Serco Asia Pacific Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan July 2017 - June 2019 Serco Asia Pacific Reconciliation Action Plan 2017-19 1
Introduction from Mark Irwin CEO, Serco Asia Pacific I am delighted that the Serco Asia Pacific (Serco) Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) has been developed as the next step in Serco s long association with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Across Australia, through its various contracts with Government and partnership arrangements with like-minded entities, Serco has worked with, assisted and helped deliver initiatives and positive outcomes for Australia s First Peoples. We believe that reconciliation will best be met by recognising the past, addressing issues currently affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and creating opportunities across the full spectrum of human endeavour. Artwork acknowledgement The artwork featured on the cover, on page four and bordering other pages has been created specifically for the Serco Reconciliation Action Plan. Each was produced by young artists while residents at the Wandoo Reintegration Facility in Perth. Connection to culture and land through art is a key factor encouraging young Aboriginal men in our care to see opportunity in life that does not include crime. The cover artwork is called Hands and was painted by Joseph Moody Jackamarra. The linked hands represent reconciliation through connectedness. The image on page four and bordering other pages is called Cultural Australia by Justin Abraham. The Wargkal (snake) represents the traditional time line though to the contemporary. The coloured hands represent all cultures living together in Australia. We thank both artists for the paintings which hang proudly in Wandoo as a symbol of Reconciliation now and in the future. Serco will play an important role helping close the gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In particular, Serco will target increased employment and business opportunities, and align strategies with our values of Trust, Innovation, Care and Pride. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians will always be an important part of Serco s workforce. This RAP provides a blueprint to empower; ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are given every opportunity to succeed and receive a fair go. We believe in, and are committed to, ensuring that any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person, either employee or someone under our care, aspire to build life-long careers that provide for financial and social stability in theirs and their families lives. We deliver innovative programs, in Australian corrective service operations and other business areas to build vital skills and competencies to create a more sustainable future for individuals associated with or under Serco s care. In the community we are focused on building sustainable relationships, enduring respect and being transparent in creating real and meaningful opportunities. Our strategy to build all-embracing targets allows each business area to develop goals and targets specific to the needs of their own specific Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups and individual clients. Achieving our RAP targets will show Serco to be not only a company of good intentions, but also one capable of delivering real outcomes for the betterment of all employees and the communities in which we live and work. Our journey has started and I look forward to providing regular updates on our progress. Mark Irwin CEO, Serco Asia Pacific 2 Serco Asia Pacific Reconciliation Action Plan 2017-19
Our Vision for Reconciliation Our vision for reconciliation is to enact our core values of trust, care, innovation and pride in service delivery, career development and business partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Who we are Serco Asia Pacific is proud to be part of the international organisation Serco plc. We have been providing diverse outsource services to governments across Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong for almost 30 years, across Citizen Services, Defence, Healthcare, Immigration, Justice and Transport. What truly differentiates Serco from our competitors is our employees backgrounds, skills and experiences and how we deliver our services. Our values of Trust, Innovation, Care and Pride embed the critical human dimension to the essential services we deliver every day. Our proven history and our everyday achievements are the basis of our foundation in knowing the future of Australia lies in its diversity and inclusiveness. Engagement with and connectivity to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people must form part of this inclusiveness. Our aim is to ensure the services we deliver today lead to sustainable benefits for generations to follow and assist to grow stronger communities. We have a workforce of more than 8,000 people across Australia. We employ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders across many of our contracts, and as part of this RAP we will improve our recording and knowledge of our workforce, which will inform employment and professional development strategies. We strive to deliver excellence every day with a strong focus on the safety of our people and the financial performance of our business. It is this commitment that enables the creation of rewarding careers for our people and creates sustainable partnerships for today and tomorrow. Our history of service and our business ethos makes us confident our RAP will assist to develop our business with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Americas UK/Europe Middle East Asia Pacific Serco Asia Pacific Reconciliation Action Plan 2017-19 3
