This document provides information about a workshop on communicating effectively with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) clients. The workshop will take place on July 30, 2015 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. It will cover communicating with CALD communities in the morning and the use of interpreters and cross-cultural communication after a morning tea break. Attendees will learn about understanding different CALD groups, communicating cross-culturally, and assessing risk in communication approaches. The workshop will include facilitated discussions, presentations, and exercises to provide practical tools and strategies for working with CALD clients.

1. DIVERSITY IN
DISABILITY
CONFERENCE
DAY 2 WORKSHOP:
COMMUNICATING
EFFECTIVELY WITH
CALD CLIENTS
THURSDAY 30 JULY
2015

2. Communicating effectively with CALD Clients
Session: 9.00 am to 12 noon Thursday 30th July
Timing 9.00 – 10.15
10.15 –
10.45
10.45 – 12 noon
Session Topic
Communicating with CALD
Communities
MorningTea
Interpreters & Cross Cultural Communication
Key Information Understanding the range & functions
of CALD groups
Understanding sensitivities &
relevance
The role of ethnic media & other
intermediaries
Communicating cross culturally
Understanding approaches and risk
Apply risk considerations & communication
options
Training Approach Facilitated discussion
Presentation of Engagement Model
Planning exercises
Facilitated discussion
Completion of Risk Framework
Discussion around scenarios
Resources/ PR/
Handouts
Where to get information Check lists
Work sheets
DiverseWerks | 2© Cultural Perspectives Group. 2015

3. COMPONENT ONE
COMMUNICATING WITH CALD
COMMUNITIES

4. CHANGING
MARKETPLACE
CHANGING NEEDS
DiverseWerks | 4
 The NDIS will fundamentally disrupt current service provision orthodoxy
in the disability area
 Understanding how to communicate with CALD people with disability
and their families will be an essential component of surviving in the
changing marketplace
 Capacity and responsiveness will require both resource commitments
as well as skill enhancements in organisational staff
 Communication needs to be understood from two perspectives:
communicating service information to potential clients; communicating
directly with clients in the service interaction
© Cultural Perspectives Group. 2015

5. A CALD COMMUNICATION MODEL

6. A CALD COMMUNICATION MODEL
DiverseWerks | 6
The need for a replicable Model:
 Session developed to get participants to think about communications in
strategic terms
 The session will use the DiverseWerks communication engagement
model as a framing process for considerations around communicating
for disability services
 Individual strategies and approaches will then come out of this and
therefore have both validity and make sense in individual service
settings
© Cultural Perspectives Group. 2015

7. A CALD COMMUNICATION
MODEL
DiverseWerks | 7
The Model contains the following components:
 Demographic analysis and CALD segmentation and targeting
 A consideration of the sensitivities around the issue on which
engagement is required
 Strategy development
 Identifying and implementing appropriate communications approaches
 Maintaining effective engagement
© Cultural Perspectives Group. 2015

8. CALD
Targeting
• Undertake relevant demographic analysis of the area / catchment specific to your service
• Consider other evidence such as research or CALD profiles of your catchment
• Identify key CALD groups relevant to the issue
Issue
Sensitivity
• Assess the level of sensitivity in these groups around the specific disability or service you are dealing with and how it is
seen in the community from key informants, using existing knowledge and other research or evidence available
Strategy
Development
• Consult with the key communities intermediaries to assist in developing the strategy
• Consider the community strengths and sensitivities and how these can be utilised in engaging with the community/ies
• Develop and test messages that would be appropriate in the engagement
Comms
Approach
• Develop partnerships and collaborations to get the message to CALD community members
• Ensure that there are a range of communication components to reach the whole community
• Identify human and physical resources that could carry the message
Engagement
• Monitor the effectiveness of the communications approaches
• Assess the level of CALD client comfort with the service and review approach accordingly
DIVERSITY IN DISABILITY COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT MODEL
DiverseWerks | 8© Cultural Perspectives Group. 2015

9. CALD COMMUNICATION
APPROACHES

10. PARTICIPANT EXERCISE 1
DiverseWerks | 10
As a group identify a specific service that will be offered to the
community.
Service Type
What are the specific CALD segmentation issues that would need to be
considered?
© Cultural Perspectives Group. 2015

11. CALD COMMUNICATIONS
DiverseWerks | 11
Given segmentation considerations what communications approaches would
you consider employing to communicate the service to CALD people with
disability?
Approaches:
© Cultural Perspectives Group. 2015

12. CALD COMMUNICATION
APPROACHES
Communication type Specific communication Description
Direct
Face-to-face
Service providers visit organisations and communities in a proactive fashion to
promote the service
Issue specific briefings
Service providers attend community organisations and other places of
community gathering to provide issue and service specific briefings
Presentations
Community members are invited to attend a presentation by the service
provider on the service offer
Physical collateral
Direct mail to intermediary
organisations
Information is sent community organisations and other intermediaries to
promote the service
Pamphlets
Pamphlets are distributed to key intermediaries or made available at the
service. They are designed to provide an overview of available services.
Posters
Posters can be prepared and displayed in various community settings and
offered to key intermediaries. They could also be situated where families may
tend to frequent such as Councils, shopping centres, etc.
Notices in local information places
Notices can be prepared and displayed in high traffic and public places such as
libraries to announce a service initiative of service capacity specific to
community segments
© Cultural Perspectives Group. 2015 DiverseWerks | 12

