Agency Multicultural Plan: 2013–15 Multicultural Access and Equity Policy: Respecting diversity. Improving responsiveness.

Our vision for Multicultural Access and Equity Policy

Cancer Australia is committed to ensuring that it is responsive to the needs of Australia’s culturally and linguistically diverse population.

Our agency

Cancer Australia’s vision is to reduce the impact of cancer and improve the wellbeing of those affected by cancer in Australia. The Cancer Australia Access and Equity Agency Multicultural Plan (AMP) supports this vision by ensuring that the agency’s services and resources are accessible by all Australians, irrespective of their place of birth, cultural or linguistic backgrounds, or religious beliefs.

Our AMP

Cancer Australia’s AMP articulates the agency’s priorities over the next two years in order to improve the accessibility and responsiveness of its services to Australia’s culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Ensuring all Australians have access to quality cancer care is a key focus for Cancer Australia and its AMP will assist the agency in delivering its vision of reduced impact and improved wellbeing for people affected by cancer across Australia.

Cancer Australia Agency Multicultural Plan 2013-15 1 Agency Multicultural Plan for 2013–15 1. Leadership

Leadership in multicultural access and equity is fundamental to Cancer Australia’s status as the trusted national leader in cancer control. Effective leadership will ensure enhanced cancer service delivery and coordination of care for all Australians affected by cancer. Action Responsibility Timeline Target Executive accountability: 1.1 Appoint a Senior Executive Officer Senior July 2013 Senior Executive to coordinate and oversee Management Officer appointed implementation of multicultural Team access and equity obligations Agency commitment: 1.2 Appoint an internal Access and Senior September Access and Equity Equity Committee to assist in Management 2013 Committee established communicating Policy Team and members implementation requirements across engaged the agency and to ensure that staff understand and are committed to implementation of the Multicultural Access and Equity Policy 1.3

Develop clear Terms of Reference to Clear Terms of define purpose, objectives and Manager, November 2013 Reference developed, membership of the Committee Corporate Affairs approved and issued to committee members Other actions: 1.4 Incorporate Cancer Australia’s vision Health Promotion July 2014 Strategic Plan for and commitment to multicultural & Communication published, including a access and equity into its 2014-19 team clear statement of Strategic Plan Cancer Australia’s vision for the Multicultural Access and Equity Policy

1.5 Enhance staff awareness and Health Promotion August 2013 Actions to raise understanding of the Multicultural & Communication awareness of the Access and Equity Policy by team Multicultural Access incorporating internal promotion of it and Equity Policy into Cancer Australia’s Internal incorporated in the communication strategy Cancer Australia internal communication strategy

Cancer Australia Agency Multicultural Plan 2013-15 2 2. Engagement

Effective engagement with culturally and linguistically diverse communities is central to Cancer Australia achieving its mission of reduced impact and improved wellbeing of people affected by cancer. Understanding consumer and stakeholder needs is critical to ensuring all Australians have access to the services they require.

Action Responsibility Timeline Target Stakeholder engagement: 2.1 Commence planning of stakeholder Multicultural January 2014 Stakeholder engagement strategy to assist in Access & Equity engagement strategy increased understanding of culturally Committee finalised and and linguistically diverse published on Cancer communities’ interactions with Australia website Cancer Australia

2.2 Undertake a stakeholder analysis to identify who the key/target General audiences are – both generally and Manager, April 2014 in terms of specific Programs/ programs/projects – in order to Multicultural better understand their information Access & Equity needs Committee

2.3 Finalise and begin implementation of stakeholder engagement strategy Multicultural December 2014 Access & Equity Committee Language and communication: 2.4 Develop a language and Manager, November 2014 Language and communication plan for culturally Corporate Affairs Communication plan and linguistically diverse and Health finalised and communities to facilitate Promotion & published on the arrangements for the provision of Communication Cancer Australia information resources in a range of team website languages

Other actions: 2.5 Identify a priority languages list Health Promotion November 2014 Languages list applicable across key Cancer & Communication finalised and Australia resources for translating. team approved by Senior Management Team

Cancer Australia Agency Multicultural Plan 2013-15 3 3. Performance

Measuring performance in delivering accessible and equitable policies, programs and services to culturally and linguistically diverse communities will enable continuous quality improvement and ensure that cancer control efforts are informed by the experience of stakeholders, thereby ensuring that Cancer Australia is effective in meeting the needs of all Australians affected by cancer.