The Serco Reconciliation Action Plan The Serco RAP is a plan building on work that Serco has been actively engaged in for decades. Its clear purpose, delivery framework and governance structure will ensure predicated and sustainable outcomes. Serco will develop high impact programs, initiatives and community engagement that will assist in changing lives and building cohesiveness in the communities we operate in. With the support of Executive Management an official RAP Working Group (RWG) has been formed and directed by individual RAP champions. These champions include our Affairs Director, Head of Media, and a Rehabilitation and Reintegration (R&R) Consultant. As of July 2017, the RWG consists of ten company employees, four of whom identify as Aboriginal and/ or Torres Strait Islander. The RWG is made up of the following roles: Affairs Director; Head of Media; People, Culture and Safety Director; Managing Director of Business Services; R&R Consultant; Cultural Liaison Officer; Custodial Officer; Nurse; Peer Support Officer; and Sentence Management Administrator. Through our proven methods of engagement, pragmatic education programs, and new initiatives that develop goodwill, we are confident in the outcomes that will come from this RAP. Measured success will be: Delivering services that respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and contribute to capacity building in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients lives and communities Creation of new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business ventures Development of a deep seeded respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture Unlocking of new opportunities for careers and personal growth for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples This blueprint of the future is constructed being mindful of achieving milestones throughout the five distinct phases of this commitment: Raising awareness within our business for opportunities with the community Engagement early within our supply chains to create broad opportunities for success Setting baseline activities, programs and metrics to measure our success and impact Delivering on our goals and actions Assessing progress and developing future orientation for growing the achievements and reassessing sub optimal results Capturing and reporting information is vital to assessing our progress. Of equal importance is regular communication of our achievements against the RAP milestones. We will communicate clearly, concisely and frequently to employees, stakeholders and those under our care. In addition, we will provide regular progress reports of how we are achieving actions within our RAP to the wider public. Cultural Australia by Justin Abraham 4 Serco Asia Pacific Reconciliation Action Plan 2017-19
Creating opportunity Serco believes that a diverse workforce is one that provides all employees with the opportunity to be the very best they can be. It allows individuals to build long term careers alongside a company that is predictable, sustainable and profitable. It offers the ability for people to have a valued voice that influences decision-makers and provides for inclusive decision making. For many years we have been working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples under our care and we are committed to embracing opportunities from those experiences to create and deliver services directly with our business partners, and indirectly into the wider community. Our RAP is a start and provides a new platform for compelling conversation, collaboration and long term partnership. Whilst we have had good intentions we acknowledge we must make tangible progress. We will have five foundation initiatives: Build strategic partnerships and growth opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses Develop a pre-employment program that supports the growth of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment Proactively engage with Traditional Owners and Elders to understand opportunities for service improvement to our clients and community involvement especially through our volunteer programs Review opportunities for Serco to be directly involved in community programs Integrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learning and culture into our leadership programs, especially in the area of story telling We will ensure that these initiatives are resourced sufficiently to ensure these goals will be realised. Serco Asia Pacific Reconciliation Action Plan 2017-19 5
Relationships Our role delivering key public services encompasses all Australians and we care deeply about those services and our people. Relationships are between our company, our employees, community groups, those in our care and citizens. This RAP helps to connect each of these groups and focusses us on the particular relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Strong engagement builds enduring relationships that incorporate the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across our business and the communities we are committed to. By understanding and sharing experiences with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people we will be able to better deliver key public services to all citizens. 6 Serco Asia Pacific Reconciliation Action Plan 2017-19
Care We work together to deliver high-quality public services, often of great importance to the nation and the communities we serve. We take care of each other, and those we serve, and we aim to make a positive difference to people s lives. Action Deliverable Timeline Responsibility 1. The RAP Working Group (RWG) will actively monitor RAP development and implementation of actions, and track and report on progress RWG oversees the development, endorsement and launch of the RAP Ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are represented on the RWG Establish RWG Terms of Reference that link to Serco s overall strategic direction Meet quarterly to monitor and report on RAP implementation Work with current external Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Groups to ensure operations at a ground level are acted on July 2017 July 2017 Chief Executive Officer, and RAP champions 2. The RWG and other members of staff will celebrate and participate in National Reconciliation Week (NRW) by providing opportunities to build and maintain relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians Organise at least one