Priority populations

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are the First Nations Peoples of Australia and we recognise their ongoing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging and acknowledge the unique position and contribution made by First Nations Peoples to our culture and our future. We recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in Australia and, as a rights-based organisation, we are committed to ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are active participants in our operations and activities and that we deliver culturally safe and responsive services to First Nations Seniors living in NSW.

We have a Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in 2019that guides our strategies and provides focus to increase our engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in all aspects of our work. Listening and learning about their needs and ensuring our services are appropriate and accessible is a priority for Seniors Rights Service. During 2021 we are developing a new Innovate RAP to further deepen our engagement with First Nations Peoples.

We also have a First Nations Employment Strategy to ensure we have inclusive employment practices. We can only achieve greater engagement with, and relevance to, older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples with the inclusion of First Nations staff. Building a team that is strong, open and diverse will improve our services for all clients.

Seniors Rights Service’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Protocols and Cultural Safety Plan provide guidance for staff to inform their work and practices. A main objective of these Protocols is to ensure that we are respectful of First Nations cultural beliefs and practices.

We celebrate events including Reconciliation Action Week, NAIDOC Week and the Yabun festival. Around NSW, we engage with First Nations people and communities through education and information sessions, at interagency meetings, though home care providers and with Aboriginal controlled aged care facilities. We also listen at more informal gatherings, such as meetings with Aboriginal Elders groups to hear what their concerns are and how our services can assist.

As an organisation we support the Uluru Statement From the Heart and recognise and support the sovereignty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the need for a First Nations Voice to Parliament protected by the Australian Constitution.

Seniors Rights Service is committed to a culture of inclusion where diversity is recognised, valued and embraced. We want to ensure that our services are appropriate and accessible to all people, no matter what their backgrounds are. Our Inclusion Plan formalises this commitment and will help us to build our capacity to increase the number of older people from diverse communities accessing and using our services and to ensure our workforce is representative of the diversity in our community.

All seniors across NSW should have the opportunity to participate in and contribute to the services, programs and activities of Seniors Rights Service. We will remove any barriers to access our service and we will listen and learn from older people from diverse backgrounds so that we can improve our understanding of their specific needs and respond appropriately.

Working with a range of multicultural community groups, we have developed radio ads in Arabic, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Hindi, Punjabi and Greek on issues such as the risks of entering into financial arrangements with family members, potential effects on pensions and legal rights.

Working with peak community bodies representing the Arabic, Chinese and Indian populations, we have developed a number of videos in community languages that specifically address issues of financial abuse of older people.

Our multilingual brochure is here.

To contact our Interpreter Service (TIS) call 131 450.

Older people are some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people in our society. Our services endeavour to reach them and ensure that they are supported with appropriate services and advice. While not all older people are vulnerable, many older people are more likely to have issues that lead to being vulnerable, including physical, cognitive and mental health issues, lack of adequate income and financial difficulties, homelessness, disability, and increasing isolation.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are more vulnerable to poverty and disadvantage than others and are the most disadvantaged people in Australia. Often Culturally and Linguistically Diverse people suffer disadvantage and isolation, especially if they are separated from family and their communities. Endemic racism and ageism within our society can combine to ensure that older people from these communities are especially vulnerable to disadvantage.

Our services prioritise people who are among the lowest income earners, are welfare recipients, are living in supported accommodation or aged care and who are vulnerable to abuse in all its forms, neglect, psychological, sexual, and financial. Seniors Rights Service strives to build awareness of our services amongst disadvantaged and vulnerable people across NSW, particularly in relation to what can be done to combat all forms of the abuse of older people.