Release of guidelines to help agencies respond better to ethnic communities

11/11/97

Government agencies will be better able to address the cultural needs of their customers and employees using a set of guidelines released today by the State Government.

Entitled Valuing Diversity, the guidelines detail strategies and suggestions to help agencies be more responsive to Western Australia's diverse community and to recognise and value the State's rich cultural workforce.

They range from simple tasks such as promoting cultural diversity in publications to providing interpreters for people experiencing communication difficulties and better using the skills of ethnic employees in the workplace.

The guidelines were developed by the Office of Multicultural Interests after extensive consultation with 12 relevant public sector and community agencies.

Launching Valuing Diversity, Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Minister Mike Board said all Government agencies had a responsibility to ensure their policies, programs and services were responsive to the needs of WA's culturally diverse community.

"Valuing Diversity is an acknowledgement of the differences in our community, including our workplace," Mr Board said.

"It contains strategies and suggestions which agencies can adopt or easily adapt to suit the needs of their customers and employees within the range of their agency responsibilities and resources.

"I encourage all Government departments and agencies to use the guidelines in developing their multicultural policy."

Mr Board said some Government agencies such as the WA Police Service and the WA Health Department had already adopted specific multicultural and language policies.

The new Police Service policy launched on July 18 comprised three key initiatives, including:

·         a Languages Services Policy

To remove communication barriers, the service will provide professionally trained interpreters to assist people who cannot communicate or have difficulty speaking English and those people who are hearing impaired;

·         a Multicultural Policy

Police services will be accessible, equitable and culturally appropriate to meet the social justice needs of WA's ethnic communities and minority groups. The service will not tolerate racist, prejudicial or bigoted behaviour by its members; and -

·         Multilingual Brochures

Brochures outlining the roles of Police Professional Standards Portfolio, complaints handling procedures, the Anti-Corruption Commission and the State Ombudsman have been produced. Multilingual recruitment brochures encouraging ethnic children to join the Police Service and a multilingual Crime Stoppers brochure will also be available.

Mr Board said the launch of the Valuing Diversity guidelines was further proof of the Government's commitment to implementing its multicultural policy, WA ONE, which was launched by Premier Richard Court in March 1995.

It comes just over a month after the release on October 5 of Living in Harmony, the State Government's three-year strategy aimed at raising public awareness about the benefits of good community relations.

The Valuing Diversity guidelines were developed after extensive consultation with the Office of Multicultural Interests and the departments of Family and Children's Services, Training, Health and Education, the WA Police Service, Homeswest, Public Sector Management Office, Public Sector Standards Commission, Equal Opportunity Commission, the Ethnic Communities Council and the Multicultural Social Services Council.

For further information or a copy of Valuing Diversity: Guidelines for Government Agencies, contact the Office of Multicultural Interests on (08) 9426 8690.

Media contact: Peter Harris 9222 9211