South-West Sydney Local Health District: Strengthening culturally-informed DFV prevention
Client:
South-West Sydney Local Health District
Project:
Domestic and Family Violence Strategy
Industry/sector:
Government
Date of execution:
September 2023
Services:
Community engagement
At a glance
South-West Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD) engaged Cultural Perspectives to support the development of a Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) Engagement Framework that centres the needs of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities. The project aimed to strengthen equity-focused DFV prevention work by embedding strategic considerations for CALD representation into existing and future service planning.
Through desktop research and targeted stakeholder consultations, we developed a tailored CALD DFV Engagement Framework to guide the SWSLHD Multicultural Services team’s future activities and inform ongoing primary prevention efforts.
Subject matter
Domestic and family violence, multicultural health and CALD engagement.
Demonstrated expertise
Strategic planning, research and analysis, stakeholder consultation, demographic insights and framework development.
Project description
Objectives
To identify barriers to DFV help-seeking within CALD communities and provide a culturally-responsive strategy to support improved outcomes across the district. The broader goal was to strengthen equity and inclusion in DFV prevention for priority populations.
What Cultural Perspectives delivered
Cultural Perspectives produced a suite of strategic tools that informed SWSLHD’s DFV prevention and community engagement efforts. Deliverables included:
Desktop data analysis - Synthesised demographic and service data to highlight priority areas and equity gaps.
Consultation discussion guides - Structured prompts to guide stakeholder engagement on culturally-specific DFV experiences and needs.
Consultation report - Consolidated insights from diverse stakeholders, including frontline workers and community members with lived experience.
CALD DFV engagement framework - A strategic planning tool outlining key pillars and pathways for culturally informed primary prevention.
Stakeholder matrix - A tailored list of relevant CALD partners to support future collaboration and program delivery.
Key activities
Project inception
Worked closely with the SWSLHD team to confirm project timelines, milestones and success indicators.
Research
Conducted comprehensive desktop analysis using 2021 ABS Census data, NSW Police data and existing DFV sector research.
Consultation
Recruited diverse CALD stakeholders for input
Coordinated logistics and facilitation
Held two stakeholder consultations with local DFV service providers, advocates and organisations
Facilitated one consultation with residents with lived DFV experience.
Key outcomes
Cultural Perspectives equipped SWSLHD with a robust evidence base and a strategic framework to embed cultural responsiveness into its DFV initiatives. As a direct result, the CALD DFV Engagement Framework informed program design for the 16 Days of Activism campaign (in partnership with PARVAN) and broader multicultural communications within the district.
The project demonstrated how embedding CALD voices in strategy development can foster more inclusive, effective and equitable DFV prevention initiatives.
IAP2 spectrum of public participation
Above: The South-West Sydney Local Health District CALD DFV prevention project fell within the consult phase of the IAP2 spectrum of public participation.
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