Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy 2017-2019

The National Association of Community Legal Centres (NACLC) vision for reconciliation is an Australia where:

  • recognition of the history, identity, cultures and rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is universally affirmed
  • there is formal recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution and in other ways chosen by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including for example treaty or treaties
  • there is genuine and positive engagement by all levels of government with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities and organisations
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples design or co-design, manage and deliver programs and policies that affect them and their communities to overcome barriers and achieve outcomes and ensure access to justice

NACLC seeks to lead our sector in working towards such an Australia. We recognise the role and accept the responsibility NACLC can and should have in advancing and respecting the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and accept them by:

  • being guided by the experiences and perspectives of Aboriginal and TorresStrait Islander peoples
  • demonstrating and living reconciliation in our organisational culture, attitudes, structures, policies and activities
  • proactively undertaking and supporting advocacy and initiatives that promote and advance the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities
  • strengthening and maintaining collaborative partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community- controlled organisations, and
  • supporting our members and community legal centres to provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with equitable access to culturally safe legal services

As one element of NACLC’s commitment to giving practical effect to these commitments as an organisation, NACLC has developed this Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy

Strategy Purpose and Focus

This Strategy outlines the commitments that NACLC makes in order to increase its employment of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employees, and to ensure NACLC has a culturally safe and appropriate work environment more broadly.

This Strategy also aims to encourage and support CLCs to make similar commitments to the culturally appropriate recruitment and retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees and provide an example upon which CLCs might model their own Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategies.

The focus areas of the Strategy are:

  1. Creating a culturally safe and appropriate work environment and work practices
  2. Increased recruitment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees
  3. Supporting, developing and retaining Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees at NACLC
  4. Leading and supporting centres to create culturally safe work environments and recruit, support and retain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees

Note, the term ‘employee’ is used broadly throughout this Strategy, many of the actions could also apply to volunteers, governing body members, contractors and sub-contractors, consultants and similar.

Importantly, this Strategy is not intended to be an exhaustive overview of all NACLC’s actions or work in this area and should be read together with documents such as NACLC’s Strategic Plan, Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2017-2019, and Office Workplan.

Open the link to view (a PDF): Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy 2017-2019