Achieving greater national consistency for the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Worker and Health Practitioner workforce
This project will result in greater national consistency for the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Worker and Health Practitioner professions. It will be achieved through a national consultation process which will result in the delivery of recommendations on national minimum scopes of practice and the harmonisation of regulations governing the workforce across jurisdictions.
Project Background
The need for a national minimum scope of practice supported by harmonised legislation has been a goal of the workforce for decades. The need was first acknowledged in government policy over ten years ago in the Health Workforce Australia Final Report. It was then made a commitment by the COAG Health Council in August 2018. Following this, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce Strategic Framework and Implementation Plan 2021–2031 (National Workforce Plan) was developed by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in partnership with the federal government.
Implementation Strategies 1.1 and 1.2 of the National Workforce Plan relate to the harmonisation of legislation and establishment of a national Scope of Practice by 2026:
- Strategic Direction 1.1 - Revise, expand and nationally standardise the professional scopes of practice for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners.
- Strategic Direction 1.2 - Harmonise medicines authorities across all jurisdictions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners, aligned to the defined professional scopes of practice.
NAATSIHWP shares responsibility for the leadership of Strategic Direction 1.1 with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner Board of Australia, supported by several other sector stakeholders including State, Territory and Federal Governments.
This project is funded through the Health Sector Strengthening Virtual Funding Pool administered by the National Indigenous Australians Agency.
Project timeline
This project will be completed in December 2024. It will involve the delivery of:
- a research-based Gap Analysis in January 2024
- 27 face-to-face and 5 online consultations with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Health Practitioners between April and September 2024
- a Final Report, recommendations and draft scopes of practice in December 2024
NAATSIHWP is partnered with the University of Queensland Poche Centre for Indigenous Health to deliver the consultations and final research report. We are proud to be working with a team of deadly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous researchers. During our consultations, you will meet Janet Stajic (a Yidinji-Jirrbal woman and former Aboriginal Health Worker), Professor Roxanne Bainbridge (a Gunggari/Kunja woman), and Robert Monaghan (a descendant of the Bundjalung and Gumbayngirr nations and former Aboriginal Health Worker).
Yarns summaries
Our national yarns have now concluded. Thank you to the hundreds of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers, Health Practitioners, and their direct line managers who gave up their valuable time to share their expertise. Summaries of the yarns in each state and territory can be found below:
Governance
This project is owned by the NAATSIHWP Board and overseen by a Project Steering Committee of high level stakeholders. The project is also supported by a broader Advisory Group of stakeholders and workforce knowledge-holders who provide insight and guidance in relation to project logistics.
Summaries of Advisory Group meetings are available here:
- Advisory Group Meeting 1
- Advisory Group Meeting 2