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Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander

Engagement Strategy

2017 – 2019

June 2017 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Strategy

Page 2

This artwork was created by

Gilimbaa to represent how

Churches of Christ in Queensland

supports those in our care.

The individual and their family are

at the centre of everything we do.

Our mission of bringing the light of

Christ expands out to their

extended family and the wider

community.

The string game is a traditional

game of both Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander cultures and is

played by boys and girls, as well as

adults. In this artwork, the string

game represents the pathways and

connections that link and lead to the

individual we are supporting.

Head Office

41 Brookfield Road

Kenmore Queensland 4069

Phone: 07 3327 1600

Fax: 07 3878 1268

Website: cofc.com.au

Contents

Our purpose ........................................................................... 3

Our principles ......................................................................... 3

Connection ........................................................................ 3

Inclusion ............................................................................ 3

Participation ...................................................................... 3

Our commitment .................................................................... 4

Service delivery ..................................................................... 6

Housing Services .............................................................. 6

Children, Youth and Families ........................................... 6

Mission Development ....................................................... 6

Supporting documents ........................................................... 6

Key dates ............................................................................... 7

Related documents ................................................................ 7

June 2017 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Strategy

Page 3

Our purpose To provide Churches of Christ in Queensland staff with appropriate guidance and support regarding community protocols and cultural considerations for engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This will ensure that staff work practices and ongoing communication is both respectful and empowering to communities.

The development of this strategy has taken place in consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander internal staff and members of the broader community. This strategy will both strengthen our partnerships with communities as well as inform future service delivery.

Churches of Christ in Queensland values the importance of shared goals and understanding to enable high levels of participation and effective engagement which lead to sustained strategies and success. Staff knowledge and understanding of cultural protocols and respectful language is an important step towards respecting and representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander views, encouraging culturally appropriate work practices and achieving cultural diversity.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Strategy is a plan for increasing our engagement in the areas we service. This plan will be reviewed annually by our Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group.

Our principles Churches of Christ in Queensland is committed to incorporating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into the way we do business as supported by our Strategic plan 2015-2018. This engagement strategy will be guided by the principles of Connection, Inclusion and Participation.

Connection

Churches of Christ in Queensland recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as two separate and distinct cultures. We are committed to establishing and fostering strong relationships with Elders, Traditional Owners, key representatives and organisations. This will enable us to connect in a meaningful and respectful way, which creates positive outcomes for communities. We will go the extra mile with compassion and grace, and work alongside communities to achieve the best outcomes possible.

Inclusion

Churches of Christ in Queensland recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as First Nations peoples with rich traditions and customs. We also recognise the negative impact of previous government policies and intergenerational trauma. Our organisation is committed to working alongside communities as the owners and decision makers in the design and delivery of current and future community programs. We will respect cultural wisdom and always act with empathy and honesty.

Participation

Churches of Christ in Queensland will provide opportunities for staff to develop cultural competence and cultural respect when working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Through cultural awareness training and education we will be better culturally informed to support service delivery to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We will be accountable to the communities we work alongside and will continuously look for ways to improve the quality of our engagement and services.

Each of these principles are underpinned by our organisational values:

1. Modelling unconditional love

2. Behaving with integrity

3. Being good stewards

June 2017 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Strategy

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Our commitment Churches of Christ in Queensland is committed to developing meaningful relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, organisations and communities as being fundamental to the work of our organisation. This is fundamental to the work of our organisation and will be strengthened by:

Establishing an Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander Advisory Council

Continuing and strengthening

participation in urban, regional and

remote community forums that supports

our service delivery and mission

objectives

Building high level engagement and

participation with Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander communities, Elders,

families and individuals

Developing culturally appropriate

materials to support our publications and

organisational website that demonstrate

our commitment to Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander peoples

Harnessing our Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander staffs knowledge and

expertise to strengthen and positively

support our organisation’s cultural

capability

Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Strategy will demonstrate a commitment to:

Respectfully acknowledging Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the

Traditional owners and custodians of the

land and sea

Recognising each Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander community as culturally

unique

Acknowledging that Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander people live in all parts of

Australia in urban, rural and remote

communities

Churches of Christ in Queensland commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and the broader community is further demonstrated by:

