JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Despite Australia being one of the most developed nations in the world there is a significant and widening gap in health and welfare between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Aboriginal) people, and non-Aboriginal people. Aboriginal workers known or local to Aboriginal communities who access the health, ageing, and disability supports play a vital role in guiding their non-Aboriginal colleagues in ways to adapt their interactions, advice, and interventions to ensure they are culturally appropriate and safe for Aboriginal patients and clients. There is a need to identify the factors that inhibit (push) and promote (pull) staff retention or departure of this workforce from various sectors. This study aims to identify the barriers and enablers to retaining Aboriginal people who do not have university qualifications in the heath, disability and aged care workforces.

Objective:

This study aims to identify the barriers and enablers to retaining Aboriginal people who do not have university qualifications in the heath, disability and aged care workforces. In this paper, ‘frontline service delivery’ is defined as Aboriginal staff who are paid employees in the health, ageing, disability, community services sector in roles that involve direct client, participant, or patient support.

Methods:

This study is a mixed-method design situated within an Indigenous decolonising methodological framework which drives all phases of the research. Decolonisation centres on privileging the needs of Aboriginal people by analysing and dismantling the power imbalances that exist between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous peoples in how research is undertaken to inform government policy, practice, and praxis. The surveys will be sent through the Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, non-government industry groups, Local Health Districts, community interagency committees, and non-government and for-profit agencies. The alumni of the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at the University of Sydney and Centre’s agency networks will be key recruitment targets. In addition, members of the research team will aim to attend Aboriginal community events and major conferences to connect with Aboriginal workers and community organisations where COVID restrictions permit.In-depth interviews or yarns will be conducted with a subset of 20 Aboriginal workers and 20 employers of Aboriginal workers who have completed the survey and consented to be interviewed. These may occur by zoom or phone dependant on COVID restrictions.

Results:

An Aboriginal workforce is essential to the delivery of high quality, culturally safe health and social services and to address structural barriers to service access. Aboriginal people experience higher rates of disability and chronic health conditions that non-Aboriginal people which heightens the need for responsive supports and services. A key strength of this this study is that it applies an Indigenous Methodological framework throughout which ensures that the research is designed and implemented with Aboriginal organisations and researchers. The research team includes Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, Aboriginal community-controlled organisations and one disability service peak body. The survey and interview questions and model were developed in partnership with Aboriginal health, ageing, and disability, service workers rather than relying only on research publications on the workforce or government policies and HR strategies.

Conclusions:

By identifying the factors that influence the retention of the Aboriginal workforce from yarn ups and surveys completed by Aboriginal workers and their employers, this study will provide a cohesive set of strategies for organisations to apply in improving their retention of Aboriginal workers. Clinical Trial: N/A