SWAHS is the place of settlement for people from over 120 countries with 60% of residents born overseas SWAHS currently receives the largest number of refugees of any Area Health Service in NSW.

• Throughout their lifespan refugees and people with a refugee-like-background encounter the full range of physical, mental and social health issues encountered by the general population.
  
  
• 64.8% of SWAHS residents speak a language other than English (LOTE) at home (ABS Census, 2001). This compares with 34% of people in Sydney as a whole and 24% of people in NSW speaking a LOTE. The major languages spoken other than English are the Chinese languages (mainly Cantonese), Arabic, Turkish, Vietnamese and Tamil. 24% of residents born overseas spoke English "not well" or "not at all".
  
  
• Auburn is also a major site of settlement for refugees with 42% of migrants settling here entering Australia as humanitarian entrants.
  
  
• The creation of a Multicultural Health network provides an opportunity for building on existing local expertise, which can be used to create new models of service delivery for a culturally and linguistically diverse society.
  
  
• Analysis of the 2006 Census data is currently underway. For more information contact the Diversity Health Institute

What do I do? I have a client who does not speak English.

Contact the SWAHS Health Care Interpreter Service (SWAHS HCIS) on (02) 9840 3456 or email hcis@wsahs.nsw.gov.au or go to their website.

• I need some materials translated into another language

Contact Sydney West Health Care Interpreter Service Translation Unit on 9840 3456 or email to discuss your translation needs.

• How can I encourage clients from a specific CALD background to access and use my service?
  
  Talk to your local Multicultural Health Network team, Central team, Western team, Eastern team.
  
  
• Our service sees many clients from CALD backgrounds and we would like to learn more about delivering health services to a diverse community
  
  The Multicultural Health Network can offer a range of staff development services. You can contact your local team for further information.