Cultural consciousness essential for change

Cultural consciousness essential for change

By Lee Fagan

The following is the second in a series in which we will be exploring cultural consciousness and what it means for our sector.

As a student of the Australian public school system in the 1980s, I was fascinated by the stories of the early Australian explorers and how they braved the outback and the wilds of Australia to forge new routes across the land for the progress of Australia’s economy and eventual national identity.

I was plied with textbook stories in my Australian history and social studies classes of how these explorers and surveyors who were acting in the national interests had to contend with extreme weather and survival conditions whilst combating the ‘savages’ or ‘natives’ of the land along the way.

This was a fantasy that many of us indulged in. Why?

Because we could.

The romanticisation of the First Australians into the ‘other’ resulted in many Australians believing that they were hunter gatherers, nomads in a land where they roamed from coast to coast without check, a paradox who posed a mere hindrance to the advancement of society and progress at the time, despite being portrayed as a tangible threat.

Thankfully, after an extended period of social and national awareness in which significant events punctuated the Australian sense of identity and began bringing First Nations peoples into the Australian psyche (such as the formation of the Australian Aboriginal Progressive Association (1924), the Australian Aboriginal League (1934), the Aborigines Progressive Association (1937), the Day of Mourning and Protest (1938) and the 1967 Referendum etc.), it became apparent that First Nations peoples were not hunter gathers with wanderlust or a bad case of boredom.

It was realised that they were nationals of their own accord in their own nations, with their own set of government, beliefs and society that managed to exist and thrive in the vast and diverse geography of Australia, with the ability to coalesce their contemporary interests into something more serving, often with impact.

The realisation in my teenage years of this was by increasingly significant social and cultural shifts as well as an increased media exposure on First Nations issues and events.

As an adult I looked back and realised not just how sanitised that era of primary school learning was for me, but it also made me realise how lacking my knowledge was on my other First Nations states throughout not just Queensland but also Australia.

Legacy

There are many turning points in our society for this change, many of which are modern-day responses to this misconception about Australia’s First Nations.

Some pivot points were the national and international social justice movements, an increase in First Nations advocates and champions who fought for rights and access for First Nations peoples. These campaigns were underpinned by the ever-changing political landscape, which saw conservative and liberal governments march interchangeably through our political junctures.

But I think there was a subtler change occurring amongst this sociopolitical tidal movement.

I think Australians in general wanted to become more invested in a relationship of mutual connection and understanding with the First Nations peoples.

Awareness

The concept of sharing is intrinsic in many First Nations cultures. The belief and practice that not one person owns something for themselves but shares all things for everyone is a central tenet of such communal societies.

I am not sure when the first formal cultural awareness course was incepted. I have tried to find when and where it happened, but time is too far gone to effectively pinpoint that period where it came into being and was delivered with certainty to a well-intentioned population.

What I can be sure of though is that cultural awareness in its simplest form was always present in our society. As long as there were people willing to understand and learn about First Nations cultures and their history, there were the champions and educators willing to share.

As I highlighted in my first piece, the purpose of cultural awareness is to create a space in which to engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities with an understanding of the differences and issues that have impacted them.

Looking at how far we have come as a society from the fearmongering and exotification of the past, to willingly celebrating the highs of First Australians being represented on the world stage, certainly highlights the enthusiasm shown in learning and understanding about other cultures. It also shows us the road ahead for many of us who wish to engage with respect and humility with those who hold the legacy of past assumptions and misdirection that was imposed upon our First Nations forebears.


Disputing tenancy database listings - new training this November

Disputing tenancy database listings - new training this November

No one who is listed on a tenancy database like TICA should remain on that list where the listing is due to domestic family violence.

Tenants Queensland’s DFV Sector Capacity Building Project can assist workers supporting women experiencing DFV with tenancy advice. The DFV Helpdesk provides specialist tenancy advice for DFV and related services with a dedicated phone advice line to support services working with women affected by DFV.

Online training is also available to assist workers to understand their options when it comes to disputing tenancy database listings. Join us for two upcoming training sessions this November by submitting an Expression of Interest form here.    

A person can apply to the tribunal to have a tenancy database listing removed where it is unjust under the circumstances. Listings arising from domestic and family violence are certainly considered unjust. This involves an application to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal and a small filing fee, which can be waived in cases of financial hardship.

Earlier this year, project worker Rose Brown worked with a specialist DFV worker from a High-Risk Team on behalf of Sarah.* One of the ways her partner exerted control in the relationship was by insisting Sarah was always the one to sign the tenancy agreement for their rental property. She was listed on TICA due to a debt for damage he had caused. Sarah had even paid the debt but the TICA listing remained.

