Indigenous Allied Health Australia | IAHA Consulting | Cultural Responsiveness Training

IAHA Consulting delivers cultural safety training using our evidence-based Cultural Responsiveness Framework.

The highlights:

At IAHA Consulting, we have created our very own market-leading cultural safety training using our evidence-based Cultural Responsiveness Framework. We are proud of the uniqueness of this training, as it differs from others on the market. Our training focuses on action-orientated and strength-based outcomes. It is aimed at critical self-reflective practice identifying one’s impact on another. Because of this structure in our Framework, we refer to our training as Culturally Responsive Training, or more formally –  The IAHA Cultural Responsiveness Training. We deliver our training to you in three main online and blended learning stages for your ease and convenience. It is a highly interactive course that centres around three driving principles:

  1. What do we need to know; (knowing)
  2. Whom do we need to be; and (being) 
  3. How do we transform behaviours and systems to be culturally safe and responsive in meeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s needs. (doing) 

We have done extensive research on each topic to provide meaningful and relevant content. Our research is harnessed by lived experience from our highly skilled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander facilitators within our IAHA network.

What sets us apart:

The IAHA Cultural Responsiveness Training anchors on the “doing“:

  1. How can we build cultural safety;
  2. How can we transform and influence culturally safe and responsive care and services practically: and
  3. How can we remould and lead culturally safe and responsive action that contextualises to professionals, individuals, service providers, and/or organisations by addressing some of these critical points:
  • Provide a mechanism for culturally responsive leadership through behaviour and attitude transformation so you can better understand and act upon culturally responsive ways of knowing, being and doing.
  • Offer practical, action-based and solution-focused ways forward for you so you can improve your capability to meet the health and wellbeing needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
  • Be strengths-based, exploring what works and what could work better within your context; and
  • Understand cultural safety and the impact of racism on another person and how that affects their health and wellbeing.

Who is this course for:

While IAHA is a national, member-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander allied health organisation – leading in sector workforce development and support, our primary focus is to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Accordingly, we have designed The IAHA Cultural Responsiveness Training to suit many organisations across various industries to achieve this goal. We use examples related to different health industries; however, we can tailor the course to suit your needs and circumstances. What is most important to us is that you understand the theories and work towards your own cultural experience and translate this across to others.

So if you or your organisation interacts with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people regularly or have staff or colleague who identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples – so really, all of us! In that case, this course is for you! We recommend that The IAHA Cultural Responsiveness Training course be completed as a starting point to make yourself more culturally aware and your workplace a culturally safe and responsive environment.

Our allies and supporters:

We are proud of our work, and it is an outstanding achievement to see others getting on board and recognising it too. Our market-leading training has made its way to many individuals and a broad range of organisations. Here is a list of just a few, and click here to see what some of them thought about the course:

  • Occupational Therapy Australia Board;
  • Speech Pathology Australia members;
  • Cancer Australia;
  • WA Country Health Allied Health Regional Team, Kununurra WA;
  • NSW Outback Division of General Practice, Bourke NSW;
  • Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service, Social Work and Liaison team;
  • Health Workforce Queensland;
  • Western NSW Primary Health Network;
  • NSW HETI;
  • NSW Justice Department;
  • University of Canberra;
  • Fred Hollows Foundation;
  • Australian Indigenous Doctors Association;
  • National Association Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Health Workers & Practitioners;
  • Australian Society of Medical Imaging Radiation Therapy;
  • Macquarie University;
  • Medtronic Australia;
  • Orthoptics Australia; and
  • Australian Association of Social Workers.

Next steps to start the training:

We would love for you to join us, but you may still have a few burning questions. We have created a Frequently Asked Questions page to assist you, which might provide you with further clarifications. Questions include:

  1. Is there a demo version available for me to look at?
  2. Can we have modules tailored to our specific workforce context?
  3. Is there a time limit to complete the levels?
  4. I’m not in the allied health industry; will this course be relevant to me?
  5. How is the training hosted for delivery?
  6. How much does the training cost?
  7. How much support and feedback do you provide, given that the course is mainly online?
  8. Can I enrol and start the training right away?
  9. Can I complete this course as an individual, or is it only for organisations and their staff?

We also encourage you to explore our IAHA Cultural Responsiveness Framework. If you would like to request a PDF copy, please email us at admin@iaha.com.au or call us on 02 6285 1010.

How is this training delivered?

Before March 2020, we delivered this training as a one- or two-day, face-to-face workshop. However, due to the current state of the world and the way we now work and live, we made changes to evolve. By adapting to our

ever-changing environment, we could ensure meeting all government and health regulations while keeping all parties safe. As a result, we have worked tirelessly to ensure the quality of The IAHA Cultural Responsiveness Training remains at the highest standards. We now deliver our training course entirely online – this has also meant that our outreach has extended immensely.

We have decided to break up the course into different levels to make it easier and more manageable to consume meaningful content as you embark on this journey at your own pace.