13. CALD COMMUNICATION
APPROACHES CONTINUED
Communication type Specific communication Description
Online
Website
Information can be placed on organisational websites and other media
can drive traffic to the site
Email network Once contact is established, online networks can be developed
Audio/visuals
Apps Service specific interactive information
DVDs/CDs DVDs and CDs on the service
Media
Notice in local paper Promoting a specific service / initiative
Announcement on local radio Promoting a specific service / initiative
Media Engagement Developing media relations approaches and partnerships
© Cultural Perspectives Group. 2015 DiverseWerks | 13

14. PARTICIPANT EXERCISE 2
Issue/Service Description
Priority Target Groups
Secondary or Intermediary
Audiences
Communication Approach
Information Resources to be
Used
Service Capacity
Considerations
© Cultural Perspectives Group. 2015 DiverseWerks | 14

15. MORNING TEA

16. COMPONENT TWO
INTERPRETERS & CROSS
CULTURAL COMMUNICATION

17. CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION

18. CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION
DiverseWerks | 18
 This session is designed to get you to think more broadly about cross
cultural communication
 We will be considering what the term means and what tools are
available to support cross cultural communication
 We will consider notions of risk and benefits related to different tools as
well as the circumstances in which individual tools will be used
 We will apply these considerations to specific scenarios as a means of
determining appropriate cross cultural communication approaches
© Cultural Perspectives Group. 2015

19. CALD COMMUNICATION
APPROACHES
PARTICIPANT EXERCISE 3
Type of Language Support Benefits Risks
Think about the type of language and communications support you know about
or have used. Once you have done this consider the benefits or risks of each of
these.
© Cultural Perspectives Group. 2015 DiverseWerks | 19

20. LANGUAGE SUPPORT OPTIONS
DiverseWerks | 20
Type of Language Support Benefits Risks
Family acting as interpreter
(including children)
Trustworthy
Have rapport with client
Free
Child being exposed to adult concepts
Potentially biased interpreting
Quality of interpreting suffers
BYO interpreters where a client
brings their own bilingual support
other than family
Trustworthy
Have rapport with client
Free
Confidentiality issues
Potentially biased interpreting
Quality of interpreting suffers
Bilingual staff Value for money approach
Often, a quicker option than accredited
interpreters
Staff competency in language may be less than is
required
Important information not properly conveyed
Interpreter (face to face) High quality option
Helps ensure no information is missed
Potential confidentiality issues (e.g. small
community)
May not exist in newly arrived communities
Time lag / need to be organised
Cost
Interpreter (phone) High quality option
Fairly quick compared with face to face option
Can access interpreters from interstate for
added confidentiality
Inability for interpreter to read non-verbal cues of
client
May not exist in newly arrived communities
Cost
© Cultural Perspectives Group. 2015

21. LANGUAGE SUPPORT OPTIONS
CONTINUED
DiverseWerks | 21
Type of Language Support Benefits Risks
Interpreter (video-conferencing) High quality option
Cost effective alternative to face to face
interpreting
May not exist in newly arrived communities
Requires appropriate technological infrastructure to
be set up
Requires certain level of organisation / lacks
immediacy
Translated materials (e.g. printed
brochure, document available
online)
Easy to access
Cost effective
Can provide detailed information
Assumes literacy in-language
Lack of availability in certain language groups
Translation app on smart phone Cost effective
Immediate
Poor ability to assess quality of translation
Inappropriate in certain situations (e.g. sensitive
situations)
Glossaries / dictionaries Cost effective
Easy to communicate key words
Assumes literacy of client
Assumes language is easy to read for a non-speaker
Aural materials (e.g. DVDs, CDs). Easy to get simple messages across Requires infrastructure
Materials such as these are rare
Not tailored to situation at hand
Diagrams/symbols Easy to use
Effective for simple instructions
Simplistic
Not able to communicate complex messages
© Cultural Perspectives Group. 2015

22. CALD COMMUNICATION
APPROACHES
PARTICIPANT EXERCISE 4
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Early Intervention
service seeking to
engage with local
CALD communities
A
Direct
communications
with participants at
a community
seminar seeking
information &
advice
B
Communication
with client through
family members in a
service assessment
meeting
C
© Cultural Perspectives Group. 2015

23. CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION
DiverseWerks | 23
In some instances you will be required to ascertain whether an interpreter is
required. These are the types of cues you will need to look out for to do so:
 the client demonstrates no understanding of English when asked basic
questions that relate to the context of the discussion. (e.g. can’t respond in
English when asked their address, date of birth).
 the client responds in English in a limited capacity or presents with English
that’s hard for you to understand
 the client nods or says ‘yes’ to all comments and questions. This might indicate
a lack of understanding
 the client relies on family / friends to communicate on their behalf
 the client does speak English as a second language but is in a stressful
situation, or an unfamiliar environment.
© Cultural Perspectives Group. 2015

24. PINO MIGLIORINO
PINO@CULPER.COM.AU