Mandatory cultural training for all staff

Metro North Health staff at cultural capability training

Metro North Health is building a more culturally capable workforce through new training for staff.

The training aims to support improved health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and includes the Cultural Practice Program and the Accurate Indigenous Identification course.

The interactive Cultural Practice Program is facilitated by facility Cultural Capability Officers to provide staff with practical advice, tools and resources to embed the four guiding principles of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Capability Framework 2010-2033 – respect and recognition, communication, relationships and partnerships, and capacity building.

The Accurate Indigenous Identification training supports staff to confidently ask patients if they are of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin and boosts staff understanding of why the question is needed.

Metro North Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Executive Director Adjunct Professor Sherry Holzapfel said that as the main provider of health services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders, it is critical that Metro North Health builds a culturally capable workforce.

“Accurate identification is important as there are still gaps in health status and life expectancy between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and non-Indigenous Australians,” Sherry said.

“To know if these gaps are closing and if we are providing services in the right way, we need to ask the question. We also need to know so we can provide culturally appropriate health care.

“These tools have been created to give staff confidence and knowledge that is authentic.

“This helps improve the cultural capabilities in frontline service delivery to ensure the service can provide both clinically capable, culturally safe, and responsive care.”

The training is an important step and part of Metro North Health’s commitment to the Health Equity Strategy 2025–2028.