Speak my Language - on air conversation about ageing well

The Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV) is partnering with the Ethnic Communities’ Council New South Wales (ECCNSW) on delivering the ‘Speak my Language – on air conversation about ageing well’ program in Victoria.

The ‘Speak my language’ will deliver a structured 6 -12 weeks aged care radio broadcast program through ethnic community radio stations in 23 difference languages within Victoria, from February 2018  to June 2019.

This program aims to empower culturally and linguistically diverse seniors by delivering key messages and information about Australia aged care system in a language that they speak through radio broadcast. This will raise awareness amongst the multicultural elderly population of the importance of planning for their future care.

For further information or collaboration opportunity, please contact the Project Officer Matisse Yee, 03-9354 9555 / myee@eccv.org.au

The Andrews Labor Government continues its support of culturally and linguistically diverse senior Victorians. Minister for Housing, Disability and Ageing Martin Foley previously funded 59 culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) seniors’ grants, worth more than $300,000.

In the latest CALD seniors’ grants round, 194 groups applied for funding with 54 groups being successful. Please find the list of successful grant recipients here.

The CALD seniors’ grants program concentrates on improving communication links for people at risk of isolation, such as transport assistance, outings, English classes, fitness classes, and cultural celebrations, and education on the use of social media.

Successful groups are from all over the metropolitan area, as well as regional Victoria; including Geelong, Gippsland, Bendigo, Ballarat and Shepparton.

Through the years, the program has funded seniors programs from cultures coming from six continents of the world.

Since the program’s inception in 2012 has funded 332 projects.

The funded organisations are supported by the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria with specialised guidance in getting projects up and running.

For more information and/or media comment, please contact Leenie Fabri, ECCV Communications & Media Officer via lfabri@eccv.org.au / 0422 480 319

Download Media Release 

Visit the Premier of Victoria website, CALD seniors’ grants program announcement: http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/keeping-multicultural-seniors-active-in-the-community/

Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria is delighted to be working with representatives from new and emerging communities to find ways to empower new and emerging community organisations.

Through a series of three capacity building sessions, community members and leaders enhanced their skills and knowledge on advocacy, the Australian political system, incorporation, governance, grant writing and communications and promotional skills.

ECCV, together with our partner organisations, Berry Street, Annecto, Leadership Victoria and Consumer Affairs Victoria, is pleased to share the resources from our Community Capacity Building Sessions for New and Emerging Communities with you.

Advocacy - Speaking Up For Me and My Community

Understanding the political system and the decision makers is an important first step to influencing government on issues that matter to you. This session familiarised participants with the Australian political system and advocacy skills.

Topic areas:

• Understanding how democracy works
• The Australian political system
• Advocacy skills

To view full presentation click here.

Business and financial sustainability - How to be taken seriously

Governments (local, state and federal) and funders look for organisations that are cohesive and truly represent their communities when they wish to consult and engage with community organisations.  This session focused on:

• How to establish an incorporated association
• Good governance practices
• Grant writing

Becoming an Incorporated Association: To View full presentation click here

MyCAV for Incorporated Associations: To view full presentation click here.

Introduction to Good Governance: To view full presentation click here.

Grants Writing: To view full presentation click here.

Grants Writing Worksheet: Click here for the worksheet.

Further Reading and useful links:

 http://www.greaterdandenong.com/document/7235/community-support-grants-program

 http://info.bankofmelbourne.com.au/communityhub/

 https://www.gandelphilanthropy.org.au/

Advocacy and promotion - How to be heard

Good communication and networking skills are important to promoting your organisation’s and community’s message and concerns.  This session focused on:

• Communications (media, including use of social media)
• Networking and influencing skills
• Engaging community members 

How to be Heard: To view full presentation click here.

This ECCV project aims to increase awareness of elder abuse in ethnic communities. ECCV has worked in collaboration with ethnic and multicultural organisations and Senior Rights Victoria to develop the below resources and to deliver culturally appropriate messages about elder abuse, its prevention and pathways to support.

