MULTICULTURAL FLEMINGTON - A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO CULTURAL SAFETY AND COMMUNITY CONNECTION
SOcial Impact Advisory & Strategy • FACILITATION
The Challenge
The suburb of Flemington in inner-city Melbourne is often described as “multicultural” - but that label hides so much complexity. Refugee trauma, language barriers and systemic disadvantage sit alongside resilience, pride and strong social networks. Local schools and services needed a way to better support cultural safety, reduce cultural load on bi-cultural workers and build trust with diverse families.
The Task
Amplifier Collective was commissioned by the organisations working on Flemington Works to co-design a practical resource for staff working in schools and community services. The aim was to create something useful, accessible, and grounded in lived experience — not just theory.
Our Approach
We worked with local schools, service providers and community organisations to co-design the Cultural Safety in Flemington Resource. This included:
Workshops with staff, cultural workers and residents.
Research into best practice in cultural safety.
Development of case studies, do’s and don’ts, and reflections on concepts like cultural load and trauma.
Peer review and feedback loops to ensure community voices shaped the final product.
The Result
The finished resource is a practical guide for teachers, youth workers, case managers and council staff. It includes:
Place-based insights drawn from Flemington’s lived experiences.
Everyday tools to build respectful, culturally safe interactions.
Case studies that highlight both challenges and strengths.
Clear guidance for reducing cultural load and embedding cultural safety in practice.
The resource helps professionals move beyond stereotypes and engage with curiosity, humility and respect. It equips workers to see the complexity of Flemington - not just its diversity - and ensures communities feel heard, respected and supported.
