Culturally Responsive Government Policy & Programs
Achieve equitable outcomes through culturally informed policy and practice
CEH collaborates with government agencies to design and deliver equitable policies, programs, and services. We will support you to apply migrant and refugee insights, align policy with community needs and design equitable, evidence-informed programs that deliver inclusive public outcomes.
We provide expertise through:
- Cultural consultancy for policy development and program design
- Engagement strategies that connect government with migrant and refugee communities
- Collaborative projects addressing systemic barriers to equity
- Development of CALD and multicultural inclusion initiatives and resources
- Tailored support to make meeting DEI goals and targets simple
- Workplace cultural competence and diversity training that makes an impact; online modules and face-to-face learning.
Our experience
Co‑designing accessible government oral health services with refugee communities
In 2023, CEH were commissioned by the Victorian Department of Health to address refugee families’ barriers to Smile Squad, a state‑funded, school‑based dental program. Our project focused on access and consent and strengthening culturally and linguistically appropriate oral health messaging.
We engaged six refugee communities through focus groups, co‑design workshops and testing sessions to review and refine resources, including the consent form. Community feedback directly informed improvements to clarity, plain language, visual messaging and translations, alongside practical strategies to improve access through schools, community workers and targeted outreach.
The project also established a sustainable model of community engagement, ensuring refugee voices informed decision‑makers, and demonstrated our expertise in co‑designing accessible, culturally responsive government resources with refugee communities.
Delivering culturally responsive training for government workforces
CEH have provided cultural responsiveness training to many key government clients, including the Department of Health (VIC), the Department of Justice and Community Safety (VIC), and the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (VIC). For these clients, we developed and delivered tailored training programs in cultural competence, health literacy and plain language across eLearning, workshop and blended formats.
Our training was designed to align with client budgets, staffing and operational requirements, with tailored streams for both frontline staff and leadership teams. This approach supported consistent capability building across complex government workforces.
Find out more about our services
We can work with you through multiple streams:
Organisational Training: Tailored programs to enhance the cultural competence and inclusive practice of your workforce.
Cultural Consultancy: Guidance on public policy, service and program design, and strategy.
Collaborative Projects: Partnering with government departments and agencies to deliver equitable outcomes.
Resource Development: Practical tools and guides to embed cultural competence in practice.
Health Translations Library: Free online library of high-quality translated Australian health and wellbeing information, available in over 130 languages.
Cultural Competence Assessments: Access to online tools to support your organisation to identify strengths and gaps in cultural competence. The tools provide you with a personalised PDF report with scoring, so you can benchmark and track your progress.
