Principal Professional Advisor Maarama Davis talks with physiotherapist Sheree Tikao‐Harkess about the new revised Cultural safety and cultural competence standard: What the changes mean, how to implement them in practice, and ways to approach reflection.
An audio version of this webinar is also available.
Putting your learning into practice: a reflection activity
It’s time to put what you have learnt into practise.
Work through and discuss the questions. Share ideas, talk about the challenges you may have had or now anticipate, and explore how you could overcome these challenges.
Try to practise saying things aloud or role‐playing with a peer. What are the words or phrases you would be using?
The activity can be completed as self‐reflection, but we encourage you to complete this with peers if you can, to gain different perspectives.
Answering these questions, and the discussions that follow, enhances ongoing reflection. This is an important part of the Cultural Safety and Cultural Competence Standard.
Note that sample prompts and examples have been provided to help you with your responses.
Starting with you: what is your culture?
Try explaining your own culture. If you were to tell someone who you are, how would you describe yourself?
PROMPT: Think about what makes you ‘you’ in this moment of time. It can be helpful to also think about how your culture has changed and shaped you over time, or different life experiences that have affected what culture means to and for you.
How does your awareness of your own culture change in different settings?
For example:
- in different physiotherapy environments (e.g., private practice vs. hospital vs. community)
- with different kiritaki (e.g., cultural background, communication preferences)
- outside of work
- during physiotherapy or interdisciplinary team meetings
- in research or academic contexts
- in leadership or management roles
What might be appropriate to share with kiritaki about yourself and your culture to help kiritaki feel comfortable, safe and respected?
How does this influence your practice?
Describe a time when your own culture, identity or attitudes differed to those of kiritaki or people you work with?
How did this influence how you worked and your interaction with them?
How can you adapt and modify your approach during your interaction with kiritaki to make your physiotherapy service culturally appropriate for them? Think of some specific examples or scenarios.
Building authentic relationships with kiritaki
Think about your first contact with kiritaki and imagine what this looks like from their perspective and your perspective.
Beginning a connection
How do you begin a connection at the moment?
Does it show or signal that you want to learn about them (including their culture), what is important to and for them and what their expectations are? Why is it important to know this?
Discuss different ways that you could start to build this connection.
EXAMPLE: One way could be saying, “To help me understand what’s important to you, could you tell me a little about yourself – not only why you are here, but what your life looks like?”
EXAMPLE: Explain to kiritaki why it’s important for you to know this.
EXAMPLE: Use respectful silence and observation, before diving into questions.
Navigating a disconnection
Even with good intentions, misunderstandings or disconnections can happen.
How do you notice a loss of connection?
EXAMPLE: Changes in body language, shorter answers, avoidance of eye contact, sighing, reluctance to engage.
When something feels off or you’ve lost connection with kiritaki, how can you navigate through this? Discuss different options for how you can rebuild connection.
EXAMPLE: One way could be saying, “I sense something is not right. I am sorry if I have missed something or said something that doesn’t fit for you?” Then having a pause to check in before continuing.
Think about how you can navigate this without blaming kiritaki, being both gentle and with respect. Also be mindful of this not only in the clinical space, but also in other areas of physiotherapy.
When could you consider referring kiritaki to a colleague if the connection isn’t forming? How would you go about including kiritaki in this decision?
Avoid blaming kiritaki or framing it as a personality clash and keep kiritaki part of the decision‐making, with explanation, not abandonment.
EXAMPLE: One way could be saying, “I want you to get the best outcomes possible. I think another practitioner here may have the knowledge or skills needed to support this. What are your thoughts on this?”
Making space for kiritaki to provide authentic feedback
Getting feedback from kiritaki is important for safe, reflective practice, however it rarely comes unless it is invited in a way that feels safe.
How can you make space for kiritaki to feel safe to provide you with authentic feedback?
Think about different phrases you could use.
EXAMPLE: “Some people find it helpful to tell us when something doesn’t work for them or how to say it better. I’d really welcome that. It improves outcomes and I gain by improving my learnings and my approach.”
PROMPT: Think about how you can respond to feedback with gratitude and action, not defensiveness.
If verbal feedback feels too confronting, what other ways be offered?
Consider how you can make sure these options are accessible for kiritaki.
Summary
Take time to work through each section. The value gained from these is not only in answering the questions, but in the discussion and practising aloud the phrases you might use.
Use role‐playing with a peer to test different approaches and receive feedback.
Remember: cultural safety is an ongoing reflective practice, not a checklist.
Review the requirements of the Recertification Programme, and consider whether you could use this activity as part of the reflections that you need to complete each year.