Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy Group

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy Group is a partnership between The National Scheme and the National Health Leadership Forum consisting of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector leaders and representatives from accreditation entities, National Boards, Ahpra and Ahpra's Board.

Co-Chaired by Mr Karl Briscoe, Chair of the National Health Leadership Forum and CEO of the National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners, and A/Prof Carmen Parter, member of the Ahpra Board, this group provides strategic oversight of the National Scheme’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Cultural Safety Strategy, in eliminating racism from healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in Australia's healthcare system. 

The group developed the National Scheme’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Cultural Safety Strategy 2020-2025, the Statement of Intent and baseline definition of cultural safety for the National Scheme (in partnership with the National Health Leadership Forum).

Communiqués from the group’s meetings are published on the Communiqués page after each meeting.

Meet the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy Group.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Cultural Safety Strategy

The strategy group, led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members, developed the strategy which is endorsed by 43 organisations, academics and individuals, including accreditation authorities who set the education standards for the 183,000 students who are studying to become registered health practitioners, and Ahpra and National Boards who regulate Australia’s 750,000 registered practitioners.

The strategy focuses on achieving patient safety for Aboriginal and Torres Islander Peoples as the norm and the inextricably linked elements of clinical and cultural safety.

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Cultural Safety Strategy 2020-2025 (3.11 MB,PDF)

Definition of cultural safety for the National Scheme

The strategy group, led by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members and in partnership with the National Health Leadership Forum, consulted on and finalised a baseline definition of cultural safety for use in the National Scheme. The consultation report is published on the Past consultations page.

Cultural safety definition

Principles

The following principles inform the definition of cultural safety:

• Prioritising the Ministerial Council’s goal to deliver healthcare free of racism supported by the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2013-2023
• Improved health service provision supported by the Safety and Quality Health Service Standards User Guide for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
• Provision of a rights-based approach to healthcare supported by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
• Ongoing commitment to learning, education and training

Definition

Cultural safety is determined by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, families and communities.

Culturally safe practise is the ongoing critical reflection of health practitioner knowledge, skills, attitudes, practising behaviours and power differentials in delivering safe, accessible and responsive healthcare free of racism.

How to

To ensure culturally safe and respectful practice, health practitioners must:

• Acknowledge colonisation and systemic racism, social, cultural, behavioural and economic factors which impact individual and community health.
• Acknowledge and address individual racism, their own biases, assumptions, stereotypes and prejudices and provide care that is holistic, free of bias and racism.
• Recognise the importance of self-determined decision-making, partnership and collaboration in healthcare which is driven by the individual, family and community.
• Foster a safe working environment through leadership to support the rights and dignity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and colleagues.

Statement of Intent

The National Scheme Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy Statement of Intent is a commitment between the 15 national health practitioner boards (the National Boards), the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra), accreditation authorities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector leaders and organisations.

The statement highlights our intent, and shared vision and values to achieve equity in health outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and other Australians to close the gap by 2031.

• Read the full Statement of Intent

Reconciliation Action Plan  

Ahpra is taking action across the organisation to meet its commitments from its second reconciliation action plan (RAP), which was launched at Innovate level in April 2021.

• Ahpra Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan 2021-2023 (4.97 MB,PDF)

Ahpra's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy 2020 – 2025

The Ahpra Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy 2020 – 2025 (Employment Strategy) is a key deliverable for The National Scheme’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Cultural Safety Strategy 2020–2025.

The goal of the employment strategy is to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation within Ahpra through the development of a culturally safe work environment, that reflects the diversity of the communities in which we operate and serve.

The employment strategy contains five priority areas to help achieve our goal:

1. Build a sustainable talent pipeline through attraction and recruitment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates.
2. Implement programs and culturally safe work practices which foster the retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees.
3. Invest in developing the capabilities and careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees, including representation in leadership and senior roles.
4. Develop culturally safe workplaces through education and culturally safe work practices.
5. Know the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce throughout Ahpra to encourage their engagement in the delivery of the employment strategy and goals.

• Ahpra Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy 2020-2025 (7.63 MB,PDF), Word version (81.6 KB,DOCX)