Our Commitment to implementing the Universal Principle for Aboriginal Cultural Safety

What is the Universal Principle for Aboriginal Cultural Safety?

The Universal Principle for Aboriginal Cultural Safety is embedded across all 10 Child and Youth Safe Standards.

The Universal Principle means that organisations required to comply with the Standards must provide an environment that ensures the right to cultural safety of children who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, is respected.

Cultural safety is fostered in environments that embrace and respect the culture and identity of Aboriginal people.

An organisation cannot simply declare itself to be culturally safe. While non-Aboriginal people within an organisation cannot ‘determine’ what is culturally safe for Aboriginal people, they can commit to deepening their understanding of the ongoing impacts of invasion, dispossession, and trauma, and demonstrate respect for Aboriginal people.

I feel safe when I am practising and celebrating my Aboriginal heritage.

– A young Aboriginal Tasmanian aged 12 years old.

Importance of the Universal Principle

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse found that Aboriginal children are at a higher risk of harm within institutions due to the lasting effects of colonisation.

However, research also highlights that strong cultural connections are a protective factor for Aboriginal children, supporting their identity, self-esteem, and wellbeing.

By building cultural competence within the Department, listening to Aboriginal voices, and embedding respectful, inclusive practices, we can create environments where Aboriginal children feel truly safe, valued, and supported in their identity.

The Department’s commitment

The Department employs Aboriginal people, provides services to Aboriginal people, and engages with Aboriginal people in Tasmania.

We recognise and value Aboriginal histories, knowledge and lived experiences and commit to being respectful in our working relationships with all Aboriginal people.

In undertaking its work, the Department is committed to fostering a culture of respect for all Aboriginal people in Tasmania.

The Department recognises the right of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people to feel safe, respected, and valued in their cultural identity.

As a Department, we aim to create an environment where Aboriginal children and young people:

• feel safe to be themselves
• have their Aboriginality respected
• have their sense of self and identity nurtured and encouraged.

The Department’s policies