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A new way of leading at Red Cross
by Susan Cullinan ustralian Red Cross has introduced a new leadership model to guide its work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and staff. At the centre of the model is a new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel made up of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff members from around the country. The panel is guided by two co-chairs – one male and one female – one of whom sits on the National Leadership Team. Co-chairs Michael White (pictured) and Rachael Schmerl said the new collective leadership approach is more aligned with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ cultures. “It also introduces a formal system where the approximately 100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff around the country can feed in to a comprehensive evidence base to help direct and support Red Cross in its important work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” Mr White said. Red Cross offers a wide range of programs in a large number of communities, as part of the organisation’s strong commitment to work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. These range from nutrition, food security and healthy living programs to family wellbeing and employment support, in communities from remote Australia to regional and metropolitan areas. Ms Schmerl said that the panel brings a diverse range of knowledge and perspectives to the table. “As an organisation, a focus on evidence has become an important part of ensuring the quality of our services. The advisory panel’s work is founded on the breadth of evidence it will provide to the
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organisation. “For the panel, the evidence it bases its advice on is not always found in hard data, research papers and surveys but found rather in the less tangible realm of relationships, kinship and cultural connections. It is this form of evidence that is naturally at the disposal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our organisation and the type of evidence that provides rich, current and sensitive insight into our work with Indigenous peoples. “It is often this type of evidence that is overlooked in working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples and it can make a real difference in the sustainability of outcomes within our services.” As well the panel will: • provide advice on key national programs where Red Cross works with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people • give strategy advice for Red Cross • provide leadership development opportunities to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and • assess and report on the organisation’s cultural proficiency. Page 1