internal event for NRW each year Register our NRW event via Reconciliation Australia s NRW website Support an external NRW event and develop opportunities in the communities we work to partner with other groups to celebrate NRW Invite Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to share their reconciliation experiences or stories Host reconciliation events across our contracts and help people in our care participate in events and develop their own reconciliation journey Encourage staff to participate in external events to recognise and celebrate NRW and June 2019 and June 2019 and June 2019 and June 2019 and June 2019 and June 2019 Affairs Director, RAP champions, 3. Develop and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities and organisations to support positive outcomes Develop and implement an overall engagement plan to work with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders Develop and implement local engagement plans to work with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders Meet with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations to develop guiding principles for future engagement Create opportunities for partnerships and capacity building at an entity and local level March 2018 March 2018 Chief Executive Officer, RAP champions and Affairs Director 4. Raise awareness of our RAP to promote reconciliation across our business and sector Implement and review a strategy to communicate our RAP to all internal and external stakeholders Promote reconciliation through ongoing active engagement with all stakeholders Promote the outcomes and success of the RAP at business and sector level (such as the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) and Infrastructure Australia) Develop an information pack for all employees on the RAP, providing suggestions on how employees can be involved in RAP events Chief Executive Officer, RAP champions and Affairs Director Serco Asia Pacific Reconciliation Action Plan 2017-19 7
Respect Serco respects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their cultures. To build and maintain this respect we will continuously listen, learn and celebrate with our employees, their families and citizens who we deliver services to. Through this respect we build trust with all our stakeholders, acknowledge the past, highlight success of the present and create a positive future. 8 Serco Asia Pacific Reconciliation Action Plan 2017-19
Trust We deliver on our promises; are open, straightforward and honest; do the right thing; and take personal responsibility for getting things done. Action Deliverable Timeline Responsibility 5. Engage employees in cultural learning opportunities to increase understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories and achievements 6. Engage employees in understanding the significance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural protocols, such as Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country, to ensure there is a shared meaning 7. Provide opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff to engage with their culture and communities 8. Provide opportunities to celebrate and participate in NAIDOC week 9. Provide opportunities for staff to engage with their culture and communities by celebrating NAIDOC week 10. Investigate opportunities to increase cultural safety for people in our care 11. Develop specific Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Prisoner Strategies for people in our care Continue the implementation of cultural awareness training strategy for our staff in contracts that currently enter into this training Develop a training program and strategy that which defines cultural learning needs of employees in all areas of our business and considers various ways cultural learning can be provided Utilise local Traditional Owners and/or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consultants to deliver cultural awareness training Build cultural awareness training and measure outcomes Integrate education to increase an understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures in our induction processes Provide opportunities for RWG members, RAP champions, HR Manager and other key staff to participate in cultural training Develop, implement and communicate a cultural protocol document for Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country Educate employees about the significance of a Welcome to Country Develop a key contact list to undertake a Welcome to Country and maintain partnerships Invite a Traditional Owner to provide a Welcome to Country at least one significant event each year such as the annual Leadership Forum Include Acknowledgement of Country at the start of important meetings and events. Invite Traditional Owners to participate in events at facilities we manage and with people in our care Organise and display an Acknowledgment of Country plaque in our office/s or building/s Ensure individual events respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander protocol and good practice Review HR policies and procedures to ensure there are no barriers to staff participating in cultural events Provide opportunities for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff to participate with their cultures and communities Facilitate non-aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff to attend events with their families Establish a NAIDOC Focus Group to organise NAIDOC week celebrations each year at facilities we manage for people in our care Deliver opportunities for people in our care to create ongoing relationships with other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and their families through celebration Participate in external NAIDOC events Review HR policies and procedures to ensure there are no barriers to staff participating in NAIDOC week Provide opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff to participate with their cultures and communities during NAIDOC week Participate in external NAIDOC week events Support Spiritual and Cultural Rituals and practices for people in our care