Brisbane South PHN strengthens workforce capability to support inclusive healthcare
Brisbane South PHN is continuing to strengthen its organisational capability to support safe, inclusive and equitable healthcare for LGBTIQA+ communities, following the successful re-accreditation of the organisation against the Rainbow Tick Standards.
Brisbane South PHN's recent Rainbow Tick re-accreditation reflects an ongoing commitment to embedding affirming practices across our organisation and strengthening our understanding of the diverse communities we serve.
“Rainbow Tick re-accreditation is more than a milestone, it confirms our ongoing commitment to equity, inclusion and cultural safety”, Susan Lingard Health Access and Equity Senior Program Development Coordinator at Brisbane South PHN.
Building capability through Rainbow Tick accreditation
As part of our ongoing commitment to continuous improvement, Brisbane South PHN recently hosted an internal workforce development session exploring Indigenous and culturally diverse understandings of sex, gender, sexuality and social roles. The topic was identified by staff through the Rainbow Tick Workforce Development Survey and forms part of our broader approach to building knowledge and capability across the organisation.
Led by lived-experience perspectives, the session examined the impact of colonisation on traditional understandings of gender and sexuality, the resilience of cultural memory, knowledge and practices, and how these influences continue to shape contemporary health and wellbeing systems.
Workforce development activities such as this session help ensure that considerations of inclusion, cultural safety and equity are incorporated into organisational planning, partnerships, commissioning and service improvement activities.
Irina Strauss, Health Access and Equity Project Lead at Brisbane South PHN, said building workforce capability is an important part of creating more inclusive healthcare systems.
Our community has told us that they want more culturally safe and inclusive care from their experiences with the health and hospital systems. Through the uplift of workforce knowledge, we're working to understand and enable the process of making healthcare safer for everyone, said Irina.
Supporting inclusive and culturally safe healthcare
The session contributes to Brisbane South PHN's broader Health Access and Equity approach, helping build understanding of the factors that influence people's experiences of healthcare and access to services.
By strengthening organisational capability, Brisbane South PHN is better positioned to support the design, commissioning and delivery of culturally safe, responsible, and person-centred services that respond to the needs of diverse communities across the Brisbane South region, stated Susan Lingard, Health Access and Equity Senior Program Development Coordinator.
Resources and support for health professionals
Healthcare professionals interested in strengthening their knowledge and capability in LGBTIQA+ healthcare can access resources, training opportunities and information through Brisbane South PHN and our partners via the LGBTIQA+ Health webpage.
Whether you are looking to expand your understanding of inclusive practice or access tools to support patient care, a range of evidence-based resources are available to support primary healthcare professionals.
Helpful links
Further information and resources for healthcare professionals: