Our Values – Working Towards our Common Goal
Throughout the year, the staff at RA Tas have actively embodied the organisation’s values: ‘Willing to Serve’, ‘In It Together’, ‘People Matter’ and ‘Looking Forward’. This has been strengthened through projects and training opportunities to support staff to better support clients and each other.
Willing to Serve
Central to ‘Willing to Serve’ is the premise that we meet people where they’re at, being open-minded and open hearted.
Through the appointment of the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) Project Officer, RA Tas explored ways it could better meet the needs of CaLD communities living in Tasmania. Engaging with other organisations, strong relationships were established to complement service provisions where the client’s needs are the central focus.
‘Willing to Serve’ is the premise that we meet people where they’re at, being open-minded and open hearted.
The organisation wide ‘Celebrating Capacity’ training opportunity also enabled staff to better understand the different economic class environments present within Tasmania and how they may affect how individual’s think, speak or act.
Teams across the state also had the opportunity to participate in a 2-day training course with Nairn Walker on Celebrating Capacity, an adaptation of the Bridges out of Poverty training.
In It Together
‘In It Together’ guides how we appreciate difference, celebrate successes and be an active part of solutions.
‘In It Together’ guides how we appreciate difference, celebrate successes and be an active part of solutions.
The introduction of our Gender Equity Champions Group provides the organisation with an opportunity to embrace change and be leaders in gender equity, looking forward and championing a workplace that values and supports fair treatment for all.
People Matter
‘People Matter’ is fundamental to RA Tas and the work the organisation does. This value respects lived experience and shows compassion and kindness to make a difference.
For National Sorry Day, RA Tas was proud to unveil artwork by two local Tasmanian First Nations Artists that have been displayed across all RA Tas sites. During Naidoc week, the Walking Together group introduced the theme for 2021: ‘Heal Country’. The events at the different sites provided an opportunity for staff to hear personal stories and what ‘Heal Country’ means to individual members of the Walking Together group, prompting self-reflection on the role we can play as individuals and as an organisation.
‘People Matter’ is fundamental to RA Tas and the work the organisation does. This value respects lived experience and shows compassion and kindness to make a difference.
This year the Suicide Prevention team also were given the opportunity to work with all local governments to develop Community Action Plans. By supporting each local government, the team actively respects the lived experience of communities impacted by suicide, while working hard to created change within Tasmania.
The results from our annual Staff Engagement Survey and biannual Client Satisfaction Survey revealed that RA Tas is successfully embodying this value. Client Satisfaction has constantly remained high while the Staff Engagement survey highlighted the strength and support within teams, the appreciation for training opportunities and recognition of the values underpinning the work of the organisation.
Looking Forward
Our final value, ‘Looking Forward’, celebrates an openness to change and a reminder to consider where we are headed. Continual program evaluation through client feedback and quality management processes ensure we are providing the highest level of service to our clients and continually striving to improve programs and overcome barriers clients may experience.
…’Looking Forward’, celebrates an openness to change and a reminder to consider where we are headed.
Finally, our successful application to provide a women’s support service and the appointment of a new project officer to create and lead this program at the end of this reporting period, leaves us excited about the prospects of this new chapter of RA Tas and where our services are headed.