Ageing Aboriginal people and those with a disability, and their carers and families, are set to benefit from a new government initiative.

One of the most significant advances in the provision of specialist support services for older Aboriginal people and Aboriginal people with a disability was launched last month.

Called the Aboriginal Cultural Inclusion Framework, the project has been developed in recognition of the need to improve reporting and accountability of services provided to Aboriginal people with a disability, their families and carers.

The framework will guide Ageing, Disability and Home Care’s (ADHC) services for Aboriginal people over the next five years, and provides five key strategies to bring about improved outcomes:

• Aboriginal communities will be engaged and included in all aspects of service development, planning and delivery;
• Services will develop their capacity to provide culturally competent services that meet the needs of Aboriginal families and their communities;
• Innovative and flexible service planning and delivery will focus on the needs of Aboriginal people;
• Aboriginal workforce participation will be increased in services operated and funded by ADHC; and
• Culturally specific resources will be developed to increase awareness of, and access to, services by Aboriginal people and communities.

Minister for Disability Services, Andrew Constance, said improvements in the lives of frail older Aboriginal people and Aboriginal people with disability would be achieved as a result of Aboriginal Home Care’s continued expansion and enhancement under the framework.

“In addition, individualised support packages will be rolled out progressively across all ADHC regions through a program called Services Our Way, which is aimed at improving service access and delivery for Aboriginal people with a disability,” he said.

Mr Constance also spoke about ADHC’s newly released Aboriginal Employment Strategy, which aims to increase the employment of Aboriginal people in its workforce to 10 per cent by 2015.

This includes the implementation of innovative approaches such as the Aboriginal Home Care Trainee Program and the recruitment of 180 Aboriginal disability support workers over the next two years.

“However, we recognise that the employment of more Aboriginal people is not simply about achieving targets,” Mr Constance said.

“Rather it is about providing equity, long lasting positive change and, most of all, it is about overcoming disadvantage in Aboriginal communities, which will be supported by this new framework.”