The Aboriginal Early Learning and Parenting Centre of Excellence (the ACE project) is an example of a positive JDM

outcome in the West Kimberley region. EC-West is leading the ACE project, which addresses Targets 3, 4, 12 and 13 of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, by:

Meeting the needs of Aboriginal families and children

Increasing accessibility to integrated services

Expanding the capacity of parenting and early childhood development skills and capabilities.

Empowered Young Leaders (EYL) is the representative network for

young Aboriginal people in the Kimberley region. The EYL program aims to empower Aboriginal young people to

positively engage with their community, advocate for issues that are important to them and develop their skills,

contributing to positive change. It does this by:

• Advocating for young people in the Kimberley region Actively engaging and partnering with government agencies, corporate organisations and stakeholders that are involved in decisions impacting young Aboriginal people to enable authentic co-design and collaboration

• Shaping leaders for young mob in the Kimberley, improving outcomes across psychosocial determinants of

• health and wellbeing (mental health and self-awareness, education, employment, housing, connection to culture and lore)

• Providing opportunities for leadership, peer-support, connection and sharing

• Providing opportunities for young mob to celebrate their success and connect in positive, safe environments.

The EYL program also plays a role in succession planning, to ensure young leaders are equipped with the skills to lead their community in the future.

This program is an ongoing initiative for EC-West.

The Joint Decision Making (JDM) framework is model of shared decision-making with the aim of achieving greater alignment between government investment and community need voiced by Aboriginal people and Aboriginal organisations in the West Kimberley. It provides a formal mechanism for a voice from Aboriginal people to government about place-based decisions including choosing the types of services that deliver programs, funding allocation, and new investment opportunities. The framework was co-designed by Directors, community members and Government.

A range of matters may be discussed through the JDM process, including the way in which services for Aboriginal people will be funded and provided, and the outcomes expected to be achieved. EC-West facilitates the JDM process to ensure decisions about West Kimberley Aboriginal people do not happen without them. Through a comprehensive review process EC-West enables Aboriginal communities to have a say in what government-funded initiatives start, stop or continue in the region.

The Empowered Communities vision for structural reform is supported by the NIAA. EC-West have committed to a collaborative process for reviewing funded activities, with a methodology of shared learning and reflective practice to ensure adaptive improvements are identified and implemented after each JDM round.

Since JDM began in 2017, nine of the 10 Empowered Communities regions, including the West Kimberley region, have successfully implemented their JDM process. A total of 12 JDM rounds have been successfully completed with more than 310 activities valued at over $190 million (GST exclusive) considered (as at June 2023).

EC-West is currently responsible for disseminating information about the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum to increase community awareness of the campaign and encourage people in the community to enrol to vote.

By strengthening Local Management Committees (LMCs), EC-West also plays a role in ensuring there are formal mechanisms to engage with and hear local voices that are representatives of Aboriginal organisations and communities.

EC-West is progressing the implementation of the initiatives captured in the First Priorities report, published March 2023. This report describes the shared priorities for the West Kimberley region including Derby and Surrounds, the Fitzroy Valley, Broome and the Dampier Peninsula, as informed by West Kimberley Aboriginal individuals, families, communities and organisations.

EC-West’s First Priorities and the desired outcomes for each priority are as follows:

• Family empowerment - families are positively connected and have the capacity to support their children and young people.

• Empowered Young Leaders (EYL) - a generation of strong Aboriginal leaders.

• Housing - all Aboriginal people have access to suitable and affordable housing.

• Safe Spaces for Young People - young Aboriginal people have access to culturally and physical safe spaces.

• Employment and Training - Aboriginal people can access training facilities to develop the skills required to obtain employment and succeed in the modern economy.

• Governance - Aboriginal people have a formal role in decision making through local and regional voice

governance structures.

EC-West is currently working together with other Aboriginal Controlled Community Organisations (ACCOs) in the Kimberley region as part of a design group to codesign a regional governance structure to achieve a regional voice, known as the Kimberley Aboriginal Regional Body (KARB). Once established, KARB will provide a mechanism for the voices of local Kimberley people to be heard by governments, respecting the principles of place-based decision-making.

In 2022, the EC-West team worked alongside consultants, And Projects, to carry out a community-led design project with community and services. This project involved listening to local West Kimberley communities across Bidyadanga, Wangkatjungka, Beagle Bay, One Arm Point and Fitzroy Crossing who talked about the need to better understand child and family wellbeing, youth justice and safety in the West Kimberley region. The project fostered a better understanding of the situations impacting individuals, families and homes in communities across the region.

This program was completed December 2022 and the outputs were published on EC-West’s website.

View our Systems Design here.

As part of the broader KJJS project, EC-West was contracted by DoJ in September 2022. EC-Wests role included coordinating a design committee comprised of various stakeholders. The design committee developed a variety of concepts in line with the KJJS Collab project scope of Youth Safe Spaces in Broome. These concepts were included in the KJJS business case written by the Department of Justice, along with a range of other project concepts (not designed by the Broome based design committee) suggested for resourcing and implementation across the entire Kimberley. The KJJS business case which included concepts spanning the Kimberley was completed and submitted by the Department of Justice to the WA State Government in December 2022.