Your voice matters in aged care
We are committed to listening to and learning from older people, their families, carers, aged care workers, providers and community representatives. Hearing from older people of all backgrounds, abilities, genders and sexual orientations is essential. It ensures our work is grounded in a dedication to equity, reflects real-world experience and people’s needs, and leads to better outcomes in aged care.
Our commitment to inclusive and respectful engagement
These four commitments guide how we work and how we build trust with the people and communities we serve:
- Listening to lived experience: We listen to the voices of older people, their families and carers. Their experiences help us understand what is really happening and guide how we do our work. For us, it’s not just consultation. We seek meaningful engagement, where we actively reflect on what we have heard and show how it influences what we do. We aim for dadirri – a concept described in the language of Aboriginal peoples from the Daly River region in the Northern Territory meaning inner, deep listening and quiet, still awareness. Dadirri is a respectful practice of paying attention, being present, and connecting with others.
- Equity-driven engagement: Through our dedication to identifying inequities in aged care we prioritise safe, appropriate and trauma-informed engagement. We seek out the voices of those who are often heard the least. We are committed to meaningful consultation with people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, people of all abilities, people of diverse genders and sexual orientations, and those who have experienced trauma, especially institutional trauma.
- First Nations engagement: Our First Nations engagement reflects the priority reforms of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. We do not approach this work with a ‘we know best’ mindset, and we do not consult on pre-determined outcomes. We commit to being fair and inclusive, transparent and open in our engagement with First Nations people. We seek to maintain ongoing relationships with First Nations people. We centre reciprocity and ensure our engagement is not extractive. We support meaningful participation and incorporate diverse perspectives in shaping policies and recommendations. Wherever possible, we work in partnership with the First Nations Aged Care Commissioner, and we engage with First Nations people from early scoping through to final recommendations.
- Clear and transparent communication: We share what we find through reports, updates and educational material. We make sure this information is easy to access and understand. This helps build trust and keeps people informed. We aim to model the transparency that we seek from others and look for opportunities to share our work as widely as possible. Our communication is designed to influence change and make an impact. We look for creative ways to promote our messages so they’re clear and easy to understand.
Our engagement principles in practice
We want every person who engages with us to feel respected, heard and included. These principles guide the way we work.
| Engagement principle | What we do in practice |
|---|---|
| 1. Inclusive and fair engagement | We make sure all voices are heard, especially older people and others who may face barriers to participation. We seek input from individuals, families, carers, aged care workers, providers and the broader community, with a focus on reaching underrepresented groups. |
| 2. Accessible and respectful participation | We use plain English, offer information in different formats (like Easy Read and translated materials), and give people different ways to take part online, in person or in any format that makes them feel comfortable. We are culturally respectful and adapt our approach to meet different needs. We are trauma-informed in the way we engage. |
| 3. Timely and purposeful engagement | We engage early enough for people to help shape our work. We give enough notice and clearly explain the purpose of each activity so people can prepare and feel their time is valued. |
| 4. Open communication and feedback | We are open about what we are doing and how people’s input will be used. We provide updates and explain what decisions were made as a result of engagement. |
| 5. Ongoing collaboration and learning | We build long-term relationships and work together with stakeholders to understand issues and co-design solutions. We reflect on every engagement and use what we learn to improve. |
How our commitments and principles work together
Our commitments are the values that guide everything we do. The principles are the practical steps we take to bring those values to life in our engagement. Together, they help make sure that our work is inclusive, transparent, and focused on what matters most to older people and those who care for them.
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