Sarah was staying at a women’s shelter and would have been able to afford rent in the private rental market but was refused a rental property continually because of the TICA listing. With a long waiting list for social housing, Sarah did not have a lot of options for more permanent accommodation.

Together with Amelia* the High-Risk Team worker, Rose prepared the application to the tribunal, drafted statements, suggested evidence and drafted a letter of support. Amelia and Sarah organised a copy of the TICA listing from another local service, sourced copies of receipts and other evidence. Sarah made copies of the application and submitted it to the local courthouse. The agent then contacted Sarah and removed the listing without the need for a hearing.

It’s always worth disputing a listing – sometimes agents are not interested in attending hearings and the woman has a good chance of getting an order to have the listing removed.

If you are supporting any clients who have a tenancy database listing or are concerned about a listing, please contact Rose on 3708 4833 or send an email to roseb@tenantsqld.org.au

*Names changed for the purposes of this article

 

Tenants Queensland free state-wide advice service for tenants

1300 744 263

Advice hours: 9:00am – 5:00pm Monday to Friday

Extended hours: to 7:00pm Tuesday and Wednesday

 


Action Learning for Inclusion with Daile Kelleher, CEO at Children by Choice

Action Learning for Inclusion with Daile Kelleher, CEO at Children by Choice

Recently WorkUP Queensland had the opportunity to speak to Daile Kelleher, Chief Executive Officer at Children by Choice. Below are some highlights from our yarn about her involvement in the ongoing Action Learning for Inclusion process.

WorkUP Queensland: What drew your interest to take part in the action learning process?

Daile: Two of our staff attended the ‘Same, Same but Different’ forums on inclusion and thought it was a process that was an incredibly valuable opportunity for learning. We saw that it needed to be taken seriously by leadership. I made the decision to come on board. It’s a commitment as an organisation, it’s a long-term thing.

WorkUP Queensland: Tell us about the project you will be working on as part of the action learning process.

Daile: We are doing our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). We had talked about this as important and realised it takes resources and time. We wondered how we do it in the best possible way and with a small workforce. We’ve already formed an internal working group and talked to the management committee about their involvement and commitment. The next few months will be about reflecting on what we do currently. We want to have the foundations down for a draft RAP… to consider submitting to Reconciliation Queensland.

WorkUP Queensland: Describe how your service will look when you have paved the way for greater inclusivity?

Daile: For us it’s about the resources, education, access and awareness raising. We are the only ‘all options pregnancy service’ – in this way we are unique. All our outwards-facing resources need to be culturally safe and supportive.

WorkUP Queensland: How do you plan to celebrate the success of your project?

Daile: Weaving it into what we do would be a success. Celebrating the formative stages of moving forward but also making it part of core business and embedding this way of working.

 

Thank you to all those involved in our action learning – we hope to continue sharing their stories.


Join us this Children’s Week

Join us this Children’s Week

Children’s week is held annually on the fourth Wednesday of October. The Children’s Week Council of Australia strongly advocates for and promotes the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The theme this year is based around article 15 which states:

‘Children have the right to meet with other children and young people and to join groups and organisations, as long as this does not stop other people from enjoying their rights.’

In total there are 54 articles in the Convention. One of the most basic human rights principles is the right to live free from the threat of violence. Article 19 of the UNCRC articulates this right for every child and obliges States Parties to take appropriate measures to protect the child from all forms of violence.

In recognition of the rights of the child and to support their safety, WorkUP Queensland is hosting an upcoming series, Supporting Safety: Children and young people in the gendered violence context in collaboration with Queensland Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research. You can register for these workshops here.

Being familiar with the UNCRC can support our work within the revised practice standards for the domestic and family violence sector. The revised practice standards are informed by theoretical frameworks of social justice, where we seek better outcomes for victims of violence, including children, and human rights approaches that encourage the knowing and claiming of rights.


We're hiring

Project Officer – WorkUP Queensland

The Healing Foundation is seeking a part-time Project Officer for WorkUP Queensland.

This position in Reporting and Events contributes to achieving the outcomes and objectives of WorkUP Queensland by working collaboratively with the domestic and family violence, sexual violence and women’s health and wellbeing sector to provide Queenslanders with a strategic, well-trained and strongly supported workforce that will help in the fight to end violence.

