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12.7
Communicating With Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Communities
12.7
Communicating with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse
Communities
Directorate
People, Partnerships and Performance
Director
Georgie Hill
Manager
Attachment(s)
Nil
Purpose
For Council to consider this report in response to Notice of Motion 28/23 outlining the
ways in which Council communicates with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD)
communities.
Officer Recommendation
That Council:
a. Receives this report in response to Notice of Motion 28/23 from the
Council Meeting on 17 October 2023.
b. Notes the various ways Council officers currently communicate with
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities across Brimbank.
c. Notes that officers will continue to work closely with Culturally and
Linguistically Diverse communities to improve and tailor our
communications to these communities.
Background
Brimbank is one of the most culturally diverse areas in Australia with 48.2% of residents
born overseas.
More than 160 languages are spoken in Brimbank, and more than half (57.3%) the
residents speak a language other than English at home. About one-in-seven residents
(13.6%) do not speak English well or do not speak English at all.
According to the ABS 2021 Census, Vietnamese is by far the most common language
spoken at home other than English in Brimbank, with 18.5 per cent of the community
using Vietnamese at home (see chart below). Other languages are less than 2.5 per
cent, including Filipino/Tagalog (2.5%), Greek (2.4%), Punjabi (2.2%) and Arabic
(2.2%).
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At the Council Meeting on 17 October 2023, Cr Thomas O’Reilly tabled Notice of Motion
28/23 relating to ‘Communicating with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse
Communities’. The motion was:
That Council:
a. Acknowledges that Brimbank is home to one of the most culturally diverse
communities in Australia with about 48% of residents born overseas, and one
in-five residents who do not speak English well or at all.
b. Receives a report outlining the ways in which Council currently communicates
with its CALD community, and future opportunities for consideration as part of a
future budget process.
Matters for Consideration
Analysis
Communication with the community is tailored based on the target audience, channel/s
being used, timing, available budget, and operational influences.
Brimbank City Council makes every attempt to share information with CALD communities
and in languages other than English, as summarised in this table.
Brimbank
City Council
website
Information about core services and select programs is available in
14 languages on Council’s website, including in audio. The language
selection was based on Census and migration data. Our website also
offers screen reading functionality for anyone who needs help with
reading in English.
Your Say
Brimbank
website
In March 2024, Council began a pilot of a multilingual tool on the
Your Say Brimbank website offering whole-of-website automated
translations to better enable more residents to participate in
consultation opportunities. Translations are available 10 languages
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other than English.
Brimbank
News
newsletter
Each edition of our community newsletter, Brimbank News, is fully
translated into Vietnamese and made available online.
Written
translations
Council provides translated information relating to select programs,
services and events to the community using NAATI (National
Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters) translators
as needed. Council’s standard for sourcing translated materials is to
include a community check as part of this process.
Audio
translations
In-language audio translations have been used on our website and to
help share information on some programs with community members,
this includes in English.
In-person
translators
Council makes available in-person translators on request to help
community members to communicate with Council and participate in
events/programs and consultations. Multilingual staff have also
supported translation.
National
Translation
and
Interpreting
service (TIS)
line
The National TIS line is available to all community members to use.
We promote the availability of the TIS line to all residents who would
like to speak with Council in their preferred language. Information on
how to access the TIS line is made available across our services and
is included as standard in our publications.
Ethnic media
Media releases and news stories are shared with ethnic media
publications, and Council advertises some programs, services and
events in these publications to reach as wide an audience as possible.
Multilingual
staff and
face-to-face
communicati
ons
Council employs multiple multilingual staff across various service
areas including:
•
Customer Experience – multiple multilingual Customer Service
Officers who work in Council’s call centre, on live chat and at
customer service centres in Keilor and Sunshine.
•
Leisure services – in customer service, member admin, health
and fitness, and learn to swim areas
•
Community groups for specific CALD communities (Bosnian,
Croatian)
•
Early Years – there is a dedicated CALD Outreach Officer, 12
multilingual staff, and five Smalltalk Playgroup groups
delivered in Vietnamese and Burmese each week
•
Maternal and Child Health has a Vietnamese Family Support
Worker
•
Brimbank Youth Council
•
Youth Services partners with specialist CALD youth
stakeholders such as the Centre for Multicultural Youth,
Australia African Foundation for Retention and Opportunity,
and Charis Mentoring
•
Community Support has a range of multilingual staff across all
services
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Collaborating
with
community
leaders
Council works and collaborates with local community leaders,
including faith leaders, to engage and communicate with residents.
This includes through the provision of tailored activities and programs
that address residents' needs focussed on social inclusion, education,
arts and culture, employment pathways, and fostering a sense of
belonging. Through these efforts, Council can bring people together
to connect, learn, and actively contribute to their neighbourhoods.
We also communicate directly with active members of newly arrived
migrant groups, through interpreters where necessary, to link
residents with community and welcoming infrastructure.
Community
events
Council actively participates in events organised by CALD community
groups, many of which are funded through Council’s community
grants program.
Council is also ensuring translated materials and interpreters are
available at Brimbank community events.
Social media
translations
Social media platforms such as Facebook allow users to select their
preferred language which then translates the copy on our posts.
Translated
materials
Other translated materials includes:
•
Maternal and Child Health has feedback forms available in
Vietnamese, Arabic, Burmese, Hakha Chin and Dari.
Customers can provide feedback in their language and we
have it translated.
•
Early Years collateral, including the Kindergarten EOI and
registration forms and promotional materials, are all
translated into five languages: Burmese, Hakha Chin,
Vietnamese, Arabic and Dari.
•
Community Support translated marketing materials.
Council aims to ensure all communications produced for the community are written in
Plain English where possible. In some instances, information is provided in Easy English,
and the use of icons, infographics and imagery help to communicate visually.
In 2023, Council undertook a research project to better understand the community’s
awareness, needs and preferences for Council’s communication channels. This data is
now guiding how we deliver our communications to the community, including CALD
communities.
Council will continue to ensure that communications aimed at CALD communities and
suburbs with strong multicultural representation such as St Albans are tailored for those
specific audiences.
We will continue gathering data through available channels, such as Google Analytics,
Profile ID, Sprout Social (social media monitoring tool), MVA, other local governments,
feedback forms, Your Say consultations, internal stakeholders and other channels to
inform an evidence-based approach to CALD communications.
Resource And Risk Implications
There are no resource implications associated with this report.
Community:
potential impact on community, including public trust and customer
service impact
• Yes – Our community relies on Council to remain informed and to be provided with the
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opportunity to engage and be involved in various opportunities. Understanding how to
best communicate and engage with community members who don’t speak English well,
or at all, is vital to allow this to happen.
Legislation/Council Plan/Policy Context
This report supports the Council Plan 2021-2025 strategic direction and objective of:
4. Leadership and Governance - A high performing organisation that enacts the
vision and decisions of Council through the delivery of quality and innovative
services - A fairer place for all.
• Engaged and Responsive - Community insights are valued to enhance connection and
engagement with Council.
This report complies with Brimbank’s Community Engagement Policy.
Council officers contributing to the preparation and approval of this report, have no
conflicts of interests to declare.