One of Australia’s largest public service organisations has launched a new multicultural strategy aimed at ensuring inclusiveness in the delivery of crucial services.

The federal Department of Human Services, whose 36,000 employees oversee Medicare, Centrelink and Child Support services, has set out a blueprint to provide “culturally and linguistically appropriate services to members of the Australian public”.

A major feature of the new strategy, which says there is a need for the department to be more innovative and to improve, is plan to provide cross-cultural training to all staff.

The department’s Multicultural Servicing Strategy 2016-19 is currently being rolled out and may be extended to other government bodies.

“We recognise and embrace diversity and are determined to build upon our successful reputation in the delivery of services to our culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) customers,” the department’s strategy document says.

The plan includes community and customer engagement strategies utilising consultation forums at local, state and national levels.

It also includes language services amounting to free interpreting and translation services; and a commitment to recruit staff from diverse backgrounds.

The plan promises to expand the existing Multicultural Service Officer Program which delivers face-to-face support for diverse communities and it promises to provide employment support tools and strategies.

Acting department secretary Grant Tidswell said the new strategy demonstrated a commitment to both the Australian Government’s Multicultural Access and Equity Policy and to multicultural customers and their communities.

“The department has a long and successful history in delivering culturally and linguistically appropriate services to our multicultural customers,” Mr Tidswell said.

“We have achieved this in a number of ways including: through our national network of Multicultural Service Officers using their unique role to consult and liaise widely with migrant and refugee communities to improve service delivery; by communicating with our customers in their preferred language, using our national register of interpreters that cover over 230 languages; and by providing translated information on our website in over 65 languages in written, audio and video formats.

“These are great achievements for the department, but they are just the beginning. We must provide more and varied options for our customers to receive information and services, given that we operate in a globalised world with the potential for multiple access channels.

“This strategy provides some concrete and practical actions that will build upon our very good reputation in the delivery of services to our multicultural customers,” Mr Tidswell said.

Laurie Nowell
AMES Australia Senior Journalist