Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Leadership

IEI Traineeship with Kabi Kabi Program, Aged Care and Communiy Services

The partnership between UnitingCare’s RAP team, The Kabi Kabi Peoples Aboriginal Corporation and the Property, Facilities, and Maintenance team, which has unfolded over the past 24 months to bring to life the Kabi Kabi Aboriginal Peoples Corporation Traineeship Partnership Program.

Guided by the leadership of Mick Pratt and John Coppola, with on-site supervision from Ken Fairweather and Peter Davies, partnered with continual holistic support from the RAP Team this transformative program empowers trainees with essential skills, qualifications, and invaluable experience to advance their careers.

As at February 2024, four dedicated trainees—Noah Marks, Graham Geymore, James Stanley, and Cecil Fisher are successfully working towards their Certificate III in Horticulture and are making a significant impact at Pinangba Ny-Ku Byun Elders Village, Murgon Community Centre and BlueCare Kingaroy.

The trainees are committed to nurturing healthy relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, promoting cultural respect and self-determination, and actively contributing to achieving our organisations RAP Action Items . Their connection and relationships with local Elders have been instrumental in tailoring services to meet the unique needs of residents and the wider community.

This initiative exemplifies the strength of inclusive and respectful leadership, the importance of fostering allyship, and the power of leveraging our organisational capabilities to enrich the communities we serve.

Renee Harrigan, Aged Care and Community Services

Beginning her journey with Pinangba’s Cape York Family Centre as an Administration Officer in 2014, Renee Harrigan has been dedicated to continuous learning and education, with a commitment to excellence. This saw her rising through the ranks, becoming Residential Service Manager in May 2023.

Renee embodies the qualities of a true leader. Her integrity, perseverance, and high standards inspire all who work with her. The service and team thrive under her leadership.  Under Renee’s direction CYFC now has improved health processes, increased efficiency, and enhanced team collaboration, with her innovative thinking enabling us to meet our goals and accreditation requirements.

A proud First Nations woman, Renee is committed to supporting the team to apply a cultural lens to all aspects of service provision and clinical work, alongside leading cultural events and mentoring other First Nations employees to reach their potential.  A role model for both the Pinangba family and the wider community, Renee is a true inspiration.

Healthy Communities

Aunty Beverley Muckan, Family and Disability Services

Working tirelessly for 13YARN, Aunty Beverley Muckan is committed to fostering healthy relationships between our organisation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Community and Culture. 

Aunty Bev's lived experiences and passion drives us all to collaborate to strive for better life outcomes for First Nation's peoples.

She engages on a personal and business level, always going above and beyond to share knowledge on culture, lore, practices, and ways of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Her self-determination and pride as an Aboriginal Elder around what has been overcome is testament to her strengths, courage, and wisdom.   

In the spirit of reconciliation Aunty Bev strives for equality and equity in the delivery of 13YARN, clearly showing a direct contribution to the national Closing the Gap targets via suicide prevention and better life outcomes for First Nations Peoples.

 Aunty Bev is positively engaged, serving as a true inspiration.

Eddie Longford, Aged Care and Community Services

A valued member of our Pinangba team, Eddie Longford - a proud Wiradjuri man and Aboriginal artist - is deeply passionate about advancing self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

He has been the driving force behind the Pinangba Cultural Governance Model and Framework which includes facilitating the establishment of Community Reference Groups across all Pinangba services, ensuring a strong, ongoing dialogue with staff and community members. This resulted in robust community engagement, with valuable feedback and guidance on service delivery, fostering both trust and collaboration.

Eddie has taken ownership of the journey towards reconciliation, actively working to empower communities and support their aspirations.

His work directly contributes to national Closing the Gap targets by delivering services and programs that address disparities and promote equality and equity. Through Eddie's initiatives, Pinangba has seen measurable improvements in health and social outcomes.

Eddie’s exemplary leadership has had a profound and lasting impact on the communities served by Pinangba.

St Stephen’s Hospital Executive Team, Hospitals

The team - Manager of Mission and Pastoral Care, Rev Keren Seto; General Manager, Peter Wood; and Director of Clinical Services, Kathleen Thorpe – is committed to building connections, relationships and promoting self-determination.

Rev Keren Seto created and led the ‘Walking Together’ project to establish a strong and meaningful relationship between the hospital and local Aboriginal health workers, and the local Butchulla community, ensuring services are tailored to meet community needs.

Peter and Kathleen’s initiative - an agreement that public patients from Hervey Bay Hospital can access healthcare provided by St Stephen's Hospital - addresses key health disparities faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

By focusing on preventative care, improving access to essential services, and addressing social determinants of health, the team has made significant strides towards closing the health gap.

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Leadership

Nikki Burns, Corporate Services

Nikki Burns works tirelessly behind the scenes, forging connections between UCQ and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups, during a landmark year for Indigenous Australian rights.