Role and responsibilities:

  • prepares timely reporting on WorkUP Queensland engagement and delivery to effectively communicate performance and impact for stakeholders, governance bodies and contract managers
  • collaborates with WorkUP Queensland team members to provide event management for the delivery of a suite of state-wide capacity and capability-building strategies both directly and through sub-contractors
  • supports the development and ongoing maintenance of databases and event management systems to support reporting and delivery of WorkUP Queensland
  • collaborates with other Healing Foundation staff and contractors to ensure effective delivery and integration of knowledge
  • establishes and maintains strong, effective and culturally appropriate relationships with project stakeholders
  • complies with Healing Foundation policies on trauma and healing and ensures open communication on trauma and healing issues with staff
  • identifies and raises project resource issues with Healing Foundation management in a constructive and solutions-focused manner
  • supports the implementation of team goals, works collaboratively and builds effective relationships with other members of the team and seeks ongoing support from their supervisors and other team members.

To apply for this role, please email hr@healingfoundation.org.au by 14 October 2020 with your resume and a short (maximum 2 page) summary explaining why you are the best person for the role.

Click here to download the position description, including essential criteria.


Don’t forget to ask yourself: Are you okay?

With R U OK day today, we thought it was timely to share what we have learnt…

Trent Savill is a consultant therapist and the Director of Complex Care. Trent has delivered a range of workshops for WorkUP Queensland including self-care, working with children and adjusting to COVID-19. We asked Trent to share some reflections and top five tips from the wellbeing and COVID-19 workshops. 

Working in the domestic and family violence sector exposes professionals to a whole range of stressors, potentially on a daily basis and it’s important for ourselves and for our clients that we take care of ourselves. Additionally, COVID-19 has brought a whole range of new stressors for our clients and for us as practitioners. Cumulative exposure to crisis, risk, and trauma can start to impact on our mental health, slowly shifting us towards higher levels of physiological arousal.

The greatest challenge is continuing to invest in self-care and wellbeing strategies, even when we are time-poor or under increased stress. Here are some tips to embed self-care into our daily lives.

Creating routines, rules or rituals – can help change habits.

  1. Sleep: For healthy functioning, our brain needs to get 8 hours of solid sleep on a regular basis, as it is towards the end of our sleep cycle that we have the most REM sleep. Creating rules around bed-time, such as no technology in bed, can break habits that contribute to poor sleep. Making rules around caffeine intake, such as not drinking coffee after 12pm can also support this. Even building a routine around going to bed one night a week can go a long way in maintaining your mental health.
  2. Exercise: Find exercise that you enjoy and plan it into your week. Research shows that exercising for 30 minutes per day at vigorous intensity can completely burn off excess cortisol from our body, that we would otherwise be carrying in our system for 2-3 days. It also releases calming hormones and neurotransmitters, improving mood and promoting positive emotions. Exercising with a friend has the added bonus of keeping you connected.
  3. Diet: We all know about the benefits of a healthy diet for our body’s physical wellbeing, but we often don’t consider its impact on our mental health and mood. 95% of our Serotonin  (feel good happiness chemical) is actually produced by the micro-flora in the lining of our gut. Try to avoid eating too much processed foods, particularly foods high in sugar, sodium and fat. Eating fresh fruit and vegetables rich in vitamins, and foods with anti-inflammatory properties like turmeric, ginger and garlic, are associated with promoting brain health and positive mood.
  4. Mindfully monitoring: Working in this sector can place us at higher risk of compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma and emotional constriction. Some people may notice that they are holding the emotions of others in their body, or that they leave their feelings at the door when they step into a session or pick up the phone. We want to resonate with our clients’ experiences so they feel genuinely connected and not alone in those big feelings. There are also times where we need to step back to provide containment and hold a space for them and ourselves. This process of actively attempting to not feel, in many ways, goes against the connections of our brain and nervous system, and repetitive attempts to step away from what we are experiencing can start to lead us towards feeling increasingly numb.If you are frequently having moments where you need to leave your feelings at the door, make sure you have strategies for picking them back up on the way out. This could mean setting up daily prompts on your phone that cue you to pause, take a deep breath and notice what you are feeling Mindfulness apps allow you to program these prompts into your day so that you can engage in calming and centring activity that reconnects you with your emotions.
  5. Transition rituals: Planning transition rituals, that signal the end of your work-day and support you to leave it behind, can be really important to maintaining our self-care and relationships with others. This may involve taking some time on your commute home to reflect and process the day, and then playing a particular song to symbolise your decision to leave that stress until tomorrow. If working from home, it may be that you take your dog for a walk to decompress or have a shower and change your clothes to symbolise that transition.

This content is an excerpt from a longer piece written in the context of COVID 19 response, click here to read the full article. 

