Embedding Compliance, Strengthening Culture
Building confidence and capability through the Service Development Assistance Panel (SDAP)
It’s hot and still when we arrive. The kind of heat that clings to the air and slows conversation. But inside the doors of this small Aboriginal community organisation, it’s a hive of activity. Phones ring, laughter carries across the open office, and the team move easily between caring for Elders, managing paperwork, and catching up with community members dropping by.
For the past 12 months, Social Sector Consulting has worked alongside this organisation through the Service Development Assistance Panel (SDAP), a federally funded program that supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander aged care providers to strengthen their governance, systems, and service delivery.
Our work began with listening. Building trust and relationships takes time here. Cups of tea, yarns, and showing up when we said we would. Over time, that trust has opened doors not just to offices, but to conversations about the community, the workforce, and the complex realities of delivering care in remote and regional settings.
Together, we’ve focused on embedding compliance in a way that fits the organisation — aligning governance, financial management, and workforce systems with the Aged Care Quality Standards, while keeping cultural values at the centre. We're helping this organisation get ready for November 1, while creating performance monitoring and compliance systems that work. We're keeping an eye on making things simple, effective and efficient. When you're working in a small team, where people need your support, every moment really does count. We’ve worked with the CEO and team to clarify roles, strengthen accountability, and create practical tools that make compliance part of everyday practice, not an external demand.
The results are starting to show: greater confidence across the team, stronger reporting, and a shared understanding that compliance, when done right, can build pride and capability rather than fear or fatigue.
It takes time to get here — and it’s always worth it.
At Social Sector Consulting, we believe that reform in community-controlled organisations must begin with respect, relationship, and readiness. Because when compliance grows from culture, everyone benefits.
About SDAP
The Service Development Assistance Panel (SDAP) is an Australian Government initiative supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations to strengthen aged care governance, systems, and workforce capability. Social Sector Consulting is a proud SDAP provider, walking alongside community-controlled organisations across Queensland and New South Wales.
Find out more about SDAP and how we support organisations through Government Panels here.
