Priority populations

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

We developed our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in 2019 that guides our strategies and provides focus to increase our engagement with First Nations people 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. We are developing a new Innovate RAP to further deepen our engagement with First Nations People.

We also have a First Nations Employment Strategy to ensure we have inclusive employment practices. We can only achieve greater engagement and relevance to Indigenous Australian communities 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 guides our team 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, home care providers and with Indigenous Australian controlled aged care facilities. We also listen at more informal gatherings, such as meetings with Indigenous Australian 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 Indigenous Australians and the need for a First Nations Voice to Parliament protected by the Australian Constitution.

Support for First Nations people.

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 strive to remove any barriers to access our service and we 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 materials and information 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 and our services.

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.

Multilingual pages have been developed in fourteen languages commonly spoken by communities in New South Wales.

Access our multilingual information pages.

View and download our multilingual brochure.

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

Older people are some of society’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged. Our services endeavour to reach them and ensure 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 racially marginalised 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 are vulnerable to abuse. Seniors Rights Service strives to build awareness of our services amongst disadvantaged and vulnerable people across NSW, particularly to address all forms of abuse of older people.