Cultural safety statement

Acknowledgement of Country

Immunisation Hub operates from Sunshine in the City of Brimbank. We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which our pharmacy and clinic stand, and we pay our respects to their Elders past and present. We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples whose unceded lands we work and live on, and to every patient and family who walks through our doors.

We acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded, and that good health is bound up with self-determination, connection to Country, and culturally led care.

What we mean by cultural safety

We follow the definition shaped by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health leaders and adopted by AHPRA: cultural safety is determined by the person receiving care, not by the provider. It is care that does not diminish, demean or disempower a person’s cultural identity or wellbeing, and where the person feels safe to be themselves, ask questions, decline care, or change their mind.

Our team is responsible for creating that environment, not the patient. If anything we say or do undermines that, we want to know and we will change it.

How this shows up in our clinic

• You decide whether to identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. There is no pressure to disclose, and your answer is never used against you. It only helps us check whether you are eligible for additional NIP-funded vaccines.
• You can bring whoever you want, family, an Elder, a friend, a community health worker, into the consult or the observation period.
• We will not assume Country, language, mob or background. If you would like us to write down something specific in your record so you don’t have to repeat it, just ask.
• We can step out for cultural or spiritual reasons (sorry business, kinship obligations, ceremony) and rebook with no fee or judgement.
• The consultation room can be closed off from the open dispensary if you would prefer privacy.
• We will explain what is in the vaccine, what to expect, and what to do if something feels wrong, in plain English, before consent is sought. You can take materials home and decide later.

Vaccines that are free for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Several vaccines on the National Immunisation Program are free for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at younger ages, or in groups where they would not otherwise be funded. These include (subject to age and clinical eligibility):

• Influenza vaccine, free annually from 6 months of age.
• Pneumococcal vaccine, free at additional time points across the life course (infant booster, age 50+, plus medical risk groups).
• Hepatitis B, meningococcal B and other catch-ups available where indicated.
• RSV and shingles vaccination according to current ATAGI advice and the Handbook.

Our pharmacist immunisers will check the current Australian Immunisation Handbook eligibility on the day, and we will tell you up front if a vaccine you’re asking about isn’t funded for you, so there are no surprises.

You can choose community-controlled care

Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) deliver primary health care designed by, and accountable to, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Many people prefer to receive vaccinations at an ACCHO, and we actively support that choice.

In Victoria, that includes:

• Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) — multiple sites across Melbourne.
• VACCHO — the peak body for Aboriginal community-controlled health in Victoria.
• NACCHO — the national body, with a directory of ACCHOs across Australia.

If you would like us to refer you, share a copy of your immunisation record with an ACCHO, or coordinate a vaccine you have started elsewhere, we are happy to do that. Tell us at any point in the visit.

Our team and our learning

Cultural safety isn’t a certificate, it’s a practice. Our pharmacists and immunisers are required by AHPRA and the Pharmacy Board of Australia to undertake ongoing cultural safety education as part of registration, and we go beyond the minimum:

• Annual cultural safety training delivered by Aboriginal-led providers.
• Reflective practice after any consultation where the patient identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, with their feedback weighted above ours.
• Continuous review of our patient information, signage and forms to remove jargon and assumptions.

We acknowledge that we are a non-Indigenous-led service learning alongside community, and that our job is to keep the door wide open, not to speak for anyone.

Telling us when we get it wrong

If anything in our service was not culturally safe, please tell us. You can speak to any pharmacist on shift, ask for the Pharmacist in Charge, or send a confidential message:

• Email info@immunisationhub.au with “Cultural safety” in the subject
• Call (03) 9364 7133 and ask to speak to the Pharmacist in Charge.

We aim to acknowledge feedback within two business days. You can also raise concerns externally, free and confidentially:

• Health Complaints Commissioner (Victoria) — independent body.
• AHPRA notifications — concerns about the conduct of a registered health practitioner.
• VACCHO — for advocacy and support from the community-controlled sector.

Language and communication

If English is not your first or preferred language, we can arrange a free interpreter through TIS National (131 450), including for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. Easy-read consent forms are available on request, and we can provide written information you can take home before deciding.