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Child Safety Practice Manual

Talking to mothers

Culturally appropriate services

Try to find culturally appropriate services. If you are unable to or the service is not practical for the mother, ask if she is okay with a mainstream service along with the help of a culturally-appropriate support person.

You can get more information or advice from a local Humanitarian Settlement Service or the Queensland Government Multicultural Resource Directory. Note, some of these services are funded to only work with clients in their first 5 years of settlement.

Practice considerations Consultation questions
It is common for many cultural groups to prefer to seek help through family or support networks, such as their place of worship or community leaders. You may need to be creative when it comes to thinking about who in the extended network could support the family.
  • Is there a group or person in your community who you feel safe to talk to and/or to ask for help?
  • Part of my job is to help you find these types of support. Would you like me to help with this? Is there someone else you would like to help with this?

Domestic violence is a crime and is not okay.

If it is safe to do so, give women information in their language. 1800respect has resources that can help with this.
  • Do you know that domestic violence is a crime in Australia?
    What we mean by domestic violence in Australia includes a lot of different actions and behaviours. This includes your partner:
    • calling you names or putting you down, humiliating you
    • making you or the children feel scared
    • threatening to hurt you or the children
    • not letting you spend money on things you need to care for yourself or the children
    • making you feel bad about yourself.
  • It includes slapping, hitting, kicking, choking, pushing or hurting your body in any way. It also includes forcing himself on you sexually. Even if you are married, in Australia, it is illegal to force your partner to have sex.
  • Violence is never okay. Violence happens across all cultures.
  • How do women in your community support one another when they experience abuse or violence?

Women may have a fear of the police and other government authorities.
  • I understand that it must be hard to trust me. My role is to help you to keep your children safe.
  • How can I be of most use to you?
  • Is there anything I can do, or not do, to help you feel safer?

 

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