As you start with Level 1, you learn the fundamental knowledge of cultural awareness and responsiveness. Armed and equipped to take on more, you move onto Level 2, where we take you through self-awareness practices and teach you more about the IAHA Cultural Responsiveness Framework. While Levels 1 and 2 are self-paced, we are conscious of not losing our connection with you, so we created Level 3. Level 3 is a highly interactive workshop led by our skilled Aboriginal Facilitators with lived experiences. Finally, in Level 4, we delve deeper to embed cultural safety into systems or curriculums. It provides a more in-depth context in building cultural responsiveness in practice. To put it in context, Level 1, 2 and 3 is equivalent to our one-day face-to-face workshop (pre-March 2020), while completing Level 4 is the same as our previous two-day workshop.

At IAHA, we have our own Learning Management System (LMS). This hosting platform allows each participant to receive login details to access their own Student Portal. They can be assigned and complete various levels at their own pace. You may wish to brand or co-brand your Portal to meet your organisational needs. We can also assign a training manager to ensure the participants stay on top of their required training. Every participant has access to the training for six months, allowing enough time to complete and reflect on the work.

Are you ready? Let’s talk!

Click here to book a time with our Training Manager or email us at training@iaha.com.au to find out more. We can also provide you with a personalised quote for our training tailored to you and your organisation.

If you would like to find out more about what is covered in Levels 1 to 4 and how to deliver it to you, click on each of the drop-down boxes below. Or head to the Frequently Asked Questions page for even more.

Level 1 - Start with cultural awareness

Starting with cultural awareness is an essential foundation for any working professional, student or graduate who is about to be a part of the workforce or currently working with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. Which simply means everyone who works in this country. This online course allows you to navigate the lessons in your own time and takes you through the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and how this has formed the culture of today’s generation.   This history lesson is vital for understanding the needs and views of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this country and why cultural safety is an integral part of creating equality in services.

This Level 1 course will also introduce you to the diversity of cultures and languages and shine a light on the variables in terminology and communication with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. While you may have already done a similar course(s) in your workplace, our Level 1 prepares you specifically for our Level 2 module, where we unpack the IAHA Cultural Responsiveness Framework.

This course is entirely online and self-paced, taking approximately 4-5 hours to complete.

In addition, it can be tailored as a stand-alone induction course for your organisation. We have SCORM Files available for Learning Management Systems (LMS) capabilities for large enrolments.

Successful completion of Level 1 is a prerequisite to Level 2 registration.

Level 2 - Unpacking the IAHA Cultural Responsiveness Framework

This Level 2 course is where we begin to unpack the IAHA Cultural Responsiveness Framework developed in 2015 and revised in 2019.  This Framework is an evidence-based theory that allows you to understand what is required for change at a system level for cultural safety to be embedded into services.  We begin to unpack the “Theory of Change” and introduce you to the “6 Key Capabilities” critical in building cultural responsiveness in a workplace.

This module will begin to unpack the politics of identity and diversity of culture both for the individual and that of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, which will lead us into the effects of the dominant culture around the globe.   We continue with the differences in culture and communication and how this can hinder the engagement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people creating barriers towards accessing services.

This course is entirely online and self-paced, taking approximately 5-6 hours to complete.

We have SCORM Files available for Learning Management Systems (LMS) capabilities for large enrolments.

Successful completion of Level 2 is a prerequisite to Level 3 registration.

Level 3 - Looking through the cultural lens

After successfully completing Level 1 and 2, you are ready to dive into the challenges of the dominant culture and what that means to the individual to acknowledge the lens we see the world through. From this perspective, we can reflect and make radical changes to our personal leadership in the workplace and community engagement. Meaning, it’s also time to discuss racism policies in the workplace and/or from an individual perspective and see what shifts need to occur to create a culturally safe working environment for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in every sector.

This module sets a safe space to discuss the reflection from Level 1 and Level 2. There are usually questions and discussions around engagement, confidence, and how to address racism. We use breakout sessions to talk safely and openly about these common hesitations on these topics.

At the end of Level 3, you will be required to complete your personal Action Plan and email it to your IAHA Facilitators to receive your certificate.

Level 3 delivery is a live interactive workshop entirely online for 3.5 hours with two of our highly skilled IAHA Facilitators. This session will not be recorded for your privacy and safety. We want to offer face-to-face workshops, perhaps further into 2022.

To put it in context, Level 1, 2 and 3 is equivalent to our one-day face-to-face workshop (pre-March 2020), while completing Level 4 is the same as our previous two-day workshop.

Successful completion of Level 3 is a prerequisite to Level 4 registration.

Level 4 - Organisational Action Planning

Level 4 is often the next step for organisations to embed cultural safety practices into their workspace policies and procedures.

This workshop will provide key action steps to implement cultural safety and responsiveness from a leadership model. Using the IAHA Cultural Responsiveness Framework as a guide and reflecting on the start of this journey from Level 1 all the way through to this point, this workshop will enable you to develop an action plan and culturally safe system ready to implement in your organisation or workspace.

Using the culturally responsive theories of knowing, being and doing, you will have the confidence to address the gaps highlighted within your workplace from a strengths-based, solution-focused perspective.

The resources in Level 4 will be tailored to suit your industry and circumstance. This module is also delivered online and arranged after consultation with your organisation from Level 1- 3.