implementation, and multicultural support initiatives. Ideally these positions help to ensure that cultural diversity is a consideration in corporate decision-making and resource allocation.The most effective agencies will have staff at all levels of the organisation that can understand and respond to the cultural and linguistic needs of their clients, and advocate better outcomes for them through formal mechanisms. In particular, this Outcome should be considered in conjunction with Outcome 2, which encourages agencies to draw upon the existing skills of staff to identify and advocate for multicultural interests within policy development and service delivery.

Under the Multicultural Planning Framework, there are three criteria within the Human Resources area that key agencies are called upon to consider:

• Staffingreflectsbusinessneeds– At a minimum, it is expected that staff who are responsible for client contact in the agency have the appropriate linguistic and work skills to service enquiries from culturally diverse users. Agencies working within the higher ranges of this activity area will also have designated positions which require language or multicultural expertise, and strategic workforce planning and recruitment that takes into consideration the profile of service users.

• Cultural and linguistic competence – At the lowest level of provision, the agency would ensure that staff with skills in community languages are tested under the Community Language Allowance Scheme (CLAS), and remunerated for providing occasional language services in dealing with agency clients.

Agencies working within the higher ranges of this criteria stream would assess the skill sets of their employees required to service client needs, and supervise and support staff providing language skills or required cultural competencies. Optimally, an agency will strategically match competencies with staffing needs, and develop clear pathways for staff to develop their skills.

• Staff development and support – Agencies may develop this area in a number of ways. They may provide induction training and cross-cultural training for staff in public contact positions. Agencies may also extend this type of training and support to management and policy development positions in relation to working directly in a culturally diverse environment. Staff development and support may also further develop the skills of staff who have been appointed to designated multicultural positions – this may require tailored training and career development pathways.

In 2010, both Corrective Services NSW and Department of Services, Technology and Administration (DSTA) exceeded the range performance that had been anticipated in their multicultural plans for this outcome. This was achieved by actively increasing the percentage of officers receiving the Community Language Allowance Scheme (CLAS), and by identifying candidates who have specific language skills that match the language needs of offenders and clients.

Ageing, Disability and Home Care almost doubled its number of CLAS recipients in 2010 through a promotional campaign. It was also able to extend some of its cultural competence training to service providers, by working with the Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association to conduct leadership programs for senior staff in accommodation services, and funding a training program for Home and Community Care (HACC) service providers working with refugee groups in Northern Sydney.


Corrective Services NSW also revised its cultural inclusiveness training to align to national standards, and integrated the module into a number of programs for staff who come into contact with offenders and other members of the public. In coming years, the agency plans to offer this form of training to managers and policy makers, to ensure that cultural diversity considerations are integrated into all levels of the organisation. Staff are encouraged to attend external conferences, seminars and training events that will assist them to work in a multicultural context (such as the CRC Multicultural Marketing Conference, the University of Western Sydney Human Rights Education Conference and events coordinated by Diversity NSW).

Training is a major priority for NSW Police, and in 2010 and following years, it plans to integrate cultural diversity issues into all levels of police training, from recruits, specialist officer training to leadership programs. In the coming years, the agency plans to better harness existing staff resources, by deploying Multicultural Community Liaison Officers more effectively across the organisation as a whole and within Local Area Commands.

Community Services NSW also performed strongly in this area due to the existence of a multicultural caseworker program. In 2010 the program benefitted from a coordinator based at Head Office, a twice yearly training forum, promotion of the program within the organisation, and communication with managers about the role of these designated caseworker positions requiring language and/or multicultural skills.

Housing NSW indicated that it employs Community Development Workers, whose role is to introduce innovative housing management strategies that address the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse clients when required. The Community Relations Commission would encourage this agency to report on the specific recruitment, deployment and retention strategies for this group of staff with specialist skills.

The Department of Justice and Attorney General offers a range of training programs to enhance the cross-cultural skills of staff at all levels. Some business units have high levels of up-take for these courses, with 80% of the Administrative Decisions Tribunal registry staff attending the cross-cultural communication training.

The Department of Services, Technology and Administration (DSTA) and Housing NSW also train staff in how to work with interpreters, and how to use telephone interpreting services, especially when communicating with non-English speaking clients living in rural areas.

Community Services NSW incorporates cultural diversity considerations into its induction and caseworker training courses. In 2010–11 it will train caseworkers on the use of the Multicultural Support Tool. Housing NSW includes a half-day session on cultural awareness in its ‘Client-facing Induction Training’, while a number of staff completing the Certificate IV in Social Housing undertake a unit of competency entitled ‘Working Effectively with Culturally Diverse Clients and Co-Workers’.

