At ARRCS, reconciliation remains an important part of who we are and how we work.

As a provider delivering services across remote, regional and urban communities, we recognise the rich cultures, histories and perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their enduring connection to Country, community and culture.

Through our services, partnerships and workforce, we are committed to creating environments where people feel respected, valued, safe and able to maintain connections to what matters most to them.

Over many years, ARRCS participated in the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) program. The RAP framework helped strengthen our understanding, capability and commitment to reconciliation, while guiding practical actions across the organisation.

Today, ARRCS continues this journey through a culturally informed approach that is embedded within our governance, leadership, service delivery and continuous improvement processes. Rather than operating through a stand-alone RAP, we now use Board-endorsed cultural competency and Cultural Management Plan frameworks to guide our work and support meaningful outcomes for the people, communities and regions we serve.

ARRCS defines cultural competence as the ability of an organisation, leader, manager or employee to work effectively in culturally diverse environments through actions, systems and practices that are culturally informed.

Our framework recognises that cultural competency exists across three interconnected areas:

Leadership

Building the willingness and ability to lead, make decisions and support others within a culturally diverse environment.

Individual Practice

Supporting employees to respectfully understand and work with the diverse cultural experiences of colleagues, residents, clients and communities.

Systems and Processes

Ensuring policies, procedures, systems and organisational frameworks are designed to meet the cultural needs of those we serve.

The framework promotes approaches that are empathetic, person-centred, collaborative, accountable and open to doing things differently when required to meet cultural needs.

Cultural Management Plans

ARRCS’s Cultural Management Plan (CMP) Framework provides a continuous improvement cycle that helps embed cultural competency into everyday operations.

The framework includes:

• Performance screening and review
• Collaborative planning with site leadership
• Risk management and quality assurance
• Cultural Advisory Committee engagement
• Implementation and monitoring of Cultural Management Plans
• Ongoing review and improvement processes

Through this approach, cultural considerations are integrated into planning, service delivery, governance and quality systems across ARRCS.

ARRCS acknowledges the important role our Reconciliation Action Plans have played in shaping our reconciliation journey and strengthening relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.

Previous Reconciliation Action Plans focused on:

• Relationships
• Respect
• Opportunities
• Governance

These plans laid important foundations that continue to influence how we work today.

Australian Regional and Remote Community Services (ARRCS) would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land that we provide services on, and acknowledge our gratitude that we share this land, our sorrow for all of the costs of that sharing, and our hope and belief that we can move to a place of equity, justice and partnership together.