Patricia Ferrari
Keilor East,VIC
Summary
I am a proud Dja Dja Wurrung, Bunurong, Trawloolaway, and Wiradjuri woman dedicated to promoting Aboriginal Culture and self-determination. I was the first Aboriginal female to be Commissioned an Officer in the Royal Australian Corps of Intelligence, rising to Colonel. I received Australian Honours with the Distinguished Services Medal (DSM) for Leadership in wartime operations. I have over thirty-five years of leadership experience and have represented the Australian Government as an Officer in the Royal Australian Army. I have been a key player in forming policy and policy reform in the domestic and international arena with the Australian and International Governments. I have contributed to critical Commonwealth legislative and policy reform in the Military Justice System, including policy reform to drive self-determination for Indigenous Australians. Throughout my career, I have always retained a solid Aboriginal cultural overlay and incorporated Aboriginal ways of working as part of my leadership strategy, such as integrity, honesty, equality, and fairness, which are traditional cultural protocols. I lead teams by inspiring honesty, trust, transparency, and resilience. I believe in promoting confidence, pride, and success to all I lead, as they are our future leaders. Since I departed from the Australian Defence Force, I have worked solidly within the Aboriginal Community. I promote self-determination and healing from past government policies that have seen the dispossession of Country, Culture, language, Lore, and Law.
Overview
41
41
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Project Officer- Priority Projects, Aboriginal Self-Determination Outcomes
Department Families, Fairness and Housing
12.2023 - Current
- Implementation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Safety Framework (ACSF) in priority projects across the Department to drive Aboriginal self-determination
- Highlight: Development of the Aboriginal Procurement Framework and the Aboriginal Strategic Procedure Guide
- The Framework and Guide seeks has been developed using The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Safety Framework, The Victorian Aboriginal Affairs Framework, The Victorian Closing the Gap Implementation Plan, and The Self-Determination Reform Framework
- The Framework whilst still under development, addresses the challenges faced by Aboriginal business owners, and seeks Aboriginal economic participation by setting government procurement targets
- Implementation of an Operating Model as a high-level model for Cultural Safety using the Department and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Safety Framework and key Aboriginal strategies, such as the Victorian Aboriginal Affairs Framework, the Victorian Closing the Gap Implementation Plan, and Self-Determination Reform Framework
- Provide strong leadership and work closely with senior leadership to implement the ACSF, and policy planning in alignment with current policy
- Drive policy reform throughout the organisation in consultation with Aboriginal Governance Committees and key government decision-makers
- Adherence to key Aboriginal strategies such as Korin Korin Balit Djak, Dhelk Dja, Mana-na worn-teen maar-takeout, Wunguriwil Gapgapduir, Yoorrook Justice Commission, Treaty Readiness, Aboriginal Cultural Safety Framework, Self-determination Reform Framework
- Building strong collaborative relationships with senior leadership to implement the ACSF and report progress
- Use of a continuous quality improvement approach to identify and manage potential risks to government, the department and the community
- Provide specialist knowledge and strategic advice regarding policy advice to both internal and external stakeholders
Practice Lead, Aboriginal Family Led Decision Making Convenor
Department of Families, Fairness and Housing
10.2022 - 12.2023
- I developed cultural safety training for Deputy Area Operations Managers (DAOMS), Team Mangers and Practice Leaders regarding Aboriginal cultural safety in the Investigation and Response phase
- Training consisted of cultural safety in the Investigations Phase, with a cultural safety Investigation plan and interview techniques to engage Aboriginal children
- Team Managers in Investigation and Response were tasked with providing the training to their teams, and Practice Leaders using Reflective practice to analysis practitioner response
- I exercised formal delegation to endorse and review Aboriginal case plans prepared by child protection practitioners
- I also worked with Team Managers and other Practice Leaders to strengthen and reform Aboriginal case practice
- I supervised senior child protection practitioners and ensured that they thoroughly comprehended the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle
- I also advised that their direct reports must also understand the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle for front-line work with Aboriginal children and their families
