Appendix 15 - Ethnic Affairs Achievements and EEO Information
Ethnic Affairs Achievements and EEO Information
One the Corporate Goals for the Department is to “Continuously improve our services and increase satisfaction among our diverse clients”. The implementation of a broad range of ethnic affairs initiatives is a critical element in achieving this goal.
Achievements in 1999/2000:
· The Department has actively promoted participation by ethnic communities on committees and in consultation processes. For example: NSW Courts and Tribunals have continued to encourage ethnic community representation in User Group Forums; the Victims of Crime Interagency group includes representation from the Ethnic Affairs Commission; and the Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages continued its Customer Council which includes representation from the Ethnic Affairs Commission.
· Increased availability of information in community languages, for example Local Courts developed eight information sheets for translation into Arabic, Mandarin and Vietnamese; the Anti Discrimination Board produced posters targeting ethnic communities in 16 ethnic languages to increase awareness about discrimination; the Charter of Victims Rights was translated into Vietnamese; a pamphlet on Medical Panel Procedures is currently being prepared in community languages.
· The Strategy to Reduce Violence Against Women included a range of projects targeting ethnic communities, including the regional distribution of audio tapes and information cards on sexual assault and domestic violence in a number of community languages.
· The Industrial Relations Commission implemented a multilingual information sheet in 21 languages which incorporated information on the availability of telephone interpreter services.
· The Department has continued to promote staff participation in the Community Language Allowance Scheme (CLAS) and thus better utilise the skills of its diverse staff. There are now 19 community languages spoken by 66 CLAS participants.
· During 1999 - 2000, the overall framework for Business Centre planning was reviewed and modified. The revised format for business centre plans includes a section where each Business Centre is required to identify their strategies to improve services to our diverse community.
· There has been a continuing emphasis on training for staff in the delivery of services to diverse clients. This included the presentation and promotion of the Department’s Cross Cultural Communication and Producing Client Friendly Publications courses.
· Training for Local Courts staff to promote their awareness and capacity to meet the needs of culturally diverse clients was piloted in the Illawarra and Campbelltown. A training package, based on the pilot is currently being designed to train 700 client service staff across Local Courts.
· The Local Courts network of staff volunteers from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB) has expanded to 21 staff from 13 courts. The network is designed assist in developing strategies to improve client access to information and services in Local Courts. A two year training program was developed for members and a quarterly newsletter produced. Members participated in a number of regional activities including and Migrant Information Day and Stop Domestic Violence Day.
· Community Justice Centres have continued to provide access to services for ethnic communities. In 1999/2000, 30% of clients using this service identify their country of birth as “other than Australia”.
· The Anti Discrimination Board continued to offer information on discrimination in 23 community languages and information for victims of violent crime on telephone interpreter services was made available on the Department’s Website.
Actions and Initiatives to be implemented in 2000/2001:
· Ensure that Departmental services meet the needs of its diverse clients through the ongoing participation of ethnic communities in Departmental consultation processes. For example: updating consultation protocols to ensure that input into legislative reform continues to be representative; continuing networking with ethnic community representatives and further promote their participation in Court User Forums; undertaking client surveys to identify needs of all clients in key business centres; and consulting with ethnic groups regarding issues to do with violence against women.
· The Department will continue to focus on developing its staff and involving them in the implementation of cross cultural service delivery initiatives. This will include the continued promotion of training of client service staff in cross cultural communication and producing client friendly publications.
· Specialised training will also be undertaken with 700 Local Courts staff with a client service role to promote awareness and capacity to meet the needs of culturally diverse clients.
· Continue the development of resources to facilitate improved cross cultural communication through the further implementation of the Courts Information Project which includes the translation of eight information sheets into Arabic, Vietnamese and Mandarin. These information sheets cover: Criminal Penalties; How to issue a claim for a debt; Getting time to pay a fine; Bail refunds; Sureties; Applications of Apprehended Violence Orders; The Suitor’s Fund in NSW; and The role of the NSW Attorney General.