On numerous occasions Nikki has challenged herself to speak up and be a voice of influence, playing a pivotal role in ensuring all UnitingCare employees have opportunities to support and celebrate NAIDOC week and our First Nations peoples.

“Nikki has always been such a positive member of our UnitingCare community, and this has been strengthened this year as she has taken on more front facing leadership and advocacy.”

Kym Korbe, Corporate Services

Kym Korbe is a Koa and Kuku Yalanji woman with connection to Wakka Wakka Country, specifically Cherbourg, a Community that UnitingCare serves.  She is a dedicated and devoted First Nations leader who is unafraid to stand strong for her people and all Community. 

“Kym is tireless in ensuring culturally-appropriate ways of knowing, doing and being; and honours First Nations Elders above all.”

In a landmark year for Indigenous rights, Kym has fostered an environment where self-education conincides with guided discussions, story-telling and community events.  Kym consistently recognises and embodies UnitingCare's reconciliation value of self-determination for the First Nations peoples we serve and also our First Nations workforce.  She is dedicated to the empowerment and leadership pathways of First Nations employees within UnitingCare.  

Healthy Communities

Cape York Family Centre, Aged Care and Community Services

The Cape York Family Centre (CYFC) was purpose-built to deliver residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation services to families. The model utilises a modified systemic family therapy framework to provide an opportunity for a family to identify the addiction and its effects on the family unit, rather than isolating the addiction to an individual family member.

The service considers all family systems and subsystems impacted from the addiction and previous trauma; and works holistically with the family to prevent future use and repair relationships to support the ongoing recovery journey.

The CYFC is the only residential drug and alcohol service in Queensland to utilise the application of systemic family therapy within a drug and alcohol residential setting, inclusive of the family unit.

Community connections are paramount for CYFC: attending local interagency meetings to remain informed on local services and resources; working closely with the Department of Child Safety to keep children unified with their parents; regular meetings with local Traditional Owners, fostering an open and transparent relationship, and seeking feedback and input into the cultural program. CYFC are committed to enhancing employment opportunities for local Indigenous peoples, with approximately 60% of staff identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and two employees identifying as local Traditional Owners.

Cherbourg Safe House, Family and Disability Services

The Cherbourg Women's DV Safe House team work closely with Elders and the Justice Group to structure their program and build community recognition.

The service has built relationships with Cherbourg Aboriginal Council, DATSIPP, DJAG and other Cherbourg community services, to allow for Integrated Service Responses for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island women and children.

In addition to running the DV Prevention March and Candle Lighting Ceremony, the team has organised social events, bringing bring children, women and men together to yarn about healthy relationships, respect and the importance of families. The team work long hours to make these events successful, distracting from drug and alcohol missuse and promoting physical and mental wellbeing.

Another organisation brings their ‘Granny’ group to the service, encouraging knowledge sharing and healing: “Many of the Grannies that attend have been through the cycle of violence themselves, and are raising their grandchildren due to domestic violence happening in the family home. The process is building the women's strength in self-determining what happens in their own homes and family.”

The team also supports women and children's football teams to attend Queensland Murri Carnival; opening the opportunity for powerful conversations with young adults around respect and healthy relationships. “The more information that is given to the young people, the more knowledge they have in making self-determined choices in friendships and relationships.”

The team work towards Reconciliation each and every day, working with Indigenous and non-Indigenous clients.

Ny-Ku Byun Elders Village, Aged Care and Community Services

Ny-ku Byun Elders Village (NKBEV) is a Pinangba service based in Cherbourg on Wakka Wakka Country. The local council motto ‘Many Tribes, One Community’, is seen every day at NKBEV.

Elders often do not want to leave their homelands and to have a service that is still in their community amongst their families, culture and connections is a priority.

Elders are front and centre of everything the team does at NKBEV; when Cherbourg was severly impacted by floooding in 2022, staff came together for ‘an extended slumber party’, staying with the Elders for five days straight on a 24-hour rotating roster.

NKBEV arrange daily activities suggested by Elders, with a commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander custom and lore, enabling culture in care.

A safe cultural space has been created for Elders, through a commitment to employing First Nations peoples from the local community. The Service Manager is a Wakka Wakka man and more than 50% of NKBEV staff identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

NKBEV is well-known in the community and has strong partnerships with local community services including Cherbourg State School, CRAICCHS, Gundoo Daycare, local police, TAFE, Clontarf, Cherbourg Council and the Darling Down Health Service.

110-year-old Nan Eva said Ny-ku Byun Elders Village is her home away from home.

"I feel surrounded by love and support from within the community. I have everything I need here, and I couldn’t ask for anything more. We are like a big family and even though many people know that I come from out West, I feel like I belong here. I feel like I am respected here and so is my culture. I feel safe to voice my opinions at our resident meetings and I feel like I am heard.”