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The Cultural Safety Serpent

Cultural safety is determined by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, families and communities. Culturally safe practise is the ongoing critical reflection of health practitioner knowledge, skills, attitudes, practising behaviours and power differentials in delivering safe, accessible healthcare.

The Australian Health 
Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra)

The Cultural Safety Serpent

Cultural safety is determined by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, families and communities. Culturally safe practise is the ongoing critical reflection of health practitioner knowledge, skills, attitudes, practising behaviours and power differentials in delivering safe, accessible healthcare.

The Australian Health 
Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra)

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural and Health Training Framework > Cultural safety > Cultural Safety Serpent

The Cultural Safety Serpent

The Ouroboros Serpent represents the cultural safety continuum.

Cultural safety is a continuum of learning and reflection where skills and competencies are dependent on context including the Peoples, places and time. It is a non-linear process and during the journey of enhancing cultural competency and responsiveness, an individual or organisation may transition back and forth between stages or exist in different stages simultaneously depending on circumstances and context.

The more knowledge and skills acquired over time will contribute to heightened awareness and ability to respond efficiently and appropriately in different circumstances. There is no expert qualification in cultural safety or end point in cultural competency attainment, it is the honing of skills overtime, ongoing humility and respect.

The Cultural Safety Serpent

The Ouroboros Serpent represents the cultural safety continuum.

Cultural safety is a continuum of learning and reflection where skills and competencies are dependent on context including the Peoples, places and time. It is a non-linear process and during the journey of enhancing cultural competency and responsiveness, an individual or organisation may transition back and forth between stages or exist in different stages simultaneously depending on circumstances and context.

The more knowledge and skills acquired over time will contribute to heightened awareness and ability to respond efficiently and appropriately in different circumstances. There is no expert qualification in cultural safety or end point in cultural competency attainment, it is the honing of skills overtime, ongoing humility and respect.

Cultural safety > Cultural safety Serpent > Guiding principles > Objectives > Outcomes

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