Celebrating culture, empowering community

Accordwest is currently updating our Aboriginal Recognition, Respect and Empowerment (ACRRE) Framework. We thank you for your patience while we work with our community to create a Framework that reflects the current lived experience in the South West.

Please see below statement from Accordwest CEO Danelle Milward:

At Accordwest, we believe that real change begins with listening, learning, and building genuine relationships. Because for us, Every Story Matters.
We acknowledge the deep and enduring connection Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have to land, culture, community and one another. This connection has been nurtured for thousands of years and continues to guide and strengthen communities today. I pay my sincere respects to Traditional Custodians, Elders past and present, and to the emerging leaders who will shape the future.

We also recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are significantly over represented in many of the cohorts we support. This reflects the complex and ongoing impacts of history, systems and inequity, and it calls on us to respond with greater awareness, responsibility and care.

I know we do not have all the answers. What we do have is a strong commitment to listen with humility, to learn with openness, and to walk alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, families and communities. We are committed to travelling this journey together in a way that is respectful, authentic and accountable.

This Framework is not just a document. It reflects our intent to do better and to hold ourselves to a higher standard. It is moving beyond good intentions and towards meaningful action, where cultural recognition, respect and empowerment are reflected in everything we do.

Central to this is ensuring that our services are designed and delivered in culturally safe and appropriate ways, and that all staff are supported to work in environments that are culturally safe, inclusive and respectful, particularly for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff. This includes continuing to build our understanding, capability and confidence, while valuing and elevating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices.

We know that this knowledge does not sit in one place. It comes from the lived experience of our clients, from the cultural knowledge and leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, and from strengthening First Nations representation across our organisation, including at Board level. It is also shaped through our partnerships with Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations and communities, where we listen deeply, learn continuously, and allow that learning to guide how we work.

We also recognise the important role we can play beyond our direct services. This includes advocating at a systems level for fairer outcomes and contributing to efforts to reduce the gap experienced by Aboriginal people.

We see real opportunity in working in genuine partnership to create new pathways, whether through housing, services, or community-led initiatives, that are shaped by, and responsive to, the needs and aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.

We know that trust takes time. It is built through consistency, honesty, and showing up with genuine care and respect.

I am proud of the role our staff play in supporting people every day, and I remain committed to learning from and alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within our organisation and community.

Most importantly, we remain grounded in our purpose To End Homelessness We know this cannot be achieved without addressing the disproportionate impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and working in ways that are culturally informed and guided by community. This is at the heart of how we will move forward together.

This is an ongoing journey, and I am committed to leading it with care, courage and respect.

For more information on the materials referenced in our Framework please see below.