such as: o Memorial Services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners o Smoking Ceremonies conducted as required o Elder respect o Traditional food and dance Acknowledge and appropriately address the spiritual and cultural needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners in our care Meet the rehabilitative needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners in our care Make all attempts to fluidly and effectively reintegrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners upon release Provide therapeutic opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners to give back to the community and participate in Restorative Justice projects Develop an organisational structure that supports and nurtures Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures March 2018 March 2018 March 2018 March 2018 July 2017 Managing Director (MD) of Business Services, Business Managers, Contract, and RAP champions MD of Business Services, HR Business Partners, Affairs Director, and RAP champions Affairs Director, MD of Business Services, MD of Justice and Immigration, MD of Justice and Immigration, Serco Asia Pacific Reconciliation Action Plan 2017-19 9
Opportunities Serco works across many communities in Australia and are responsible for thousands of people who we care for every day. We employ people from many different cultural backgrounds who are proud of the role they play delivering key public services. We will provide opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who work for us and for those in the wider community. We will do this by innovatively creating partnerships for procurement, personal development and enabling all people to participate in corporate social activities to deliver real and lasting change. 10 Serco Asia Pacific Reconciliation Action Plan 2017-19
Innovation and Pride We continuously improve our ways of working, and try new ideas, big and small. We share our knowledge and experience and embrace change, knowing that if we don t provide innovation and value for money to our customers, our competitors will. We know that the work we do is important, and we take pride in doing it well. We value energy and enthusiasm, skill and experience, and an ability to make hard work fun. We contribute both as individuals and as part of a team. Action Deliverable Timeline Responsibility 12. Investigate opportunities to improve and increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment and employment outcomes within our workplace Develop an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander professional development strategy for employees to gain opportunities in professional vocations Develop an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment and retention strategy with each business unit to set goals to reach an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people employment level of 2.5% by 2020 Develop and implement a pre-employment program to support the employment target of 2.5% by 2020 Engage with existing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff to consult on employment strategies, including professional development Advertise appropriate vacancies in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander media Develop a data bank of our current Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff to inform future employment opportunities Review HR and recruitment procedures and policies to ensure there are no barriers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees and future applicants participating in our workplace October 2017 October 2017 October 2017 August 2017 August 2017 MD of Business Services, Human Resources Business Partners, 13. Investigate opportunities to incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander supplier diversity within our organisation Develop strategies for Serco employees to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses through: o Procurement mentoring o Possible business partnerships o Promotion of Supply Nation certified suppliers and products Investigate Supply Nation membership Review procurement policies and procedures to identify barriers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses to supply our organisation with goods and services Communicate internally a list of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses that can be used to procure goods and services Develop at least one commercial relationship with an Aboriginal and/ or Torres Strait Islander owned business annually October 2017 October 2017 August 2017 August 2017 Chief Executive Officer, Managing, and Head of Procurement 14. Ensure our Social Responsibility strategy includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples Partner with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups to provide CSR opportunities at all levels of the business Develop key partnerships that deliver social reward and make a real difference Work with contracts to identify opportunities that meet the needs of the local communities Affairs Director, Serco Asia Pacific Reconciliation Action Plan 2017-19 11
Tracking progress and reporting Action Deliverable Timeline Responsibility 15. Report RAP achievements, challenges and learnings to Reconciliation Australia Complete the RAP Impact Measurement Questionnaire for Reconciliation Australia annually Investigate participating in the RAP Barometer Develop and implement systems and capability needs to track, measure and report on RAP activities September 2018 May 2018 Affairs Director, and RAP champions 16. Report RAP achievements, challenges and learnings Publicly report our RAP achievements, challenges and learnings Affairs Director 17. Review, refresh and update RAP Liaise with Reconciliation Australia to develop a new RAP, based on learnings, challenges and achievements Send draft RAP to Reconciliation Australia for formal feedback and endorsement December 2018 February 2019 Affairs Director, and RAP champions Contact us Serco RAP Working Group T 02 9954 8800 E RAP@serco-ap.com.au 12 Serco Asia Pacific Reconciliation Action Plan 2017-19