Cultural Safety and Child Protection Responses in Hospitals: a Scoping Review

Abstract

The objective of this scoping review was to map the current practice and best evidence for embedding cultural safety in child protection responses for Aboriginal families in hospitals. Electronic databases were searched systematically and the reference lists examined. Efforts to reduce the risk of bias were made including using an inductive approach. Eight research papers were included following the exclusion of 25 papers for the final analysis. Three main themes in relation to what is necessary to embed cultural safety for Aboriginal families when child protection responses are raised in hospital were found. These were (a) relationships, (b) organisational processes and (c) culture. The analysis underscores the need for development of child protection strategies that focus on cultural safety rather than cultural competence alone. This provides some direction for policy and practice development in this field, and has also highlighted the deficiencies in evidence and urgent need for further research.

Safeguarding without stigmatising: Language of responses to child abuse in high‐ and upper‐middle‐ income countries

“…The aim of cultural safety is to promote a more equal society and provide care that is experienced as "safe" by the individuals and communities receiving care (Congress of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Nurses & Midwives, 2014; Curtis et al, 2019). Enacting culturally safe approaches involves genuine partnership and engagement with First Nations people, but there is limited research into ways that culturally safe approaches can be implemented and enacted in health services (Flemington et al, 2021).…”

The Daalbirrwirr Gamambigu (Safe Children) Model: Embedding Cultural Safety in Child Protection Responses for Australian Aboriginal Children in Hospital Settings

“…Our scoping review [33] found three central intersectional themes to embedding cultural safety in health professional child protection responses for Aboriginal children in hospital settings. These themes were: relationships; organisational processes; and culture.…”

“…It focusses on four domains-landscape factors, resources, ways of working and learnings. They in turn complement the i-PARIHS Framework domains of facilitation, innovation, recipients and context, as detailed elsewhere [33].…”

“…Descriptions of the significance of culture in this field are evident in research findings in general hospital care [32,33], child protection services delivery [34], child protection interprofessional relationships [35], the broader service delivery environment [36], in hospitals generally [37], and in emergency departments [38]. In health care and child protection, clinical safety is intextricably linked with cultural safety [5,39], although this has not been empirically investigated.…”

“…In health care and child protection, clinical safety is intextricably linked with cultural safety [5,39], although this has not been empirically investigated. In fact, few studies have examined how to successfully implement the necessary elements of cultural safety at the point of care [33].…”