AbSec exists to see Aboriginal children and young people culturally strong, thriving and fulfilling their potential. In order to accomplish this, we recognise that a holistic and comprehensive strategy is the key to achieving lasting change. As we embark on our next strategic phase, our work will continue to build on the foundations laid over the past three years to transform supports for our kids, families and communities. This work includes promoting best practices that strengthen and uphold Aboriginal children, young people, families and their communities and forging new targeted partnerships that will propel us to achieve our goals.

For the next three years, we will be guided by the AbSec Strategic Plan 2019–2022. The strategy outlines our vision, as well as the objectives and guiding principles that form the core of who we are at AbSec.

Our vision

Our vision is that all Aboriginal children and young people are looked after in safe, thriving Aboriginal families and communities, raised strong in spirit and identity, with every opportunity for lifelong wellbeing and connection to culture, and surrounded by holistic supports.

Goals and objectives

In working towards our vision, we take the following actions:

• Work towards achieving self‑determination for all Aboriginal people and communities, and build a safe, secure and caring environment for their children and young people, surrounded by culture.
• Support Aboriginal organisations to deliver quality, holistic supports for all Aboriginal children, young people, families and carers.
• Provide and support opportunities for continual learning, growth, improvement and change, for organisations delivering Aboriginal child and family supports.
• Represent the interests, and inform government and key stakeholders of, the issues facing Aboriginal children, young people, families, carers and communities.
• Advance Aboriginal workforce development to ensure a strong and capable workforce that is ready and equipped to meet the support needs of Aboriginal children, young people, families and communities.

Guiding principles

We also embrace these values and principles:

• Acknowledgement and respect — we will acknowledge the diversity of all Aboriginal nations and respect traditional owners of the land, with our actions being informed by the voices of Elders and the cultural knowledge of communities.
• Professionalism and integrity — we will act with the highest of professionalism for our communities, ensuring our integrity will not be compromised in striving for the provision of quality, culturally responsive and culturally accessible supports.
• Self-determination — we will ensure that our focus is underpinned by the rights of Aboriginal people to make decisions that impact their lives; recognising the interests of Aboriginal children, young people, families and carers, and communities in all that we do.
• Independence and solutions-focus — we will serve the interests of Aboriginal children, young people, families, communities and the organisations that support them to deliver holistic approaches to issues affecting them.
• Transparency and commitment — we will remain committed to our Aboriginal children, families and organisations in everything we do, ensuring their interests are promoted at every opportunity, and that our actions towards achieving this is always clear and transparent.

Strategic directions

Our activities are determined by four strategic directions:

1. Our Aboriginal children, families and communities are at the centre.
2. Our Aboriginal organisations deliver quality for our children, families and communities.
3. Our partnerships will benefit our Aboriginal children and families.
4. Our organisation is best placed to represent our stakeholders.

We pursue a number of goals cascading under these strategic directions, which can be found in the Strategic Plan 2019–2022.

Monitoring and evaluation

Progress towards achieving these goals is monitored on an ongoing basis, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. We incrementally report on our progress in each of our annual reports, and expect to produce a full progress summary at the conclusion of the Strategic Plan 2019–2022.