Action Responsibility Timeline Target Performance indicators and reporting: 3.1 Develop a set of KPIs relating to General June 2015 Set of KPIs defined engagement with, and outcomes of Manager, and approved by the services to, culturally and Programs/ Cancer Australia linguistically diverse clients Multicultural Senior Management Access & Equity Team Committee

Feedback: 3.2 Review current feedback Health Promotion February 2014 Internal report mechanisms to ensure they are & Communication compiled outlining the appropriate for and responsive to the team findings of the review needs of culturally and linguistically of feedback diverse communities, and that mechanisms feedback received is dealt with appropriately Health Promotion Provisions to improve Implement improvements/additional & Communication 3.3 July 2014 any areas identified in mechanisms based on any areas for team improvement identified by the review the Report will be in place

Cancer Australia Agency Multicultural Plan 2013-15 4 4. Capability It is imperative that Cancer Australia staff, contractors and service delivery partners are skilled in cultural competency to assist the agency in planning and delivering services that are effective and culturally appropriate. This, ultimately, will enable Cancer Australia to respond appropriately to the needs of its stakeholders and audiences.

Action Responsibilit Timeline Target y Cultural competency: 4.1 Conduct compulsory cultural Manager, May 2014 Internal training session awareness training to ensure staff Corporate conducted and attended are appropriately equipped with Affairs by all staff cultural awareness and competency skills Cultural awareness All line June 2015 (end training identified by 4.2 Support attendance at additional cultural awareness training courses, managers of next full PDP staff and seminars and conferences as part review cycle) considered/approved by of staff professional development Senior Management plans Team Research and data: 4.3 Collect ethnicity data on the General December 2014 Cancer Australia’s culturally and linguistically diverse Manager, corporate contact groups with which Cancer Australia Programs/ database will be engages and to which it delivers its Corporate updated to include a services Affairs team field where relevant diversity information can be inserted Other actions 4.4 Identify key indicators of diversity Multicultural December 2014 Set of indicators defined (e.g. country of birth data, language Access & and corporate contact preferences, etc.) to guide scope of Equity database fields updated resources that should be considered Committee accordingly for translation. These indicators will be considered for inclusion in future data collection

5. Responsiveness

Cancer Australia is committed to responding effectively to the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse communities in order to improve cancer service delivery and to ensure the provision of high-quality, accessible information to aid consumer decision making and to raise awareness of cancer.

Action Responsibility Timeline Target Standards: Conduct an audit to identify any Multicultural March 2014 Internal report Cancer Australia Agency Multicultural Plan 2013-15 5 5.1 whole-of-government standards Access & Equity compiled outlining and guidelines developed by Committee findings of audit Cancer Australia

Where relevant, update any whole- Multicultural June 2014 All relevant standards 5.2 of-government standards and Access & Equity and guidelines guidelines to ensure they Committee/ identified in the audit adequately address multicultural Production report will be updated access and equity considerations Coordinator

Policy, program and service delivery: 5.2 Ensure that policies, programs, General February 2015 Initial consultations community interactions and service Manager, undertaken with delivery are effective for culturally Programs/ communities and and linguistically diverse Multicultural feedback regarding communities by reviewing Access & Equity agency performance strategies for engagement Committee sought Outsourced services: 5.3 Update all Cancer Australia Senior Advisor, June 2014 Templates updated, procurement and contract Program Funding published on the templates, grant/funding and Procurement Cancer Australia agreements and related guidelines intranet and promoted to include multicultural access and internally equity requirements Other actions: 5.4 Develop a style guide to ensure Health Promotion February 2015 Style guide will be those responsible for contributing to and finalised, published on Cancer Australia’s written Communication Cancer Australia’s resources and reports are aware of team intranet and promoted the importance of presenting internally information Plain English and ensuring general inclusiveness in relation to references to ethnic groups

Cancer Australia Agency Multicultural Plan 2013-15 6 6. Openness

Cancer Australia strives to be open and accountable regarding its interactions with and responsiveness to culturally and linguistically diverse Australians through clear, effective communication with the public.

Action Responsibility Timeline Target Publishing: 6.1 Publish all two-yearly AMPs on E-comms July 2013 CA’s 1st two-yearly Cancer Australia website, AMP (covering the commencing with the 2013-15 AMP period 2013-15) published on Cancer Australia website

Inclusion of defined Include performance reports KPIs for culturally and against KPIs for culturally and Health Promotion June 2015 6.2 linguistically diverse linguistically diverse clients in & Communication clients will be Cancer Australia’s annual reports, team incorporated into commencing with the Cancer plans for development Australia Annual report 2014-15 of the Cancer Australia Annual Report 2014-15 (which will be tabled in Parliament by Oct 2015)

Data: 6.3 Act transparently by placing notice E-Comms June 2014 Statement will be on Cancer Australia website to uploaded to the inform users that the agency will be Cancer Australia engaging in data capture, analysis website and possible disclosure of de- identified information to improve responsiveness to Australia’s culturally and linguistically diverse communities

Make de-identified culturally and December 2014 Requests for linguistically diverse data available Multicultural information will be 6.4 to other departments or agencies Access & Equity logged, reviewed and and to the public, where Committee/ responded to in a appropriate Corporate Affairs timely manner and team information provided where approved

Cancer Australia Agency Multicultural Plan 2013-15 7