Recommendation 210

This recommendation is assigned to CSNSW.

Recommendation

That:

a. All employees of government departments and agencies who will live or work in areas with significant Aboriginal population and whose work involves the delivery of services to Aboriginal people be trained to understand and appreciate the traditions and culture of contemporary Aboriginal society;

b. Such training programs should be developed in negotiation with local Aboriginal communities and organisations; and

c. Such training should, wherever possible, be provided by Aboriginal adult education providers with appropriate input from local communities.

Context

The Royal Commission report noted education of non-Aboriginal people needs to extend to specific training schemes for people providing services for Aboriginal people. Training needs to account for institutional racism as distinct from individual racism.  Recommendation 210 is directed at ensuring service providers are appropriately trained to support a change in attitude from the non-Aboriginal community towards Aboriginal people.

Details of implementation

The Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) has the Aboriginal Cultural Capability Framework (ACCF) which includes a three day Connecting with Aboriginal Communities Training. The training is Aboriginal led, culturally safe, include local on Country visits, has local Aboriginal community involvement, with local relationships and local Aboriginal expertise. This is delivered in partnership with the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG). This is available to CSNSW staff if they elect to complete.

CSNSW provides training programs that are available for all internal staff to support cultural competence – developed and delivered by Aboriginal Strategy and Policy Unit and incorporated with local elder knowledge and experience. These include:

• Working with Culture and Diversity, which is a face-to-face course.
• the online Aboriginal Cultural Awareness short course, which is available via
  • Learning Management System; and
•  the Cultural Competency Program developed by SBS which is available via
  • Learning Management System.

A unit of competency supporting Aboriginal cultural competency aligned to specific role requirements is embedded within the Certificate IV in Correctional Practice for:

• Custodial Case Managers and Offender Services & Programs staff (CSCOFM005 Protect the safety and welfare of Aboriginal and Torres Strait offenders); and
• Community Corrections Officers (CSCOFM028 Provide support to offenders in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities).

Certificate IV in Correctional Practice includes a core unit of competency titled CSCORG006 Work effectively with culturally diverse offenders and colleagues. Key elements of this unit of competency include:

• reflecting cultural awareness in work practice;
• accepting cultural diversity as a basis for effective workplace and professional relationships;
• communicating effectively with culturally diverse persons; and
• resolving cross-cultural misunderstandings.

Community Corrections

Community Corrections also has a number of Aboriginal Community Engagement and Culture Officers who are based at offices to support Aboriginal offenders and provide expert cultural support. Another specific aspect of this role is to develop relationships with local Aboriginal communities, the role does not have any hands on case management function.

In November 2020 Community Corrections formed an Aboriginal Advisory Group (AAG). The AAG is made up of Aboriginal staff in various roles selected via an expression of interest process. The AAG meet monthly and provide advice to the Community Corrections Assistant Commissioner and Executive on various subjects such as Aboriginal workforce recruitment, retention, development; policy development; engagement of Aboriginal people on supervised orders; and partnerships across Government, non-government sectors.

Additionally, Community Corrections is currently delivering a program of work to improve performance in Community Corrections for Aboriginal people and communities. Under this program of work, Community Corrections is trialling different approaches to improving the Aboriginal cultural competency and local understanding of Community Corrections staff. Specific projects include:

• Local Aboriginal Cultural Engagement (LACE) Strategy in North NSW District which is led by a Project Officer and a steering group that includes ACECOs to provide frontline staff with localised knowledge and expertise and an opportunity to learn and Connect to Country in their local areas.
• Western NSW District is currently recruiting an Aboriginal identified Project Officer to lead local work and are investigating local Cultural Awareness Programs for frontline staff

Custodial Centres - Regional Aboriginal Programs Officers (RAPO)

CSNSW employs Regional Aboriginal Programs Officers (RAPO) in Correctional Centres. Their key accountabilities are:

• Establish and maintain local Aboriginal community relationships with correctional centres within the allocated region.
• Make recommendations on, and consult key stakeholders in relation to, the welfare of Aboriginal inmates, including the placement of Aboriginal inmates in programs/services and/or appropriate custodial locations or on segregation.
• Provide relevant support in accordance with CSNSW policy and practice to the families and communities of Aboriginal people who died in custody.
• Participate in, and coordinate proceedings of, Aboriginal cultural events and forums including NAIDOC and Aboriginal Inmate Delegate Committees.
• Engage with and motivate Aboriginal inmates, if required as part of their case plan, to participate in programs and services.
• Complete relevant case management notes on all interactions in with Aboriginal inmates on the CSNSW’s Offender Integrated Management System (OIMS).
• Provide advice regarding Aboriginal offenders that fall within scope of the Crimes (High Risk Offenders) Act 2006 and additional transitional support to these offenders reintegrating to the community.