ECCV has developed the following in-language resources for the Indian community:

Audio visual resource: Within My Walls: individual story clips:

• Mara and Nick's story in Hindi (view here)
• Con's story in Hindi (view here)
• Mei-Hua's story in Hindi (view here)
• Erlinda's story in Hindi (view here)

• Information clip in Hindi (view above or here)
• Hindi brochure - Proecting your rights as you age with dignity and respect - Download here
• Hindi Community Education kit - Download here
• Tamil brochere-Proecting your rights as you age with dignity and respect-Downlaod here
• Punjabi brochere-Proecting your rights as you age with dignity and respect

• Punjabi Community Education kit - Download here

The Conference took place on Friday 11 November, 2016 in Ballarat, the fastest growing regional city in Victoria. It was organised jointly by the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV) and Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council (BRMC). On Thursday November 10, Ballarat's new mayor, Cr. Samantha McIntosh officially launched the conference at the Ballarat Town with a Pre-Conference Mayoral Reception. Following the launch, locals and delegates enjoyed an exciting Pre-Conference Dinner at youth-run restaurant Housey Housey @ The Forge, Ballarat Central. It led public discussion on the changing face of multiculturalism in Victoria and generational transition, with people from different generations speaking on a vision for the future. The aim of the Conference was for ECCV, individuals and organizations to participate in a commitment or pledge to make practical and achievable changes in the next three years and beyond.

Conference Resources

• Visual Report - Graphic Recordings by Leenie Fabri & Photos by Costa Anthanassiou

General Content

• ECCV State Conference 2016 Programme  
• The 2016 ECCV Intergenerational Pledge 
• The 2016 YOUR Intergenerational Pledges 
• Interactive Presentation: The 2016 ECCV Intergenerational Pledge 
• Interactive Presentation: YOUR Intergenerational Pledges 

Settlement & Regional Victoria

• Breakout Session Presentation: City of Greater Bendigo/Loddon Campaspe Multicultural Services, Natalie Jacobson, Settlement & Regional Victoria 
• Breakout Session Notes: Settlement & Regional Victoria 
• Breakout Session Podcast: Settlement & Regional Victoria, Part I
• Breakout Session Notes: Settlement & Regional Victoria, Part II

Third Sector

• Presentation: Breakout Session, Exploring Sustainable Business Models Report, ECCV Development Officer, ChenSu Ooi – Third Sector Sustainability
• Report: Breakout Session, Exploring Sustainable Business Models Report, ECCV Development Officer, ChenSu Ooi – Third Sector Sustainability
• Notes: Breakout Session, Third Sector Sustainability 
• Notes: Breakout Session, Capire CEO, Amy Hubbard - Third Sector Sustainability 

Diversity, Inclusion and Innovation

• Presentation: Professor Andrew Markus - Expert Panel, Diversity, Inclusion & Innovation 
• Podcast: Expert Panel, Diversity, Inclusion & Innovation – Professor Andrew Markus
• Podcast: Expert Panel, Diversity, Inclusion & Innovation – Associate Professor Susanna Scarparo & Dr. Gabriel Garcia Ochoa
• Presentation: Expert Panel, Diversity, Inclusion & Innovation - Associate Professor Susanna Scarparo & Dr. Gabriel Garcia Ochoa

New & Emerging Communities

• Notes: Breakout Session, New & Emerging Communities 
• Presentation: Western Bulldogs, General Manager Community Foundation, Kashif Bouns

The Next Generation

• Poem: Keynote Speaker, Tasneem Chopra - Perspectives on Youth, Gender & A Multi-Faith Multicultural Society
• Video: Keynote Address, The Next Generation of Victoria, Moving Forward - VMC Youth Commissioner
• Podcast: Keynote Address, The Next Generation of Victoria, Moving Forward - VMC Youth Commissioner 
• Video: Keynote Address, The Next Generation of Victoria, Moving Forward - VMC Youth Commissioner (Thanks to CMY & VMC for video capture & share)
• Podcast: Youth Panel, Handing over the keys and Power Sharing in the Multicultural Sector - Q & A with Centre for Multicultural Youth
• Podcast: Keynote Speaker, Tasneem Chopra - Perspectives on Youth, Gender & A Multi-Faith Multicultural Society

