Regional Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Youth Voices in Organisation Engagement

Image: Hayley Rowan (right) with Charlene Edwards, Director of the Community Fellows Program, outside The Bridge's office in Shepparton

The Bridge Youth + Family Services is a specialist youth organisation supporting 12 to 25-year-olds  and their families within the Goulburn Valley, Moria Shire and Lower Hume Regions.

Hayley Rowan, a specialist youth worker from The Bridge, joined the Community Fellows Program in 2025 and has been mentored throughout her fellowship by Professor Karen Block, Deputy Director of Melbourne Social Equity Institute and Head of the Migration and Health Unit at the Nossal Institute of Global Health.

Hayley’s research project involved a focus group with six young people aged 18–25, including newly arrived youth and young leaders connected to multicultural networks. Participants identified cultural safety as involving respect for different cultures, understanding family structures, recognising experiences of trauma, using appropriate language, and ensuring young people feel supported and not retraumatised when accessing services.

Regional Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Youth Voices in Organisation Engagement, a new Community Fellowship research report authored by Hayley, explores how culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) young people in regional Victoria experience community and public services, and identifies practical steps organisations can take to strengthen engagement, accessibility and cultural safety.

The report highlights several barriers affecting CALD young people’s engagement with services, including language barriers, limited awareness of available supports, mental health stigma and delays, transport challenges, social isolation and barriers to accessing employment opportunities.

Participants also identified factors that can build trust and encourage engagement. These included clear and respectful communication, culturally diverse staff, access to translation services, flexible outreach approaches, and opportunities to connect with services outside traditional office settings.

The report provides practical recommendations for organisations, including improving the visibility of services through digital platforms and multicultural networks, strengthening cultural competency and trauma-informed training, engaging families and community leaders, and maintaining communication with young people while they wait for support.

By elevating the voices of CALD young people, this research provides valuable insights for organisations seeking to create more inclusive, responsive and equitable services in regional communities.

Download the Report (PDF 665.1 KB)