- I model leadership in various areas, including expert knowledge of Aboriginal Culture, past and present, and the issues that affect all Aboriginal children, young people, and families
- I developed culturally safe investigation plans, including culturally safe interview techniques approved by the Office of the Principal Practitioner for our Aboriginal Advisor to train child protection Investigation and Response staff working with Aboriginal families
- Acknowledge the findings in the first interim Report of the Yoorrook Justice to provide authoritative, strategic advice and professional expertise to key internal and external stakeholders on critical development to promote reforms in the Child Protection system
- As a result of the interim report, I advised team managers in Investigation and Response that their practitioners needed to abide by section 18 of the Child, Youth and Families Act (2005) and provide Aboriginal Child Specialist Advice and Support Services with mandated intake reports
Manager, Investigations, Continuous Quality Improvements Branch
Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency
01.2021 - 12.2022
- Company Overview: The Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) is the most significant Aboriginal child welfare organisation in Australia, servicing children, young people, families, and the broader Aboriginal community, promoting a culturally respectful and culturally appropriate approach to Indigenous children and families
- I built strong relationships with senior Department of Families, Fairness and Housing Critical Incident Management (CIMS) team members, and as a result, CIMS collaborated with VACCA to review and improve the investigation process by adding cultural safety to the investigation process
- The addition of cultural safety created less trauma and stronger participation from Aboriginal children
- Investigation time-lines decreased as a result, along with higher judgement accuracy
- My role was to lead, direct and manage performance and development of direct reports
- And to provide direction, guidance, professional support, feedback, motivation, coaching and mentoring of all investigations staff
- And to oversee complex investigations into child abuse, child sexual abuse, child significant neglect, and child deaths-in-care
- I assigned investigations to staff based on individual skills sets, and oversaw investigations whilst reviewing progress periodically
- I was accountable for timeless, content quality and reliability of advice provided to my team
- I endorsed reviews and approvals and disseminated final investigative reports and files
- I stringently maintained compliance with all government reporting systems and maintained expert knowledge of the relevant legislation and policies that guide investigations and compliance
- I ensured investigators maintained training to investigate allegations of child abuse in out-of-home care successfully
- I ensured emotional wellbeing was supported and organised triannual wellbeing forums
- I provided supervision to direct reports and oversaw the supervision of direct reports to the team
- I organised reflective practice to the team and ensured that staff had sufficient investigation training
- I organised triannual Well-Being Forums
- The Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) is the most significant Aboriginal child welfare organisation in Australia, servicing children, young people, families, and the broader Aboriginal community, promoting a culturally respectful and culturally appropriate approach to Indigenous children and families
Manager, Aboriginal Workforce Development Program
Adult Multicultural Education Services (AMES)
01.2019 - 12.2021
- I led policy reform in the Jobactive Program, and successfully introduced policy that enabled agencies employed by the Federal Government to administer Jobactive had the power to decide on an individual basis if a jobseeker had breached ‘mutual obligations’ under the Centrelink Act
- This gave agencies the discretion to not suspend Services Australia payments based on an individual’s circumstances
- I was contracted by AMES Australia to reform current policy with the implementation of the Aboriginal Workforce Development Program
- Research using ‘Blak-White’ (Indigenous and Western Academia) methodologies to provide truly Cultural quantitative and qualitative research data
- Aboriginal Communities leaders both in remote and metropolitan areas provided advice to establish education and employment initiatives that were tailored to the cultural needs whilst providing satisfying long-term employment for Aboriginal young people and school leavers
- I was responsible for the funding of the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) to develop and implement the Aboriginal Workforce Development Plan which was tasked with policy reform under the Centrelink Act