Authored by Trent Savill, Complex Care after WorkUP Queensland Professional Development events
(held on 19 April and 11 May 2020) 


Save the Date! SPARK webinar #3 Examining Whiteness and Racism 30 September, 12pm

Save the Date! SPARK webinar #3 Examining Whiteness and Racism
30 September, 12pm

The global Black Lives Matter demonstrations have uncovered some unsettling, raw and painful truths in Australia. For Aboriginal people and people of colour, this moment is part of a centuries-old fight against colonisation, white privilege and institutionalised racism.

Dr Tracy Castelino will deliver this SPARK webinar drawing on her 20 years of experience working to challenge and eliminate racism. She will explore how white ways of relating, of speaking intentions of solidarity, whilst important, reinforce the status quo: institutionalised whiteness.

This SPARK webinar offers the opportunity to explore the critical issues of responding to racism and institutionalised white privilege. Tracy will focus on naming the politics of whiteness, highlighting the benefits and unintentional pitfalls of solidarity and anti-racist work, and how we can use this moment to disrupt the way racism systematically destroys our relations with each other and ourselves.  Participants will also have the opportunity to reflect on what this means for themselves and their practice.

We invite you to join us to explore how we can use this moment in time to disrupt racism and step in to find new ways to relate to ourselves and to each other.


Advanced Leadership - leading complex systems starting on 13 October 2020

Advanced Leadership - leading complex systems starting on 13 October 2020

Only five places left - please register soon!

Building on from the recently held Growing in leadership series for emerging leaders, we are excited to be offering an important peer learning opportunity specifically designed for experienced leaders, managers and executive leaders across sexual violence, women’s health and wellbeing and domestic and family violence services.

This virtual workshop series will unpack and hone advanced leadership skills, attributes and behaviours that support the complex nature of executive leadership. Prepare for a collective deep dive into tricky and complex issues!
This two part series will be presented and facilitated by Gabrielle Borggaard Nicholson from Inner Vision Consulting. Gabrielle recently stepped out of a decade long CEO role to pursue her passion to support NGO’s, departments, leaders and practitioners to realise their vision. For more information go to: https://workupqld.org.au/whats-on/


Updated Q&A's for Panel of providers

Panel of providers

WorkUP Queensland is commencing a Standing Offer Arrangement (SOA) to establish a panel of providers to deliver professional development services for the domestic and family violence, sexual assault and women’s health and wellbeing sector.

The procurement process has been developed with independent advice for the purpose of ensuring accountability, transparency, and equity and with a view to identifying what alternative’s and options are available to support the sector in the provision of professional development services.

Establishing a panel will enable WorkUP Queensland to draw upon experts that provides the sector with professional development that is:

  • highly engaging and relevant to the contemporary environment content
  • designed to support sector collaboration
  • agile and timely
  • delivered by acknowledged experts
  • high-quality
  • value for money
  • responsive to sector needs
  • locally available
  • flexible and delivered through a range of channels
  • delivered in line with WorkUP Queensland’s learning principles

If you know of professional development providers who reflect the above please feel free to send them this link for the Standing Offer Arrangement, or invite them to contact us by email workforce@healingfoundation.org.au

For more information, please read the Q&A sheet.

We have received some feedback in regards to opening and saving the document using various different browsers. To ensure no work is lost, we recommend you follow these steps:

  1. Open the document from the website;
  2. Download the document and save as new name on your system;
  3. Then open the document in Adobe to complete the document and keep saving.

 

 


Panel of providers - updated Q&A's

Panel of providers

WorkUP Queensland is commencing a Standing Offer Arrangement (SOA) to establish a panel of providers to deliver professional development services for the domestic and family violence, sexual assault and women’s health and wellbeing sector.

The procurement process has been developed with independent advice for the purpose of ensuring accountability, transparency, and equity and with a view to identifying what alternative’s and options are available to support the sector in the provision of professional development services.

Establishing a panel will enable WorkUP Queensland to draw upon experts that provides the sector with professional development that is:

  • highly engaging and relevant to the contemporary environment content
  • designed to support sector collaboration
  • agile and timely
  • delivered by acknowledged experts
  • high-quality
  • value for money
  • responsive to sector needs
  • locally available
  • flexible and delivered through a range of channels
  • delivered in line with WorkUP Queensland’s learning principles

If you know of professional development providers who reflect the above please feel free to send them this link for the Standing Offer Arrangement, or invite them to contact us by email workforce@healingfoundation.org.au

For more information, please read the Q&A sheet.