Culturally safe, trauma-aware, healing-informed care is critical to achieving equitable outcomes and ensuring cancer care and support delivered to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is free of individual and institutional racism and discrimination, promotes their right to self-determination, and is respectful of cultural customs and traditions. Service providers, government organisations, and regulatory authorities all have a responsibility to ensure the cultural safety of cancer programs, services, and policies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In delivering this action, collaboration between these stakeholders and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cancer workforce will ensure approaches are evidence-based, evaluated, and meet national standards for cultural safety.
This may include:
The implementation of this action should align to and strengthen existing cultural safety frameworks developed by states and territories, such as the Victorian Government Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Safety Framework[163] as well as national frameworks, such as the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers Association's Cultural Safety Framework[164] and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cancer Framework.[108]
This action could also consider policy and/or legislative requirements of cultural safety and how compliance could be promoted through education and training, including strategies outlined in Action 5.5.3 Routinely integrate cultural safety training programs for cancer service providers, including through community-based partnerships with priority population groups.