Why is this position necessary?
There is an overwhelming amount of research supporting the idea that more inclusive, diverse, and accessible workplaces provide greater innovation, ability to manage change, and greater employee satisfaction and retention rates of marginalised employees (Nweiser, Mishlin & Dajnoki, Krisztina, 2022).
However, in order to support marginalised employees and increase workplace cohesion and cultural awareness and safety for all employees, it is important to provide opportunities for team building and professional development around understanding intersectionality and cultural competency.
Lets Break It Down:
What IS that? -Intersectionality and Cultural Competency?
Put simply:
Intersectionality: This is the idea that people have different identities (like race, gender, class, sexuality, etc.) that overlap and affect how they experience the world. It helps us understand that people’s experiences are shaped by multiple factors, not just one.
Cultural Competency: This means being able to work with and understand people from different cultures in a respectful way. It’s about learning their beliefs, values, and traditions so you don’t accidentally offend them or make assumptions. It’s like learning to see the world through someone else’s eyes to communicate better and build trust. Even though thats impossible.
While it should be expected that management support and implement cultural safety initiatives, it is also reasonable to acknowledge that this work is simply too extensive to simply add to the current coordinators workload, and that having a dedicated role (or roles) to oversee Equity, Diversity, Access and Inclusion initiatives is paramount for the success of the organisation.
By implementing an Equity, Diversity, Access, and Inclusion Project Lead role at HRVic, this role aims to directly supports and promotes all aspects of HRVic’s Strategic Plan.
Bee Hayes, who has worked across several other programs at HRVic, took on a new role as our Equity, Diversity, Accessibility & Inclusion Project Lead.
The key responsibility areas of this role are to drive efforts in the areas of Strategic Change and Goal Setting; Policy and Procedure Development; Training and Development; and Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration. Specifically, by consulting with key stakeholders and allies, this work is to promote accessibility, safety, equity, and celebration of core marginalised populations including:
o People Who Use Drugs especially People Who Inject Drugs
o First Nations Peoples and decolonisation work
o Culturally and Racially marginalised groups other than First Nations Peoples
o LGBTIQ+
o People with Disabilities
Between October 2023-June 2024, The EDAI lead spent approximately 75hrs in a range of stakeholder meetings with:
· LiverWell
· Thorne Harbour Health
· YSAS
· QuIHN
· Hue
· VACCHO
· Merri-bek Council
· Tiny Pride
· Reconciliation Victoria
· Reconciliation Australia
· La Trobe University
· Rainbow Health Victoria
· VAADA
Workshops and Training
As well as directing a “You Can’t Ask That” style Neurodiversity workshop for HRVic staff, Bee also organised 3 separate cultural safety workshops run by external facilitators for HRVic staff including:
· 101 Understanding Race and Racism (Hue)
· Allyship in the Workplace (Hue)
· Aboriginal Cultural Safety (VACCHO)
Since October 2023, Bee has delivered 3 separate training workshops for DanceWize volunteers including;
· LGBTQIA+ 101
· Disability 101
· Neurodiversity 101
HRVic submitted an abstract to the Better Together Conference 2024. While this abstract was not accepted, I was invited to help plan and sit on a discussion panel, Stigma Free Services, as well invited to the Equality Project’s LGBTQIA+ Leaders Summit.
The EDAI Project Lead also works in collaboration with the Org Support Services team in reviewing and updating multiple internal policies and procedures, and this work will be an area for continuous improvement year after year.
Harm Reduction Victoria is currently in the process of doing the work required to get Rainbow Tick accredited and our EDAI lead Bee is completing a Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan.
HRVic recently participated in the HOW2 6 week training as a prerequisite for Rainbow Tick Accreditation. Both the How2 training package and Rainbow Tick Accreditation process has been subsidised by the Victorian Department of Health through a funding initiative in collaboration with La Trobe University in which the EDAI Project Lead successfully received.
“I am also looking forward to getting an HRVic Reconciliation Advisory Group up and running. As part of my professional development I undertook the ‘Sharing Indigenous Knowledges’ training and have been in contact with representatives from Reconciliation Victoria and Reconciliation Australia for support in developing the RAP.”
A highlight of my year was meeting with representatives from ‘The Torch’, an organisation that provides opportunities for incarcerated Aboriginal artists- supporting them to create and sell artwork to support themselves.
For next year, I am currently looking into designing a Gender Affirmation Plan template and an accompanying policy and procedure for HRVic, bringing us into the future.
I proudly acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi wurrung peoples as Custodians and Traditional Owners of the Country HRVic is located on and pay my deep respects to Elders past and present.
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