- I worked in partnership with VACCHO and ensured integrity, fairness and transparency were key principles, while working with Aboriginal community leaders to form genuine partnership and to solve problems with co-design to improve lives of the Australian Aboriginal community
- I oversaw the progress of the team and was responsible for ensuring time-lines were met within budget
- I provided mentorship to staff and wrap around support
- I analysed data that had been collected by the team and negotiated with the Federal Government key reforms to job service providers who were contracted for Jobactive
- I oversaw cultural safety training delivered to employers to attract Aboriginal jobseekers
- I additionally co-designed with VACCHO pathways for Aboriginal leadership positions within organisations enabled AMES Australia to provide culturally safe recruitment training to employers to attract Aboriginal applicants
- I also developed Aboriginal staff retention training for employers, which focused on Cultural training for staff, the development of pathways for leadership positions, the importance of Cultural Supervision, and ongoing Cultural support and development opportunities
- I co-designed the Aboriginal Cultural Safety Workplace tool with key objectives such as establishing Cultural Safety Action Plans, Reporting, and evaluation systems, adding Cultural Safety to OHS workplace checklists, providing culturally safe employee support programs for Aboriginal staff, and providing Cultural Safety Education for non-Aboriginal staff
- I also designed improved reporting systems that were trauma-informed and culturally supportive
- I increased organisational awareness of racism and the impacts of colonisation and how to support decolonisation in educational facilities and the workplace
- I introduced prevention strategies to address lateral violence before it occurred in educational facilities and workplaces
- I worked in partnership with VACCHO and external stakeholders, successfully negotiated funding to implement training and educational programs applicable to the needs of Aboriginal jobseekers
- I additionally negotiated with private businesses to employ Aboriginal talent and to maximize culturally safe and viable employment opportunities for Aboriginal Jobseekers
- I oversaw programs and employment plans for a broad range of stakeholders including Aboriginal communities, and corporate leaders to support the generation of culturally appropriate Aboriginal jobs that offered job satisfaction along with an end to intergenerational forced poverty caused by racism
Aboriginal Prison Services Manager
G4S Custodial Services
01.2012 - 12.2019
- Company Overview: G4S provides custodial services both across Australia and internationally, providing safe, progressive programs that help rehabilitate offenders and reduce re-offending
- I used high-quality business intelligence with robust policy recommendations to the Executive and the Government based on comprehensive research, whilst using a systems thinking approach to diagnose trends and obstacles in the internal, external, and prisoner environments to inform policy
- Leadership with Integrity and stringent application to the organisational code of conduct
- I inspired trust by treating all team members equally, and fairly, whilst using a strengths-based leadership approach
- I maintained focus on relationship building – establishment and maintenance of relationships with people at all levels
- I established harmonious communication with strong interpersonal and dispute-resolution skills by establishing consensual and diplomatic handling of disagreements across business areas
- Design and establishment of culturally appropriate policy to enrich the lives of Aboriginal men in custody
- I oversaw the design and implementation of culturally congruent programs that addressed criminal recidivism whilst using the contract workflow life-cycle
- I additionally provided guidance and advice using continuous quality improvement
- I used Cultural knowledge to drive change for Aboriginal custodians and I designed appropriate programs using a strong cultural lens and understanding of criminogenic needs within the Aboriginal Community
- G4S provides custodial services both across Australia and internationally, providing safe, progressive programs that help rehabilitate offenders and reduce re-offending
Colonel
Australian Defence Force (Royal Australian Army)
01.1984 - 12.2011
- Company Overview: The Australian Army is Australia's military land force and is part of the Australian Defence Force
- The Army provides for the security of Australia, protecting its interests and people, as well as providing critical support to communities in need, both here and overseas, during times of emergency and natural disaster
- I was the first female Indigenous commissioned officer in the Royal Australian Intelligence Corps
- Awarded the Distinguished Services Medal for Leadership
- Deputy Commanding Officer FORCES COMMAND – 6th Combat Support Brigade – 1st Intelligence Battalion, Victoria Barracks, Sydney, NSW, 2001 – 2004
