Funded by the Department of Health and Ageing the Community Partners Program (CPP) is based on partnerships between service providers to better meet the needs of people of Non English speaking (NESB) and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. The CPP relies on collaborations between service providers including aged care facilities, hospitals, local government (councils), community and other organizations involved in the provision of aged care and related services.

In harnessing their respective knowledge, specialist skills and resources service providers are better placed to respond to the varied cultural needs of NESB/CALD communities. Such collaborations between ethno-specific and mainstream services are essential in contributing to improving access and equity for people of non English speaking backgrounds who often under utilize services because of language and cultural barriers.

Through the CPP ethno-specific service providers such as Australian Greek Welfare Society (AGWS) support mainstream services in better meeting the needs of Australian Greek clients. This is done in a range of ways including conducting cross cultural briefings to staff to increase their knowledge and understanding of cultural issues in respect to caring for Greek clients whether this be in an aged care, hospital, respite, home or other setting.

The CPP Program outcomes are as follows:

• More aged care support services delivering culturally appropriate care to older people from CALD communities
• Older people from CALD communities having increased access to culturally appropriate aged care support services
• Older people from CALD communities having greater capacity to make informed decisions about aged care support services
• Formalised arrangements made that will sustain the benefits of the CPP projects and its strategies and continue to promote and facilitate increased access by CALD communities to aged care support

In addition AGWS is continually developing and updating cultural resources that are designed to help meet the needs of Greek speaking clients. AGWS also conducts tours of aged care facilities to assist the Australian Greek community gain a better knowledge of residential care options and thus help people in making informed decisions about such care. The Community Partners Program is crucial in raising community awareness of aged care services and helping people in accessing these activities such as education.

To achieve this, activities such as community education, information sessions, forums and group programs are organised in a culturally and linguistically relevant manner across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.

For more information on this program please contact the CPP workers at AGWS on 93889998.