VIP Speeches

All podcast production by Leenie Fabri

• Podcast: Welcome to Country 
• Podcast: Conference Welcome, ECCV Chairperson 
• Podcast: Conference Welcome, BRMC Chairperson 
• Podcast: Conference Open, Minister for Multicultural Affairs 
• Podcast: VIP Panel of MPs, VMC Chairperson - Hon. Minister Robin Scott, Colleen Hartland, Joshua Morris MLC
• Podcast: Remembrance Day Moment 
• Podcast: Conference Close, ECCV Chairperson 

Additional Content

• Facebook Photo Album - Photography by Costa Anthanassiou
• Social Media Portfolio 
• ECCV (conference big screen) Portfolio

This three-year ECCV project aims to increase awareness of elder abuse in ethnic communities (2012-2015). ECCV will work in partnership with ethnic and multicultural organisations and Senior Rights Victoria to deliver culturally appropriate messages about elder abuse, its prevention and pathways to support.

ECCV has developed in-language resources for the Polish-speaking community.

Resources:

• Mara and Nick's story in Polish (view here)
• Con's story in Polish (view here)
• Mei-Hua's story in Polish (view here)
• Erlinda's story in Polish (view here)

• Within My Walls information clip in Polish (view above or here)
• Turkish brochure - Do you know what to do if you are being mistreated? - Download here
• Turkish Community Education kit - Download here

ECCV’s social cohesion policy briefs are short snapshots from our roundtable discussions on social cohesion issues. They are not forums or education events.  Culturally diverse community members, leaders and service providers are invited to attend both open and closed discussions on what is an evolving and complex issue.

 To respond to the increasing rate of social change and also government policies on social cohesion, ECCV has developed a new way of consulting, analysing and sharing insights from each roundtable that give a voice to multicultural Victoria on issues that matter. We post our briefs online within two weeks.

The information is a combination of direct quotes from participants, policy analysis and human observation grounded in ECCV’s 41 years of consultation with multicultural Victorians. As quick-response briefs they provide timely advice to the Victorian Government and the community sector and empower Victoria’s multicultural community to have a voice on this issue. Selected papers are also published on Australian Policy Online.

Download Social Cohesion Policy Briefs: 

#1: Intergenerational Relationships

#2: Are we really living safe together? Part 1

#3: Are we really living safe together? Part 2 

#4: On the road with Australian Muslim mothers 

#5: The Cultural Ecology Of Trust - Melbourne’s Ethnic-Based Money Transfer Operators Struggle for Recognition

#6: Punishment as Prevention 5.0 

# 7: I can make a change, a rose by any other name: LGBTIQ and Faith Leadership

# 8: Losing the Plot

# 9: A Conversation about Community Harmony

# 10: A Conversation about Community Safety

Download Employment Policy Briefs: 

#1: "A Positive Disruption": Local Council HR Managers Want Diversity

SUBSCRIBE:

To subscribe and receive these policy briefs email eccv@eccv.org.au with the subject 'Subscribe Policy Briefs' 

The key aim of the project is to prevent homelessness amongst older people from a culturally and linguistically diverse background. It has a focus on targeting older CALD communities that have high proportions of renters.

The key initiatives will include:

• Increase access to Home at Last services through community education and links to information on housing options. Home at Last is a free information, advice and referral service of Housing for the Aged Action Group.
• Improve the ability for older people from CALD backgrounds to navigate the housing/homelessness system.
• Increase awareness of Home at Last.
• Increase the ability of the Home at Last service to respond in a culturally appropriate manner.

Four language groups have been identified as having high proportions of older renters and being at risk of homelessness. They are:

• Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese)
• Arabic Speaking
• South Asian (Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu)
• South Slavic (Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian)

We invite members from these communities to work with us and be part of this exciting project that will be launched in mid April.

For further information contact Gemma White, HAAG Project Officer on 9654 7389.

"The Culturally Responsive Palliative Care Project is part of a wider Victorian Coalition Government strategy to ensure all Victorians have access to specialist palliative care when it is most needed," Mr Davis said.