Human Resources policies which are

relevant and inclusive of cultural

considerations relating to staff, which

includes having a Recruitment and

Retention Policy, Cultural Leave Policy,

access to culturally appropriate support

services and dedicated processes for

advertising identified vacancies

Ongoing commitment to the

development, implementation and

monitoring of our Reconciliation Action

Plan via the Reconciliation Action Plan

Working Group

Supporting and encouraging staff to

celebrate significant Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander events with the

broader community as well as including

local Elders and Traditional Owners

Developing an Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander business procurement list

including membership to Supply Nation

Providing clear career opportunities and

pathways for our staff

Providing cultural awareness training for

all staff through online LearningLink

modules and face-to-face sessions

supported by Traditional Owners and

Elders

Implementing a Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander employee network

developed and facilitated by internal staff

Providing cultural and mentoring

supervision and support

The organisation’s vision is that through common goals and mutual expectations there is an opportunity to transform the lives of individuals through connectedness, purpose and meaning. Churches of Christ in Queensland is committed to a strong action framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement that supports the

June 2017 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Strategy

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organisation as a leader in the community sector as well as an employer of choice for future staff.

A regional model of governance as implemented by the organisation has previously been recognised as the preferred model for engagement for Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander communities. This model also allows for cultural leadership and responsibility.

Finally, it is important to note that our journey towards increasing cultural capability and cultural competence is an evolving one in real time.

Figure 1: The Commonwealth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Capability Model. Effective

practice in all three domains contributes to an employee becoming culturally capable

(apsc.gov.au/publications-and-media/current-publications/cultural-capability-framework)

http://www.apsc.gov.au/publications-and-media/current-publications/cultural-capability-framework

June 2017 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Strategy

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Service delivery Housing Services

Churches of Christ Housing Services

manages tenancies for a significant number

of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

residents. We support Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander engagement through cultural

awareness and capacity training for our

operational staff, and the targeted

recruitment of Aboriginal or Torres Strait

Islander employees. We also seek to

engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander communities through our

partnerships with Indigenous Housing and

Health organisations, along with the

development of housing models to increase

home ownership opportunities for Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Children, Youth and Families

The Children, Youth and Families team’s

vision is for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander children, young people, families and

communities to be engaged, to feel valued

and respected, to have equal access to our

services and to achieve the best possible

outcomes. Children, Youth and Families is

committed to supporting the Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander engagement strategy

through service delivery that responds to the

principles of connection, inclusion and

participation. The fundamental goal of all

Children, Youth and Families programs is to

reduce potential barriers and to deliver

improved services for Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander young people, families and

communities. We will achieve this goal

through strengthening our relationship with

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,

organisations and communities. Our

commitment to developing the Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander engagement

strategy is an important step in

demonstrating our commitment to this goal.

Mission Development

Mission Development is committed to

building strong relationships with Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander people. We

support our Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander communities through our Aboriginal

Mission Action Partners who lead our team

and our organisation to build our cultural

capability. We seek to listen, reflect and then

empower communities toward the

aspirations they seek. It is our passion and

commitment to bring the light of Christ into

communities.

Supporting documents The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Strategy is further strengthened by the following documents:

Community Protocols Guide

Respectful Language Guide

These documents will provide staff with location based protocols and information to support culturally appropriate engagement, including baseline information to support appropriate communication and language terminology. You can access these on the Churches of Christ in Queensland website – cofc.com.au

http://www.cofc.com.au/

June 2017 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Strategy

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Key dates

26 Jan - Survival Day

26 May - National Sorry Day

27 May - 3 June - National Reconciliation

Week

3 June - Mabo Day

2-9 July - NAIDOC Week

4 August - National Aboriginal and

Islander Children’s Day

Related documents

Community Protocols Guide

Respectful Language Guide

Churches of Christ in Queensland

Strategic Plan 2015-2018

Reconciliation Action Plan 2017-2019

Churches of Christ in Queensland’s

statement supporting recognition of

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

peoples in the Australian Constitution

United Nations Declaration on the Rights

of Indigenous Peoples

National Indigenous Reform Agreement

Knowledge of previous government

policies relating to the “Stolen

Generations”

National Framework for Protecting

Australia’s Children 2009-2020

About Churches of Christ in Queensland

Churches of Christ in Queensland has a significant presence in Queensland, Victoria and

Vanuatu with over 200 services in more than 100 communities, positively impacting

thousands of lives each year. We operate a range of missional and community care

services to assist families, the elderly and people in need through church communities and

our care services groups operated through Churches of Christ Care and Churches of Christ

Housing Services.

Our purposeOur principlesConnectionInclusionParticipation

Our commitmentService deliveryHousing ServicesChildren, Youth and FamiliesMission Development

Supporting documentsKey datesRelated documents