· Continue the Local Courts network of staff volunteers from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB).
· Continue to increase access to information in community languages including expanding the range of multilingual print publications available to clients, increasing the availability of summaries of Law Reform Commission Papers in community languages; continuing the promotion of the Department’s Language Link Resource Kit and increasing the availability of multilingual information on the Department’s Internet site.
· Promote the Department’s Court and Human Rights services to specific ethnic communities as part of a broader program of community education.
· Increase access to interpreter services for our clients by increasing staff awareness of interpreter services through training; increased use of agency letterhead including reverse side multilingual advice that interpreter assistance is available; wider installation of dual handsets; and increasing multilingual signage at client service points.
· Design and streamlining systems to capture data regarding usage of the Department’s services by clients from racial, ethnic and ethno-religious minority groups.
Ethnic Affairs Agreements and Memorandums of Understanding
During 1998/99 the Attorney General’s department entered into an Ethnic Affairs Agreement between Local Courts, the NSW Police and the Ethnic Affairs Commission for ‘Direct Booking of interpreters for first court appearances. The agreement was finalised and commenced in June 1999.
This agreement has been incorporated into the Police and Courts Manual which has been distributed to all Local Courts and throughout the NSW Police service. Local Courts staff work with police on a local basis to increase access to interpreter services.
The Department will continue to foster a collaborative approach to this client service initiative through the ongoing implementation and monitoring of the agreement. Further implementation requires the Police service to modify the COPS system and revise the charge sheet format.
The Quarter Way to Equal Taskforce identified the need for interpreters in courts to have a better understanding of legal processes, language and procedures. During 1998/99 the Attorney General’s Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ethnic Affairs Commission to develop and conduct a specialist training program to meet this need.
During 1999/2000 the Attorney General’s Department and the Ethnic Affairs Commission made an agreement with the University of Western Sydney to provide legal issues training to 450 Ethnic Affairs Interpreters over the next three years.
The training is scheduled to commence in October 2000 and to be completed in June 2003. A list of interpreters who have successfully completed the training will be compiled as persons complete the specialised training program.
STAFF NUMBERS AND EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
As at 30 June 2000, there were 3,399 employees, excluding statutory appointees, casual and ministerial staff.
Level | Admin & Clerical Grade Equivalent | Total Staff | A | B | C | D | E | F |
| < $26,276 | Below CO 1 | 160 | 118 | 6 | 12 | 11 | 4 | 0 |
| $26,276 - $34,512 | CO 1 to A&C Grade1 | 787 | 587 | 15 | 196 | 159 | 54 | 18 |
| $34,513 - $38,582 | Grade 1 to 2 | 847 | 595 | 12 | 177 | 150 | 62 | 19 |
| $38,583 - $48,823 | Grade 3 to 5 | 743 | 436 | 13 | 160 | 135 | 73 | 26 |
| $48,824 - $63,137 | Grade 6 to 9 | 486 | 222 | 6 | 102 | 72 | 39 | 22 |
| $63,138 - $78,921 | Grade 10 to 12 | 317 | 163 | 3 | 51 | 27 | 26 | 8 |
| > $78,921 (non-SES) | Above Grade 12 (non SES) | 31 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| > $78,921 (SES) | SES | 28 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| TOTAL |  | 3,399 | 2,138 | 55 | 706 | 559 | 261 | 94 |
The total numbers of EEO group members in previous years were as follows:
| 1998-99 | 1997-98 | 1996-97 | 1995-96 |
| ATSI | 48 | 60 | 55 | 48 |
| NESB (Column C) | 683 | 554 | 396 | 437 |
| PWD (Column E) | 259 | 243 | 170 | 183 |
A. Women
B. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (ATSI)
C. Racial, ethnic or ethno-religious group which is a minority in Australia society (Previously NESB)
D. Language other than English was the first spoken as a child
E. Person with a disability (PWD)
F. Person with a disability who requires an adjustment to be made at work
information current as of: 14 February 2012