"This new project will engage with the Chinese, Italian, Maltese, Turkish and Vietnamese communities to raise awareness of the palliative care services available and how they can be accessed.

"The project has been developed through active engagement with key stakeholders and will apply best practice approaches to health promotion and peer education within culturally and linguistically diverse communities, drawing on experiences in gambling, dementia and cancer education," said Associate Professor Brian Le, chair of Palliative Care Victoria.

In 2010 Palliative Care Victoria sought new funding to improve access to palliative care by people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds as they were not well represented among service users.

"Over the past two years Palliative Care Victoria has held community forums, worked with ethnic community and palliative care stakeholders, and commissioned independent research to determine how best to improve culturally and linguistically diverse access to palliative care services," Associate Professor Le said.

"The culmination of this work is our partnership with ECCV, which is made possible by funding from the Victorian Government."

The Victorian Government provided an additional $34.4 million investment in palliative care for 2011-15, which includes funding for the culturally responsive palliative care strategy.

Palliative Care Victoria is overseeing the implementation of the project, and has signed a service agreement with ECCV, which will manage the roll out of the project with the identified ethnic communities.

"It is pleasing that our long term partnership on palliative care issues has resulted in this significant project being developed and we look forward to working together to ensure the objectives of the project are delivered over the coming year," said ECCV chairperson Joe Caputo OAM.

The communities to be included in the first year of the project were selected with reference to the likely need for palliative care based on their demographic profile, their interest in participation, as well as capacity to participate at this time.

The peer education component of the project will focus on communities in south east, east, west and northern metropolitan Melbourne; while the tailored ethnic media and communications activities will take a community wide focus.

Following the implementation of the project with the initial five culturally and linguistically diverse communities, the aim is to expand it to include more of Victoria’s culturally and linguistically diverse communities in coming years. An independent evaluation of the project will be undertaken to inform this work.

The project announcement coincides with the National Palliative Care Week which runs from 19 to 25 May 2013, and has the theme 'Palliative Care: Everyone’s business'.

"It is especially pleasing to announce this unique initiative during National Palliative Care Week, as we focus on the important role that Victorian palliative care services play in promoting the quality of life of people with life limiting illness," said Mr Davis.

Palliative Care Facts and Figures

Demand for palliative care services and support in Victoria is expected to grow by at least 4.6 per cent per year.

Victoria's culturally and linguistically diverse population is ageing more rapidly than its average population. Between 2011 and 2026 the proportion of the culturally and linguistically diverse population that is aged 80 and over is projected to increase from 25.9 per cent (compared with 27.5 per cent for those Australian-born) to 28.7 per cent (compared with 22.4 per cent for those Australian-born).

A growing body of international evidence indicates that palliative care improves the quality of life of people with a life limiting illness and their families and provides more effective use of health resources.

There is a comparatively low utilisation of palliative care services among culturally and linguistically diverse communities. In 2008/09, only 6.93 per cent of the 435,475 contacts provided by community palliative care were provided to people whose preferred language was not English whereas nearly 24 per cent of Victorians speak a language other than English at home.

Other resources

View the Culturally Responsive Palliative Care Strategy 2013-2015 Final Evaluation Summary by clicking here

Victoria has a state-wide network of community and inpatient palliative care service providers. Call Palliative Care Victoria to find out more on 1800 660 055 or visit www.pallcarevic.asn.au.

Media releases and resources are available at http://www.pcvlibrary.asn.au/display/media/Home.

Further background about the Culturally Responsive Palliative Care Strategy and information about palliative care in 23 community languages is available at: http://www.pcvlibrary.asn.au/display/mur/Culturally+and+linguistically+diverse+communities

Media releases

Palliative care sessions prove popular with Key Communities

Victorian Health Minister endorses palliative care education for Maltese community

Palliative care brings relief to families

Victorian Health Minister endorses palliative care education for Turkish community

Palliative Care sessions for the Vietnamese Community

This project is funded by the Victorian government and aims to increase awareness of elder abuse in ethnic communities. ECCV works in collaboration with ethnic and multicultural organisations and Senior Rights Victoria to deliver culturally appropriate messages about elder abuse, its prevention and pathways to support.

