Working Together
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Our commitment to inclusion
The Salvation Army Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet and work and pay our respect to Elders past, present and future.
We value and include people of all cultures, languages, abilities, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions and intersex status. We are committed to providing programs that are fully inclusive. We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of people of all ages, particularly children.
Our commitment to lived experience
The experiences of people who engage with our services provide us with the best source of information about how the system, individual services and we as an organisation, are performing.
What you can expect to experience from our service:
Access (I feel supported to access the services I need)
- Access to our programs and services is inclusive and embraces diversity
- You are informed about the range of community services available to you within The Salvation Army and outside of it
- You are supported to safely access other relevant services, including interpreters or other supports
Respect (I am treated fairly and with dignity)
- You are treated fairly, equally and with dignity
- You are treated as a person deserving of respect, not a case to manage or a box to tick
- You feel you can ask any staff member for assistance
- You don’t feel judged for your choices
- Services respect your identity and lived experience
Communication (I am communicated with clarity and in a way which meets my needs)
- All communication with you is clear and respectful, and in a way that meets your needs
- You are communicated with in the way you prefer, e.g., in person, by phone or in writing, and with the correct use of your pronouns
- You are informed about the service and what it can and cannot provide, in a respectful manner
- Any decision about the service you receive is clearly explained to you
- You are provided with a timely response to any feedback, suggestion or complaint you provide
Participation (I can actively participate in decision-making and planning processes about my future)
- You feel you can participate in services that are responsive to your needs, and build on your strengths, resilience and existing resources
- You can actively participate in decision-making and planning processes about your future
- You have the opportunity to share your lived experience with the service, to help shape the way services are provided to you and others in the future
- You have supports of your choice involved in your journey with the service, who can advocate on your behalf
Safety (I feel safe physically, culturally, spiritually and emotionally)
- You are safe and welcomed when arriving at the service
- You receive a service that is respectful and sensitive to disability, culture, language, gender identity, gender expression, intersex status, age, sexual orientation and spiritual beliefs
- Physical and emotional safety are a core priority of services
- You know your rights and responsibilities and those of The Salvation Army services
- You know your responsibilities (or what is expected of you) as a participant of The Salvation Army services
- You know your cultural safety is important and your identity is valued by others
- Your spirituality is important to you, and you feel the service respects that
Privacy (I am asked for consent and my privacy is respected)
- You know your privacy is upheld
- You are only asked for relevant personal information that enhances the service you are receiving
- You are asked for your consent (permission) to share your personal and sensitive information, and you know how that information may be used and how it is stored
- You know you can withdraw your consent at any time and that you can choose not to answer personal questions
- Your information is kept confidential and not shared with any unauthorised personnel or service unless you have given my permission to do so, or if you put yourself or someone else at serious risk of harm/being hurt
Heard (I can raise my concerns and my feedback will be taken seriously)
- You have the freedom to say no and freedom to give feedback, and you feel confident that it won’t impact your access
- You feel you can tell your story from your perspective and have your lived experience valued
- You feel you can say what you think about the service
- You feel you can ask for what you need and receive a timely response
- If you are not happy with the service, you feel you can raise your concerns, and your feedback will be taken seriously
- You feel you can request changes or improvements to your support
What we ask of you:
To help us at the Salvos provide you with the best service possible, we ask that you:
- Keep us updated on what is happening for you, so that we can provide a service that is appropriate for your needs
- Let us know if something changes and you can no longer keep an appointment or a commitment
- Respect the rights of other people you encounter when working with The Salvation Army
- Let us know when something isn’t working, so we can fix it and improve our service for you
- Speak up and tell us your identity so we can best meet your needs
Information on this page is also available in a translated short version in languages listed below:
Want to provide feedback or make a complaint? Visit our feedback and complaints page for more info.