The Hume Mentoring and Service
Engagement Program (MASE)
The role of the Bicultural Family Mentor in
normalising newly arrived families experiences
through supporting access to local community
universal services and family violence services.
HUME MASE: Who is a “ Bicultural Family Mentor”?
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An acknowledged and trusted community leader
bridging local service providers and children from newly
arrived communities
A bicultural facilitator sharing the language and culture
of the families with whom she works
Qualified in Human Services from either or both of her
country of origin and Australia.
Provides complementary individual family mentoring
and group support together with service providers
Provides intercultural training and support to services.
Hume Bicultural Mentoring and Service
Engagement Program
HUME MASE
Program Logic
Program Objective:
To support families and
community /universal services
towards improved access to
community based prevention
and early intervention
approaches
Target Group
families of preschool/and
primary aged children
Universal, community and
secondary services, preschool
services providers and
schools.
Hume MASE Program Logic –
Needs Characteristics of linked primary and
secondary service systems
Overwhelmed by the demands of a growing population in
Hume
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Focus on families in crisis, with limited opportunity for
early intervention and prevention and service systems.
 Variable understanding regarding settlement needs of
newly arrived migrant children/families
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Families difficulties in navigating and accessing Services
systems
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Requests from service providers seeking advice on cultural
competence
McDonald, M VICSEG Family Mentoring Programs: Evidence
into Action paper , Centre for Community Child Health
(2014)
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Hume MASE Program Logic –
Demographic Characteristics
of a changing city
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53,971 people live in the City of Hume were born overseas,
19% of whom arrived in Australia within the last 5 years.
(ABS)
43.7% of couples with children under 8 speak a language
other English at home. (Hume Best Start Action Plan 2010
– 2014)
In some Hume neighbourhoods up to 80% of the
community is bilingual. (Hume Best Start Action Plan 2010
– 2014)
Four of the largest ranked newly arrived CALD
communities in Hume are from Iraq, India, Lebanon and
NZ/ Pacific Islands
Hume Program Logic:
MASE Social Policy Drivers
Early Years Framework (EYLF) and the National Framework
for Protecting Children Supported Outcomes (NFCP)
EYLP: “culture and the context of family as central to
children’s sense of being and belonging, and to success in
lifelong learning”
NFCP 2nd Action Plan:
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Building partnerships with community based primary and
secondary services AND community activities towards stronger
engagement of culturally and linguistically diverse communities
Enhancing newly arrived cultural groups understanding, wellbeing
and available support systems, and
Modelling and supporting agencies to understand the needs and
experience of newly arrived families and communities.
Hume MASE Program Logic: Conceptual Framework
Culture, Inter-Competency and Cultural Intelligence
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“Culture is not static but changing … the way the family
organises their life constitutes a micro culture (of the wider
culture), …the implication of which (for services) is the bridging of
culture and practice… It doesn’t exclude other cultures”
- Ngai Fen Cheung, Plenary Session, 2014 International
Confederation of Midwives
“Culturally competent practice (1) values diversity,
(2)supports ongoing reflective practice, and (3) manages the
dynamics of difference in all aspects of services policy making,
practice and partnership with our families”.
- National Centre for Cultural Competence, Centre for Child &
Human Development, George Town University and
Belonging, Being and Becoming
The Four Factor Cultural Intelligence: provides a way of
“understanding and working with variability in coping with
diversity and functioning in new cultural settings”. Cultural
Intelligence is perceived by the authors as a means of embedding
long term beneficial outcomes for individuals, groups and cultures
in a state of change.
- Earley, Gibson and Ang et al (2003, 2005)
HUME MASE: Evidenced Outputs and Outcomes
of Bicultural Family Mentor Practice
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Evidence measured against the Four Factor Model of Cultural
Intelligence
- meta cognitive CQ; i.e. consciousness of cultural awareness
during cultural interaction
- cognitive level CQ; i.e. knowledge of norms including how a family
or authority system works
- motivational CQ; i.e. capacity to direct attention in culturally
diverse situations
- behavioural CQ; ie capacity to be culturally flexible through verbal
and non verbal action.
