Issue 3
30 May 2008

Contents

News

• NAIDOC Week 2008
• Seeking Proposals
• Barriers to Engagement

Contact us

• Feedback

News

NAIDOC Week 2008

In consultation with Rumbalara, the Service Access Coordinator has offered to provide assistance and support to engage our mainstream FaHCSIA funded services, in the Shepparton region, in this year’s event.

So we are seeking your suggestions and ideas about how you may like to be involved in NAIDOC Week. 

The aim of extending the engagement of FaHCSIA funded services is to increase Indigenous community awareness of what is available and to provide an opportunity for relationships to be further enhanced between mainstream and Indigenous organisations as well as the broader community.

A small amount of funding and NAIDOC week resources including posters, stickers and badges are available to support this initiative. 

NAIDOC week occurs between the 6th and 13th July and some early suggestions include:

• Collaborating to offer an information stall and engaging activity during the family fun day (e.g.: a ‘My Family’ Digi Art Stall – artworks can be then laminated, framed and displayed)
• An evening networking and professional development event for Indigenous and mainstream community service providers

Let me know your ideas and willingness to participate and I can liaise with Rumbalara to help support the celebrations.  Contact suzanne.rigney@fahcsia.gov.au

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Seeking Proposals

A proposal has been distributed to local Indigenous organisations in Shepparton inviting participation in the delivery of cultural competency development activities that we are planning to offer you and your staff between June and September this year.

Do you know any individuals or organisations that may be interested in submitting a proposal to provide these services?  Contact Suzanne to get a copy of the Proposal or refer someone today.

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Barriers to Engagement

One of the aims of the Service Access Coordination Project is to better enable mainstream service providers to identify potential barriers to involving Indigenous Australian’s in their services as clients and to help plan, deliver and evaluate the service itself.

As identified in the Queensland Health Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Engagement Manual some of these barriers are practical in nature and are therefore common to many ‘hard to reach’ population groups.  These may include considerations such as time, cost restraints, proximity, transport, staff diversity and language.

Other barriers to accessing a service are more intangible or harder to see.  These barriers may include:

• The level of confidence, capacity and experience Indigenous individuals may have, and which obviously varies widely
• The level of confidence, capacity and experience front line staff have effectively managing cultural difference
• How the type of service or organisation may be perceived due to long and short term historical factors or associations with past events
• The perceived or actual inclusiveness of materials related to service delivery

This list is not designed to be exhaustive but it notes the range of issues which the soon to be released Tool Kit for Service Providers will address. 

As noted by Queensland Health, “Service providers need to be aware of the factors that can constrain engagement with communities and take action to address them by reviewing and changing current policies and practices where necessary.”

To download a copy of One Talk, Queensland Health’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Engagement Manual go to the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health website.

 

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Feedback and Contributions

We want your feedback

Your feedback and contributions to Access e-news are welcome.

• Do you want to let others know about your successes?
• Or how you engage with Indigenous Australians to ensure services are inclusive? 
• Are there particular topics you would like covered in the next newsletter?
• Do you want to let other’s know about your organisation’s news?

Email your story ideas to access e-news.

• Do you have feedback on this e-news letter and the Shepparton Service Access Coordination Project?

Call the Service Access Coordinator, Suzanne Rigney on 1300 653 227.

 

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