Recommendation 178

This recommendation is assigned to CSNSW.

Recommendation

That Corrective Services make efforts to recruit Aboriginal staff not only as correctional officers but to all employment classifications within Corrective Services.

Context

The Royal Commission considered that the strategy of increasing the use of Aboriginal organisations for the provision of services to inmates should be accompanied by strategies designed to increase the number of Aboriginal people employed as mainstream staff in correctional institutions. Recommendation 178 is directed at increasing Aboriginal employment within correctional institutions. 

Details of implementation

Between 2012 and 2018, the representation of Aboriginal people in the DCJ workforce has increased from 4.6% to 5.9%, which is significantly higher than the 3.3% sector average and NSW Public Sector target of 2.6%. The Department has also achieved the NSW Public Sector aspirational target of 1.8% Aboriginal representation in all salary bands, with the exception of Clerk Grade 11/12 or equivalent.

Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) has an Aboriginal Employment Strategy. The Strategy will target recruitment across all grades, retention, career pathways, recognition of cultural contribution of Aboriginal staff and addressing racism through executive leadership and a cultural safety strategy. A target of 7.5% Aboriginal employment by 2025 within DCJ has been set.

The DCJ Yuranha Aboriginal Employment and Training Programs (YAE&TP) is an award-winning pre-employment program delivered by DCJ and TAFE NSW to prepare and educate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with interview and employment skills for roles within the Department of Communities and Justice.

YAE&TP is designed to prepare students for roles such as:

• Correctional Officer
• Community Corrections Officer
• Service and Programs Officer
• Youth Justice Officer

The course is full-time study to be completed via residential/online study.

Elsa Dixon Aboriginal Employment Grant

The Elsa Dixon Aboriginal Employment Grant (EDAEG) adopts a number of strategies to develop and support Aboriginal people through the creation of training and employment opportunities. Promoting diversity, innovation and service responsiveness in the NSW workforce, the Elsa Dixon Aboriginal Employment Grant subsidises the salary, development, and support costs of Aboriginal employees in public service agencies and local government authorities.

CSNSW Strategic Plan: Towards 2030

The CSNSW Strategic Plan: Towards 2030, released in October 2022, lists the following Key Performance Indicator (KPI):

• KPI 3 target: By 2030, increase the proportion of Aboriginal staff to 8%.

This indicator is aligned with the DCJ indicator and target for increasing Aboriginal staff across the Department. By 2030, increase the proportion of Aboriginal staff to 8% Current proportion of Aboriginal staff employed by CSNSW is 3.2%

One of the key priorities will be to attract, recruit and retain Aboriginal staff

• In 2022, the Aboriginal Strategy Directorate invited a range of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander staff members to form a working group to develop a Cultural Safety Framework for CSNSW. The framework aims to create a safe, inclusive, respectful and culturally competent work environment for all staff. The working group will meet again in Q3 2023 to continue drafting the framework. 
• In 2022, DCJ formed the Racism Taskforce to address racism as a strategic problem for the organisation. The taskforce developed an anti-racism strategy, which was approved by the Executive Board in March 2023. CSNSW has representatives on the taskforce to ensure that issues regarding racism within the department are raised and addressed.
• CSNSW is committed to the development and retention of Aboriginal staff members which aligns to the CSNSW Strategic Plan: Towards 2030. A key focus of this is the recognition of the unique cultural skill-sets that Aboriginal people bring to the department as employees.

The Corrections Aboriginal Mentorship Program (CAMP)

TAFE NSW has partnered with Corrective Services NSW to deliver the first Certificate III in Mentoring for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employees.

The Corrections Aboriginal Mentorship Program (CAMP) program is delivered at TAFE NSW Eora and is designed to equip correctional officers within custodial and community settings with the confidence and ability to act as mentors to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and to progress their career.

The Indigenous Cadetship Support Program

In early 2010, CSNSW joined the Australian Government’s Indigenous Cadetship Support (ICS) Program, administered by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR). The program links Indigenous tertiary students with employers in cadetship arrangements involving full-time study and work placements.

As the sponsoring employer, CSNSW provides cadets with a paid 12-week work placement each year (funded by CSNSW) and makes all necessary payments to the cadet, including the weekly study allowance and the yearly book and equipment allowance (funded by the DEEWR). CSNSW also provides the cadet with a mentor and maintains contact with the cadet outside of the work placement period. With the condition that the cadet meets all necessary academic and work performance requirements during their cadetship, CSNSW will offer the cadet a fulltime permanent job at the end of his/her cadetship in a career stream which aligns with their academic and work experience achievements. It must be noted, however, that whilst cadets successfully completing their course of study will be offered employment by CSNSW, cadets will be subject to standard probationary periods and are expected to follow all relevant policies, procedures and protocols and adhere to these during their work experience and probationary periods.