VICSEG Family Mentoring Programs: McDonald, M,
Evidence into Action paper , Centre for Community
Child Health. 2014
Evidence: Outputs
Cultural Intelligence
Examples from ‘Evidence Into Action Paper’ and Practice Output
Type
Descriptor
Programs and activities provided
Metacognitive
CQ
Conscious
ness of cultural
awareness
during cross
cultural
interaction
Families receive
•Information and education about early childhood services ,
(ECS), myths and facts about family violence services/court
approaches - Individual relationships are developed during direct
practice. The Family Mentor acts to promote and model trust and
reassurance for families
Service providers receive
•Opportunity to attend VICSEG staff meetings and local
Partnership and Network forums fostering and modelling cross
cultural interaction – includes Berry Street Family Violence as
well as Intouch Multicultural Services. .
Cognitive
level CQ -
knowledge of
norms such as
how a family or
authority system
works
Families receive
•Support to transition to specialist services and Supported Referrals
Service providers receive
•This often involves the MASE Family Mentor providing advice on transition
issues, family functioning and customs
•Education regarding culturally responsive, accessible service delivery for
refugee families
Evidence: Outputs
Cultural Intelligence:
Examples from ‘Evidence Into Action Paper’ and Practice Output
Type
Programs and activities provided
Descriptor
Motivational the capacity to
CQ direct attention in
culturally diverse
situations
Families receive:
•Encouragement and assistance to: access; communicate with; and utilize
Early Childhood, MCHN and School based services. Examples have
included participation in co-facilitated Speech Language Groups, MCHN
Groups and School activities to support improved inclusion of marginalised
communities.
Service providers receive:
•Support for professionals (e.g. maternal and child health nurses in their
work with families in service and case planning and co-facilitated groups
as above.
Behavioural the capacity to
CQ be culturally
flexible through
verbal and
nonverbal action
Families receive:
Advocacy and modelling to support acquisition of knowledge and
understanding of legal requirements to respond to issues such as family
violence, child protection and school attendance.
Service providers receive
Cultural competence support to facilitate culturally and linguistically
responsive, accessible service delivery for families
Evidence: Immediate Outcomes
Cultural Intelligence:
Examples from ‘Evidence Into Action Paper’ and other
MASE Practice Immediate Outcomes
Type
Descriptor
Direct Results expected
Meta-cognitive
CQ
consciousness of
cultural
awareness during
cross cultural
interaction
Families experience
•Increased willingness and confidence to access and utilize early
childhood programs/activities/ services (and other services), e.g.
negotiated and supported use of public transport, and community
health services such as audiology screening.
Service providers
•Staff in relevant services have increased knowledge and skills
regarding engaging and working effectively with vulnerable
families e.g., developed through complementary case work practice
and groups with Bicultural Facilitators.
Cognitive level
CQ -
knowledge of
norms such as
how a family
or authority
system works
Families receive
•Supported referrals, and in situ education towards
transitioning to specialist services, e.g. with in groups
jointly run with universal service providers.
Service providers receive
•VICSEG – Centre for Excellence in Child and Family
Welfare have partnered to provide cultural competence
training to agencies and education to enable culturally
responsive, accessible service delivery for families
Evidence: Immediate Outcomes
Cultural Intelligence:
Examples from ‘Evidence Into Action Paper’ and other MASE
Practice Immediate Outcomes
Type
Descriptor
Direct Results expected
Motivational CQ
-
capacity to direct
attention in culturally
diverse situations
Behavioural CQ -
the capacity to be
culturally flexible
through verbal and
nonverbal action
Families receive:
•Encouragement and assistance to support: access;
communicate with; and utilize Early Childhood, MCHN and
School based Services. Examples have include participation
in co-facilitated Speech Language Groups, MCHN Groups
and School activities to support improved inclusion of
marginalised communities.
Service providers receive:
•Support for professionals (e.g. maternal and child health
nurses in their work with families in service and case
planning and co-facilitated groups as above.
Families receive:
•Advocacy and modelling to support acquisition of
knowledge and understanding of legal requirements to
respond to issues such as family violence, child protection
and school attendance.