The Community Relations Commission appreciates that staff training can be expensive, and can temporarily impact on an agency’s productivity through time spent ‘off-line’. Accordingly, Range 1 agencies are advised to prioritise those frontline positions having the greatest contact with the general public for participation in cultural competency training. However, the cultural and linguistic competence


of an agency can also be built by integrating some of the same concepts into existing training (such as Induction training for new employees) and by using case studies and models that reflect the complexity of the culturally diverse operating environment. Furthermore, internal communications (such as through the agency’s intranet or newsletter) could be used to highlight topical issues and best practice models relating to working in a multicultural society.

While many agencies claim that their staffing profile represents the cultural and linguistic diversity of the broader NSW community, few agencies were able to articulate concrete ways in which they deployed that diversity to meet the objectives of the organisation and the demands of their clients. Generally, to perform well in this area, agencies will need to conduct a survey, or ‘audit’ of staff skills, and assess from clients the unmet demand for services and emerging service needs. The most sophisticated organisations under this Outcome will have clearly defined career pathways for staff with multicultural skills, so that culturally and linguistically skilled staff have viable options for progressing through the organisation, while building and sharing their expertise.

Activity Area C– Programs and Services

Access and Equity has always been the driving force behind multicultural policy in New South Wales, and is the foundation upon which the precursor to the Multicultural Policies and Services Program (the Ethnic Affairs Priorities Statement, or EAPS, program ) was formed. Because programs and services provided by agencies are the main avenues through which most people have contact with government, the earliest multicultural policies and programs sought to address the barriers faced by immigrants or those speaking a language other than English. Opening up service delivery to all members of the community remains a priority for many agencies, particularly those that have extensive direct engagement with the public.

In this Outcome area, the Multicultural Planning Framework identifies three criteria streams which agencies should consider in their planning process:

• Responsive mainstream and targeted programming – Many agencies engage in two forms of programming. The first is directed at a general audience when the message or intent of the project is universal (e.g. promote safety, increase uptake in a service). All agencies should ensure that these programs are both sensitive to, and inclusive of, people from diverse language, cultural and religious backgrounds. The second form of programming is that which is targeted towards a specific group to address specific needs (such as particular ethnic communities, new arrivals or refugees).

• Interpreter services use – The use of interpreters is an essential component of delivering services to non-English speaking clients. The provision of this service to those who require it has been NSW Government policy for many years. At the minimum level, agencies develop and promote guidelines for staff on the use of interpreters, and ensure client contact staff are trained

Barriers to the accessibility of services for people from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds are identified, and programs and services are developed to address them

Access and equity

OUTCOME 5


in this area. Agencies working within the higher ranges of this criterion collect and analyse data to ensure that all geographical and functional areas of the organisation have an interpreter budget which is appropriate to client needs; monitor interpreter utilisation by the agency; and identify trends by analysing language services data based on language and location.

• Accountability of funded services – Not all agencies contract out or fund services on a sizeable scale. Where they do, however, it is important to remember that these services are delivered on behalf of the NSW Government, and as such should mirror the government’s policies and priorities. Under this stream, agencies are required to ensure that services operating on their behalf accommodate and provide for cultural diversity. At a higher range, the funding agency should be evaluating outcomes for users of funded services to ensure equity for culturally diverse clients.

The Department of Justice and Attorney General has identified people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds as ‘priority customers’. Some of the initiatives that were pursued in 2010 to meet their needs include the appointment of multicultural mediators and advisors to Community Justice Centres, legal education and consultation sessions with the Sudanese and Vietnamese communities, and the development of the Law and You DVD (which is featured as a Principle in practice in Section 2 of this report). Aside from being a resource that can be shared with members of the African community, this project is commended because of the active involvement of Africans-Australians as actors, consultants and production crew.

Corrective Services NSW provides general and specialist education programs to assist offenders to gain employment upon their return to the community. English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers also assist those offenders for whom language is an issue, leading to certificate qualifications in written and spoken English. These courses were well attended in 2010, with over 2,000 enrolments by offenders from a range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Corrective Services NSW also offered some ethno-specific programs, including the Community Offenders Program for Pacific Islanders and the Transition Program for Vietnamese offenders.

NSW Police will establish a Community Contact Unit within the Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Command to build strong community networks and channels of communication, to reduce the threat of radicalisation within some communities. They will also establish a position of Coordinator, Bias Motivated Crime to work closely with operational and program staff to identify, respond to and reduce bias-related crime. These initiatives will supplement other planned programs that focus on engaging refugees and humanitarian entrants, international students and strategies for diverting children and young people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds from the criminal justice system.

