Aboriginal Cultural Capability
Centre of Expertise
The Aboriginal Cultural Capability Centre of Expertise has been established to strengthen system-wide leadership, governance, and capability development in cultural safety across NSW Health.
The CoE leads the design, delivery, and continuous improvement of statewide cultural capability education programs, ensuring alignment with NSW Health’s policies, strategic priorities, response to national accreditation requirements and NSW Health's values-driven commitments under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
The CoE also works in partnership with Local Health Districts, Specialty Health Networks, and pillar agencies to embed cultural safety in workforce development, educational design, and service delivery, supporting more equitable health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and culturally diverse communities.
Delivery Hub
The Delivery Hub sits within the Centre of Expertise. The Aboriginal Cultural Capability Facilitators service statewide agencies and pillars.
Facilitators may also provide supplementary support for delivery to LHDs/SHNs on an ad-hoc basis. The CoE team translate statewide strategy into practical, culturally grounded learning experiences that strengthen cultural capability in local services.
Transforming NSW Health’s Aboriginal Cultural Capability
NSW Health is committed to strengthening cultural safety and embedding Aboriginal cultural capability across every part of the health system. The CoE sits at the heart of that commitment. They provide the leadership, authority and cultural expertise required to transform how care is delivered, how staff are supported, and how cultural safety becomes a consistent, lived standard across all services.
The NSW Ministry of Health is making an ongoing, system‑wide commitment to grow the Aboriginal workforce and uplift Respecting the Difference, expanding reach and depth of cultural capability across NSW Health.
Our Team
Kayeleen Brown has been appointed as Director, Aboriginal Cultural Capability, Centre of Expertise. Over the coming months, she will be supporting the recruitment of key senior positions and in establishing the Centre of Expertise during this foundational phase.
Kayeleen is a proud Walbunja and Dharwaal Wangeen woman of the Yuin Nation, and a Wehlabul and Wahlabul Bundjalung Doobay woman, living on the South Coast, with strong family and cultural connections to the Weilwan and Kamilaroi nations.
She brings exceptional cultural capability expertise grounded in lived experience, community leadership, and system-level advocacy. Kayeleen has already provided valuable cultural leadership and advice to HETI, supporting our work in a way that reflects deep cultural authority, integrity, and a strong commitment to Aboriginal self-determination. Her expertise and leadership position her strongly to guide the early establishment of the Aboriginal Cultural Capability Centre of Expertise and to support its future success.
The Associate Director, Aboriginal Cultural Capability provides strategic and operational leadership for NSW Health’s Aboriginal cultural capability and cultural safety education initiatives. Leading HETI’s Centre of Expertise and Delivery Hub, the role oversees program delivery, governance, quality, and stakeholder engagement, ensuring culturally safe, community-informed education that strengthens workforce capability and supports system-wide cultural change.
The Senior Education Manager, Aboriginal Cultural Capability leads the development and continuous improvement of NSW Health’s Respecting the Difference and other cultural safety programs. The role provides expert leadership in culturally safe, evidence-informed curriculum design, evaluation, and quality assurance, supporting statewide education initiatives that strengthen Aboriginal cultural capability, safety, responsiveness, and inclusivity across NSW Health.
The Education & Training Manager, Aboriginal Cultural Capability provides leadership and operational oversight for the delivery of Respecting the Difference and other Aboriginal cultural safety training programs across NSW Health. The role supports facilitators through onboarding, mentoring, supervision, and professional development, ensuring culturally safe and consistent program delivery while collaborating with agencies and the Centre of Expertise to meet local needs, maintain statewide standards, and uphold cultural integrity.
The Aboriginal Cultural Safety Coach provides culturally appropriate mentoring, supervision, and wellbeing support to facilitators delivering Respecting the Difference and other cultural capability programs across NSW Health. Working within HETI’s Centre of Expertise, the role promotes culturally safe practice, resilience, and workforce sustainability, supporting facilitators to effectively manage cultural and psychological demands while maintaining high-quality program delivery.
The Aboriginal Cultural Capability Facilitator delivers Respecting the Difference and other cultural safety programs across NSW Health. Working within HETI’s Delivery Hub, the role engages with Aboriginal communities, contributes to program development and evaluation, and supports continuous improvement of cultural safety education while promoting cultural integrity, inclusion, and respectful practice across the health workforce.
The Project Officer supports the Centre of Expertise and Delivery Hub at HETI in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of Aboriginal Cultural Capability programs. The role contributes to statewide priorities including the Closing the Gap Implementation Plan and Aboriginal Health Transformation Agenda, and ensures quality through co-design, cultural governance, and support for staff wellbeing.
Supporting culturally safe workplaces
The CoE represents a major NSW Health investment in Aboriginal workforce, cultural capability and cultural safety. It offers a rare opportunity to influence system wide change and strengthen cultural safety across every part of the health system.
The CoE provides the opportunity to:
- Shape cultural capability at a statewide scale, influencing policy, education, workforce development and service delivery across NSW Health
- Work in direct connection with community and Country, co designing approaches with Aboriginal Elders, leaders, knowledge holders and local communities
- Contribute to a dedicated Aboriginal led model, supported by strong cultural governance, Aboriginal leadership, mentoring, professional development pathways and cultural leave
- Be part of a new statewide Centre of Expertise, helping to build culturally safe workplaces for Aboriginal staff and deliver more respectful, responsive care for Aboriginal patients
How this team drives cultural safety across NSW Health
As part of the NSW Health Aboriginal Cultural Capability, Centre of Expertise, the team lead the uplift of Respecting the Difference by partnering with Aboriginal staff, communities and services to design, deliver and continuously improve culturally safe practice across the system.
They embed cultural governance in policy, training and recruitment; co‑design tools and guidance for leaders and teams; mentor local champions; and provide yarning‑based coaching to services navigating complex cultural matters.
By strengthening capability in every workplace and by listening to community feedback and tracking outcomes, these roles help ensure Aboriginal voices are centred, staff feel culturally safe at work, and Aboriginal patients experience respectful, responsive care across NSW Health.
Available roles
These roles are available in the NSW Health Aboriginal Cultural Capability Centre of Expertise and Delivery Hub supporting the Respecting the Difference program and other cultural capability education and training. Find out more here.
Contact us
If you require further information about the CoE, please contact us at HETI-AboriginalCulturalCapability@health.nsw.gov.au