Service providers receive
•Tailored advice to support culturally and linguistically
responsive, accessible service
Evidence: Medium Term Outputs
Cultural Intelligence:
Type
Descriptor
Meta-cognitive
CQ
consciousness of
cultural awareness
during cross
cultural interaction
Examples from ‘Evidence Into Action Paper’ and MASE
Practice Medium Outcomes
 Results expected in the medium-term
Children experience
•Increased exposure to early childhood activities and primary health
programs and services, e.g. supported participation in specialist
Speech Language Groups, and universal Playgroups and
Kindergartens
Families experience
•Increased willingness and confidence to access and utilize early
childhood programs/activities/ services (and other services
Service providers experience
•Staff in relevant services have increased awareness of cultures and
communities to begin engaging and working effectively with
families
Evidence: Medium Term Outputs
Cultural Intelligence:
Examples from ‘Evidence Into Action Paper’ and
MASE Practice Medium Outcomes
Type
Descriptor
Results expected in the medium-term
Cognitive level
CQ -
knowledge of norms
Families receive
such as how a family or •Supported Referrals to full range of services including
authority system works housing, family violence, community based and universal
and family support services
Service providers receive
•Critical reflective practice based support through joint
work and supported referral
•VICSEG – Centre for Excellence for Cultural Competence
Training accredited agencies Education regarding culturally
responsive, accessible service delivery for refugee families
Evidence: Medium Term Outputs
Cultural Intelligence:
Examples from ‘Evidence Into Action Paper’ and
MASE Practice Medium Outcomes
Results expected in the medium-term
Type
Descriptor
Motivational
CQ
the capacity to direct Families receive:
attention in culturally •Encouragement and assistance to: access;
diverse situations
communicate with; and utilize Early Childhood,
MCHN and School based services. Examples have
included participation in co-facilitated Speech
Language Groups, MCHN Groups and School
activities to support improved inclusion of
marginalised communities.
Service providers receive:
•Support for professionals (e.g. maternal and child
health nurses in their work with families in service
and case planning and co-facilitated groups as
above).
Behavioural CQ - the capacity to be
culturally flexible
through verbal and
nonverbal act
Families receive:
•Advocacy and modelling to support acquisition of
knowledge and understanding of legal requirements to
respond to issues such as family violence, child protection
and school attendance.
Service providers receive
Evidence: Long term outcomes
Cultural Intelligence:
Examples from ‘Evidence Into Action Paper’ and
MASE Practice Projected Long-term outcomes
Type
Descriptor
Changes in the population expected as a result of
the approach
Meta-cognitive
CQ
consciousness of
cultural awareness
during cross cultural
interaction
Cognitive level
CQ -
knowledge of norms
such as how a family
or authority system
works
Families experience
•Continued increased community engagement and
developed sense of safety.
Service providers experience
•Services and the service system as a whole
effectively aware of the needs, culture and capacities
of newly arrived families and their communities.
Families experience
•Improved family functioning
Service providers experience
•Services and the service system as a whole effectively
responds in a more timely way to the needs of newly
arrived families and their communities
Evidence: Long term outcomes
Cultural Intelligence:
Examples from ‘Evidence Into Action Paper’ and
MASE Practice Projected Long-term outcomes
Type
Changes in the population expected as a result of the
approach
Families receive
As for CQ above.
Service providers receive:
•Services demonstrate increased capacity to work in a
systematic and collaborative way to respond to the needs of
families, e.g. whilst funding and resources are diminishing,
agencies and schools have begun to systematically embed
Social Interpreter Facilitator CALD dedicated activities into
their mainstream activities
Descriptor
Motivational CQ - the capacity to direct
attention in culturally
diverse situations
Behavioural CQ
-
the capacity to be
culturally flexible
through verbal and
non verbal action
Families receive
•Improved independence and empowerment in
negotiating service systems
•Engagement in VICSEG based programs such as
Learning Together, and Certificate and Diploma
courses
•Employment in Peer Led Parenting Programs.
Service providers experience
•Increased employment of bilingual staff and
programs dedicated to newly arrived families, e.g.
Farsi speaking women’s group.