Department of Services, Technology and Administration (DSTA) engaged its bilingual officers to deliver community education sessions to Indonesian and Chinese community groups. The Offices of Fair Trading and Industrial Relations within this Super Department provide information on consumer rights, and workers’ rights and responsibilities and the workplace relations system, in 28 and 26 community languages, respectively. A number of key video resources have also been subtitled for a greater outreach to non-English speaking communities. Fair Trading has developed a quarterly online newsletter that assists other organisations working with culturally and linguistically diverse clients, and has partnered with local multicultural organisations and multilingual media to deliver information. The activities of Fair Trading and Industrial Relations will provide a strong model for the smaller units within DSTA, and support the implementation of a whole-of-department multicultural plan.


Community Services NSW provides targeted services for culturally and linguistically diverse clients through the Multicultural Caseworker Program. Designated caseworker positions require language and/or cultural skills to engage directly with clients and to offer culturally appropriate services. In 2010, a coordinator for this program was appointed, to improve the outreach and efficiency of the program. A further trial project in the Blacktown area is partnering with non-government and community stakeholders to identify best practice in cross-cultural casework.

Housing NSW continues to provide a range of programs that are accessible to, and targeted at, culturally and linguistically diverse clients. These include targeted interventions for those who are at risk of homelessness, and initiatives designed to offer appropriate housing for emerging communities, such as the Sudanese in the Southern and Western Housing Services regions.

Because the capacity to communicate in a mutual language is such a critical aspect of service delivery, the Commission is pleased to note that most agencies (including Department of Services, Technology and Administration and Community Services NSW) have identified budget lines for the use of interpreters. The NSW Police plan, to be introduced in 2011, will require Local Area Commands to plan and budget for the use of interpreters, rather than drawing from general funds. It is anticipated this will result in greater uptake of language services, as interpreters will no longer be competing with other demands on resources.

Housing NSW and the Department of Justice and Attorney General have established memoranda of understanding with the Community Relations Commission to provide interpreting and translation services as appropriate to their business needs. Arrangements such as the block booking system used by Housing NSW enable the agency to offer language services within designated offices at times which are publicised.

In situations where the budget line is open and unspecified, agencies may feel pressure to limit interpreter use, or to use cheaper options. The Community Relations Commission recommends that agencies engage reputable, accredited language services, such as those offered by the Commission, the national Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) or the NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service.

Several agencies, including Corrective Services NSW, Department of Services, Technology and Administration and Ageing, Disability and Home Care, also provide guidelines for staff on how to use interpreters and implement their language services policies. This is a critical supplement to those agencies that provide a budget line for interpreters, because it empowers staff to use this resource effectively, consistently and fairly. Agencies are also encouraged to facilitate the use of interpreters by placing links to interpreter services on the agency’s intranet (such as in the case of Corrective Services NSW and the Health Care Complaints Commission).

Some agencies engage interpreters and translators to meet other business-specific needs of their clients. Corrective Services NSW, for example, is able to offer offenders translation services from their own language into English, for the purposes of applying for parole , while the Department of Services, Technology and Administration (DSTA) engages interpreters (and/or multilingual staff) to enhance delivery of information sessions at Migrant Resource and Diversity Centres.


Community Services NSW supports, funds and monitors an interpreter service budget for external agencies funded under Community Services programs. In the last year, the agency reports a 10% increase in the use of interpreters, due to increased use by funded services. A number of recent externally-funded programs of Community Services NSW (such as Brighter Futures) include multicultural targets and indicators in funding agreements.The Fair Trading and Industrial Relations agencies of DSTA fund a number of external agencies to support culturally and linguistically diverse communities, for programs that include financial counselling, and workshops on workplace and consumer rights. Similarly, Ageing, Disability and Home Care (ADHC) trialled a pilot project that sought to increase the use of interpreters by non-government organisations funded under the Home and Community Care (HACC) program. Following the pilot’s success, recurrent funding has been provided. ADHC also requires all applications for HACC funding to be assessed against nine criteria, one of which relates to cultural diversity. In addressing this criterion, applicants must demonstrate strategies to promote equitable access to services, policies and procedures that consider cultural diversity, and relevant recruitment, staffing and communication strategies.

Corrective Services NSW operates a Community Funding Program that provides funding to, amongst others, community organisations that include cultural diversity initiatives. The funding agreements under this program include guidelines on interpreter use and cultural appropriateness. The requirement for six-monthly statistical reports adds an additional rigour to the agreements.

