Blog
Work with a team that celebrates and embraces diversity
Diversity means celebrating individual differences and recognising the value of people’s unique knowledge, skill and experience.
A diverse culture embraces people regardless of their cultural background or ethnicity, religious beliefs, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, language, education or any other unique characteristics they may have.
An inclusive culture is one where everyone feels valued, respected and enabled to contribute.
At Eldercare we embrace diversity and inclusion, and we are committed to supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people and making sure they feel welcomed and safe.
Our commitment was formally recognised in 2019 when Eldercare became the first South Australian residential aged care provider to receive Rainbow Tick accreditation. Receiving the Rainbow Tick shows that everybody can expect to be treated with dignity and respect at Eldercare, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation.
Extensive engagement with LGBTI people formed a large part of our strategy and was a critical aspect of our accreditation. Eldercare’s LGBTI Advisory Group (pictured below), which includes older LGBTI people as well as LGBTI staff and volunteers, was formed in 2018 and they oversee the ElderPRIDE strategies for Eldercare to ensure that we remain a safe and welcoming space for LGBTI people.
Eldercare LGBTIQ Advisory Group (L - R) Daniel Fleming, Michael Stokes, Chris Hunt, Jenny Scott, Rob Durant, Jane Lister, Pat Nelson, Chris Morris and Teresa Prior.
We have supported our staff and volunteers to work without discrimination by:
- adjusting our job application process
- promoting Eldercare as a safe and welcoming place for LGBTI staff, residents and families
- training our staff on diversity and cultural safety
- encouraging a culture of inclusion and acceptance
- empowering staff to address inappropriate behaviour.
Since receiving the Rainbow Tick, Eldercare has continued to promote inclusiveness with Pride Month being celebrated across the organisation during the month of June.
Hear from our staff about what it’s like to work for an organisation committed to inclusivity and its diverse community:
“In my old job I wasn’t supported in the same way that other staff were, but here I feel valued. If bullying is witnessed by anyone it is quickly addressed. There was one occasion when I overheard someone saying something homophobic and one of the other staff pulled him aside and spoke to him straight away.”
“Coming to Eldercare and knowing that they’re very supportive of individuals that associate themselves with LGBTI has been wonderful for me, and not to be victimised in the workplace has also been fabulous. The workers that we work with at Eldercare welcome people of all different races, sexualities and embrace individuals of different sexual preferences.”
We have continued to work with staff to guide our strategies to ensure we offer a safe, inclusive and welcoming workplace. This includes producing training videos focused on LGBTI issues, specifically those affecting the older population.