As a culturally competent physiotherapist you recognize, respect and respond to individual needs, and adapt your practice accordingly.
Cultural competence is a facet of your overall professional competence.
Understanding and reflecting on your own culture including the underpinning values and beliefs that contribute to it, is the starting point for the process of acquiring cultural competence.
Culturally appropriate, client centred services are:
- negotiated with community leaders
- accessible
- sensitive to different perceptions of health and wellbeing
- adaptable
- sensitive to power differentials and non-discriminatory
Discrimination on the basis of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion and belief, or disability against service users or work colleagues breaches the Society’s Code of Professional Values and UK law.
The documents below are a list of information resources on cultural diversity and cultural competence (PD059) and Managing Performance Issues - Cultural Competence.