At this point in human history, we have at our disposal more ways to communicate with one another than ever before. Some of those forms are instantaneous (such as email, text messaging and web-based chat), while others are more enduring (such as the printed word, DVDs and websites).

Governments have opportunities to reach audiences in ways that could not have been considered a decade ago. There has been a tendency, in the past, for agencies to simply produce pamphlets of their major communications for the larger language groups, with no clear distribution strategy or analysis of how immigrants are going to access this written information. This method is becoming increasingly less relevant with the emergence of languages and dialects that are not being addressed in this way due to prohibitive costs. We are also seeing a preference for some communities to obtain their information through global communication networks rather than local sources (such as satellite television, foreign websites or Skype). Younger people, whether they be first or subsequent generation migrants, communicate with one another through electronic modes (Facebook, Twitter and text messaging).

As technology becomes more flexible and accessible, most agencies will benefit from exploring a number of different communication channels to reach diverse communities and demographics. In addition, wherever possible, agencies should explore the use of interactive communications, to obtain direct feedback on how well the agency is meeting the service users’ information needs. Alternatively, market testing with different cultural or linguistic groups may assist agencies to address any communication issues prior to launching resources in other languages.

A range of communication formats and channels are used to inform people from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds about agency programs, services and activities

CommunicationOUTCOME 6


Multicultural marketing in the private sector is maturing as more organisations appreciate the business necessity of reaching the broadest audience possible. Similarly, public authorities can enhance their outreach by considering the wider spectrum of culturally diverse audiences and their specific communication needs, and preferences.

There are two criteria for key agencies to consider under this Outcome of the Multicultural Planning Framework:

• Planned communication – Planned communication is all of those activities that an agency undertakes to deliver a specific message to selected audiences. It is distinguished from routine communication that occurs incidental to general service delivery. It may include translated printed and audio-visual materials, media campaigns and launches at the lower ranges, and will incorporate carefully considered marketing and research into communication channels and modes at the higher ranges.

• Emerging technology use – At the minimum ranges of this criterion, agencies use telephone or video-conferencing facilities to offer interpreting services, and static websites to deliver information in other languages. As agencies progress through the ranges, they may explore video-link technology to enhance outreach, interactive multimedia in different languages, and more innovative communication and marketing techniques such as texting or internet chatting in community languages.

The majority of agencies still use the translation of brochures, fact sheets and application forms as the primary method of planned communication.

These forms of translated, printed materials can be a source of important practical information to assist clients to navigate through services and to understand their rights in relation to public sector service provision. As examples, Corrective Services NSW provides translated information for offenders’ families, so they can understand what is happening to the offender, the Health Care Complaints Commission translates the Code of Conduct for unregistered health practitioners into 10 community languages and the Department of Justice and Attorney General translates a number of brochures relating to court assistance and assessing capacity to make legal and other important (or binding) decisions.

Fair Trading NSW, an agency of the Department of Services, Technology and Administration, translates information about consumer protection and responsibilities into 30 different languages, while NSW Sport and Recreation translates brochures on eating and playing for healthy living into 11 community languages. Housing NSW produces the Your Home newsletter for public housing tenants in five community languages, and other fact sheets, policy documents and written communications use plain English to ensure maximum comprehension by clients with limited English skills. Various agencies within Industry & Investment NSW have made available translated resources on food safety, allergies and intolerance, food safety during pregnancy, fishing regulations and safety, international tourism and business, and integrated pest management.

While this is a solid way of making information available to some non-English speakers, prohibitive costs mean that for every language addressed many more must be passed over. Furthermore, this strategy is generally not sufficiently robust to alert potential clients to the agency’s services, nor does it take into account the need to engage with people from non-English speaking backgrounds who may not be literate in their first language.


For this reason, translations often need to be supplemented by campaigns that address the specific needs of identified communities. For example Industrial Relations NSW, an agency of the Department of Services, Technology and Administration, partnered with SBS Radio to promote its services in Mandarin and Cantonese, while fellow agency, Fair Trading NSW, provides regular updates on consumer rights through ethnic media outlets. Both of these agencies maintain multilingual information on their websites and participate in community cultural events and employment expos with information stalls.

Community Services NSW provided 40 information sessions to the African community during 2009–10, and six information sessions to other newly arrived communities.

The Law and You DVD produced by the Department of Justice and Attorney General is perhaps the standout example for 2010 of planned communication. This resource provides essential information about the Australian legal context, and is dubbed into seven African languages. The most innovative aspect of this resource is that wherever possible, the actors and production crew were African-Australians. In this sense, the development of the resource itself was an important component of the strategy, building the community’s trust of the agency and providing skills and experience to African young people about working in an Australian context (more information about this resource is contained in Section 2).

