Respect Celebrates Diversity through Cultural Inclusion

As per our mission, our organisation is committed to giving back to older Australians by fostering communities of belonging, value and respect – and this focus also extends across our workforce in support of our team members.

Respect is committed to fostering diversity and promoting inclusivity across organisation. We know that by embracing – and celebrating – different cultures and backgrounds, we enrich our team’s collective knowledge and create a nurturing environment that benefits both our staff as well as residents and clients.  

There is no shortage of recent highlights where our team’s approach to inclusion and diversity have been on display, and we are so proud to celebrate the wonderfully diverse cultures that make up our people and places.

For example, our team at St Ann’s in Hobart recently celebrated Indian Independence Day with a busy agenda of fun activity, from a traditional morning tea to Indian sand art. A highlight was when residents excitedly donned gorgeous saris brought in by Roja from the home’s social care team and engaged in some traditional dance. Not only did our residents take centre-stage, but some of our staff members also joined in with their sensational moves!

Our residents at Tyler Village in Prospect Vale also regularly enjoy experiencing a touch of India, courtesy of Bollywood dance-inspired exercise groups. These group activities are led by our team member Pooja, who graces the team with the beauty of her native culture, regularly donning her traditional outfit and bringing along colourful scarves to brighten residents’ day.

We’ve also proudly celebrated some of our Nepalese team members in recent weeks. Our team at Coroneagh Park in Penguin were excited to mark Festival Season last month, a traditional time to celebrate the country’s vibrant culture and customs. Residents and staff relished the entertainment, traditional music and dance – a great celebration that continues the home’s focus on regularly acknowledging new cultures through diverse activities. 

It’s also worth recognising the great effort taken by a number of our team members earlier this year to celebrate NAIDOC week across our homes. Additionally, mid-year we were over the moon to kick off our involvement in the PALM initiative and welcome a host of new team members from Fiji – who have continued to settle in positively thanks to the support provided by our colleagues. 

There is no doubt that inclusion will remain a core focus for Respect and our teams moving forward and we look forward to continuing to celebrate our growing workforce – and the wonderful cultures that make up our team, as well as our residents and their families – now and in the future.