In the first three years of the project ECCV worked with the Chinese, Greek, Filipino, Macedonian, Turkish and Serbian communities. In 2015 the ECCV successfully obtained further funding to extend the project to another six communities; the Croatian and Polish communities in 2015, and the Vietnamese and Indian communities in 2016, the Jewish community in 2015-17.  ECCV is looking to work with the Italian and Arabic-speaking communities in the final year of the project. Work will also continue with the communities from the first stage of the project.

If you are involved in these communities or are part of a community that is not listed and would like to be a part of the project, please contact  eccv@eccv.org.au  

• A project brief can be downloaded here 
• As part of the project, ECCV launched Within My Walls, a community education short film resource on elder abuse.
• Click to view Within My Walls in English
• Click below to view the Within My Walls information clip in English.

See below links for in-language resources including Within My Walls clips and resource kits for professionals working with seniors from their culturally and linguistically diverse communities. 

• Tagalog (Filipino)
• Macedonian
• Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese separately)
• Greek
• Serbian
• Turkish
• Polish
• Croatian
• English
• Indian languages (Hindi; Punjabi & Tamil)
• Russian
• Vietnamese
• Chinese (Cantonese with Mandarin subtitles)

Media Releases

• ECCV marks World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2016: http://eccv.org.au/community/media-releases/eccv-to-mark-world-elder-abuse-awareness-day-through-continued-advocacy-and-awareness-raising/
• ECCV marks World Elder Abuse Awarenes Day 2015 http://eccv.org.au/community/events/eccv-marks-world-elder-abuse-awareness-day
• Raising awareness of elder abuse in ethnic communities http://eccv.org.au/community/media-releases/raising-awareness-of-elder-abuse-in-ethnic-communities/
• On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day say no to Elder Abuse (link) June 2013 http://eccv.org.au/community/media-releases/on-world-elder-abuse-awareness-day-say-no-to-elder-abuse-/

The Access and Support service helps people who have difficulty finding information about available services or applying for the services they need due to their diversity.

The Access and Support service provides short term support for frail older people, people with a disability, and their carers, who:

• need help to stay living at home
• have diverse needs or circumstances
• need help to access services

For further information contact Gabriele Rukas, Sectoral Development Officer 9354 9555 or grukas@eccv.org.au 

Practising Positive Partnershps in the Ethnic and Multicultural Aged Care Sector — Networking, Coordinating, Cooperating, Collaborating? Produced by Healthy Ageing Research Unit (HARU) at Monash University (2010) for eccv

• Download full report (765 KB)
• Download executive summary (329 KB) 

Dr Harriet Radermacher, Research Fellow of HARU, Monash University presented an overview and some initial findings of the research at the 10th Global IFA (International Federation of Ageing) Conference in Melbourne on 4 May 2010. Download PowerPoint presentation (126.9 KB)

Click here to download a slideshow of the research launch 26 August, 2010 (1.07 MB)

Related eccv research

It's not an 'Either/Or' — Delivery of community aged care services to ethnic groups: mainstream versus ethno–specific services. Produced by Healthy Ageing Research Unit (HARU) at Monash University (2008) for eccv Download report (705 KB).

Radermacher, H., Feldman, S., & Browning, C. (2009). Mainstream versus ethno-specific community aged care services: It’s not an ‘either or’. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 28 (2), 58–63 Download journal article (140 KB).

For further information contact Dr Irene Bouzo on ph 9349 4122 or email ibouzo@eccv.org.au

The impetus for this project follows a growing interest in recording the Council’s colourful past for future posterity and sharing the story of its place in Victoria’s evolving multicultural society with a wide audience.

Extensive research for the book has already been undertaken into the Council’s 35 year history, including personal interviews and anecdotes from many of the key players involved in the day-to-day operations and the broader community and political sphere of the time. All of this will be published and launched at a gala dinner in the latter half of 2009.

Click here for more information about the project and the launch of the ECCV History book 'Many Hopes One Dream'.