Ageing, Disability and Home Care produced the DVD Starting School: stories from parents of children with a disability in Arabic, Cantonese, Dari, Dinka, Korean, Mandarin, Vietnamese and English. It also produced short radio grabs in Arabic, Vietnamese and Mandarin to promote awareness of early childhood intervention. In 2010 ADHC partnered with SBS radio to disseminate Homereach programs, which reach socially and geographically isolated individuals and groups, in nine community languages,

The Department of Services, Technology and Administration has made information on tenancy reforms available in MP3 (audio) format on the web in a range of small and emerging community languages. This innovative strategy acknowledges the low literacy rates and/or lack of written language in many newer communities, shortages of accredited translators in some languages and the prevalence of portable listening devices (such as mobile phones and iPods). Industrial Relations NSW is currently developing other electronic resources to assist clients of Migrant Resource Centres.

Ageing, Disability and Home Care funds the Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association to develop the CALD Sibling Support Network which builds the digital media skills of young people who have a sibling with disabilities, to enable them to share information over an online blog. Its Metro North Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Practice Forum is also conducted online, and enables funded services to share information electronically.

The Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) also reports that it maintains signage in priority languages in agency reception areas. This is an important aspect of communication that is frequently overlooked by agencies in their reporting to the Community Relations Commission, but which is a vital aspect of accessibility of services for many non-English speaking community members. The HCCC has also used the Community Relations Commission EmailLink service to provide information directly to targeted community organisations.


As with Leadership, the Social and Economic Development criteria stream adds a new dimension to the planning process under the Multicultural Planning Framework. This Outcome aims to encourage agencies to recognise the contribution of culture and linguistic skills to the productivity and social cohesion of our state, and provides a planning base through which agencies may address their obligation to implement the fourth Principle of Multiculturalism.

This criterion captures a range of ideas to utilise diversity – from initiatives which celebrate the social value of cultural diversity, through to those which harness the economic benefits arising from the participation of culturally diverse community members in structured programs, and the positive contributions these skills can make in enhancing commerce, trade and industry – summed up in the concept of ‘productive diversity’.

While this Outcome is not equally relevant to the business activities of all key agencies, all agencies are encouraged to consider how they can implement initiatives addressing the Range 1 criterion:

• Building potential through partnerships – Within Range 1, agencies should develop initiatives which acknowledge the positive contribution of culture and language skills to the productivity and social cohesion of New South Wales. This could include strategies to celebrate diversity, either within the agency or externally.

Agencies working in the higher ranges may plan to provide specific multicultural awards, targeted programs for sharing cultural experiences (such as recreational programs for refugees), language programs and bridging courses to equip non-English speakers with employability skills, and at the most developed end may include programs to encourage investment in New South Wales through multicultural marketing, cultural exchanges and effective recruitment.

The Department of Justice and Attorney General (DJAG) has initiated a number of projects with communities intended to build the leadership capacity of community leaders, and to encourage participation of those leaders in agency events. Mediation training is also offered to multicultural communities interested in this form of dispute settlement. DJAG also provides a number of support mechanisms to assist newly arrived immigrants and refugees to understand the NSW legal system as part of the settlement process. This has included working with Commonwealth agencies and in partnership with the University of Western Sydney to develop a Local Court Support program for the Sudanese community.

Housing NSW engages in partnerships with other providers to promote home ownership services to culturally diverse communities, and engages in a number of partnerships under social harmony, homelessness and housing support strategies.

Programs and activities are in place to develop and use the skills of a culturally diverse population, for the social and economic benefit of the state

Social and economic development

OUTCOME 7


NSW Sport and Recreation has commenced development of partnerships with ethnic community organisations, local migrant service bodies, local councils and the Refugee Council of Australia to enhance participation of multicultural communities in the agency’s programs.

Within Industry & Investment NSW a number of agencies work collaboratively with partners to deliver positive outcomes for targeted communities. For example, the NSW Food Authority partners with the Australian Chinese Daily to provide a monthly column on food safety and regulation for the Chinese community. State and Regional Development works in conjunction with local chambers of commerce to deliver small business seminars in community languages in Auburn, Fairfield and Holroyd and works with a number of international chambers of commerce to promote targeted events to ethnic communities and encourage their participation in small business. Agencies are encouraged to consider ways they can develop initiatives under this outcome, noting that the goodwill and economic advantage engendered by the participation and empowerment of all members of our community can have a positive impact on all aspects of an agency’s business.

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