- Assistant to Chief of Defence Intelligence, Officer in the Australian Joint Task Force Iraq and in the Intelligence Staff of the Headquarters International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan 2004-2011
- I contributed to the resign of Aptitude testing for enlisted personnel candidates, after collated data was reviewed and analysed as not being intrinsic to the potential development of a field force soldier
- Aptitude testing had not been reviewed since the 1960s
- I was concerned that Aboriginal candidate applicants were not proceeding past Aptitude testing
- I discovered that a portion of the ‘test’ was responsible for all applicant failures and not just Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants
- The responsible section of the test was of a physics nature, meaning that all applicants required completion of Year 11 Physics, however, the Army advertised a Year 10 pass to qualify for entry
- As a result of my analysis, problems relating to physics was withdrawn from the standard aptitude test
- As an Army Officer, I was also a leader, responsible for managing a large team of personnel
- I used a strengths-based approach as a leader and commander
- I focused on collaboration and teamwork best practices to ensure camaraderie and high morale
- I was responsible for overseeing high-level strategic planning
- I designed and co-designed strategic operations using continuous quality improvement and aligning with Military, Commonwealth and International legislature, and policy
- I additionally was involved with legislative reform I was responsible for the success of operations and the performance of personnel
- I held various portfolios in senior leadership across the military sector, including Aboriginal Employment to promote Aboriginal inclusion in senior military leadership positions and I have been awarded the Distinguished Services Medal for my work in Afghanistan and Iraq
- I additionally developed intelligence assessments based on gathering and researching all available information, then applying logical reasoning and critical thinking to complex issues, applying knowledge of a specific region’s politics, Laws, culture, history, and language
- This has given me a broad appreciation of working with diverse cultures and people from all over the world
- The Australian Army is Australia's military land force and is part of the Australian Defence Force
- The Army provides for the security of Australia, protecting its interests and people, as well as providing critical support to communities in need, both here and overseas, during times of emergency and natural disaster
Education
Officer Candidate School - Leadership and Government Administration
Royal Military College, Duntroon
Bachelor of Intelligence/Laws -
Australian Defence Force Academy, University of New South Wales
Bachelor of Arts - Sociology and Cultural Studies
Victoria University
Master of Sociology - Criminology (over-representation of Aboriginal men, women and children in the Justice and Youth Justice System)
Certificate 4 - Government Investigations and Management Investigation Compliance & Enforcement Training Systems
Graduate Certificate - First Nations Family Therapy
La Trobe University
Master of Leadership and Government -
Affiliations
- Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA)
- Member Djaara -Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation
- Member Returned Service Persons League- RSL
- Life member Australian Intelligence Corps
- Member League of Indigenous Service People
- Member of Local Aboriginal Networks (North and West)
References
Available upon request.
Timeline
Senior Project Officer- Priority Projects, Aboriginal Self-Determination Outcomes
Department Families, Fairness and Housing
12.2023 - Current
Practice Lead, Aboriginal Family Led Decision Making Convenor
Department of Families, Fairness and Housing
10.2022 - 12.2023
Manager, Investigations, Continuous Quality Improvements Branch
Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency
01.2021 - 12.2022
Manager, Aboriginal Workforce Development Program
Adult Multicultural Education Services (AMES)
01.2019 - 12.2021
Aboriginal Prison Services Manager
G4S Custodial Services
01.2012 - 12.2019
Colonel
Australian Defence Force (Royal Australian Army)
01.1984 - 12.2011
Officer Candidate School - Leadership and Government Administration
Royal Military College, Duntroon
Bachelor of Intelligence/Laws -
Australian Defence Force Academy, University of New South Wales
Bachelor of Arts - Sociology and Cultural Studies
Victoria University
Master of Sociology - Criminology (over-representation of Aboriginal men, women and children in the Justice and Youth Justice System)
Certificate 4 - Government Investigations and Management Investigation Compliance & Enforcement Training Systems
Graduate Certificate - First Nations Family Therapy
La Trobe University
Master of Leadership and Government -
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