Australian Dental Council Partners with Kinaway!
Overview of the Partner’s business
The Australian Dental Council (ADC) plays a critical role in the health and safety of the Australian public, by ensuring dental practitioners meet the highest standards of competence, professionalism and effectiveness. As the accreditation authority for dental professions in Australia, our work encompasses a broad range of functions, including:
accrediting education and training programs leading to registration as a dentist, dental specialist, dental hygienist, dental therapist, oral health therapist and dental prosthetist
developing accreditation standards, policies, and procedures for Australian-based dental practitioner programs
developing standards, policies, and procedures for the assessment of qualities and skills of overseas trained dental practitioners (excluding dental specialists) seeking registration to practise in Australia
assessing the professional qualities, knowledge, judgement, and clinical skills of overseas trained dental practitioners (excluding dental specialists) to determine their ability to apply for registration to practise in Australia.
Our office and examination centre are in Naarm (Melbourne), on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri peoples of the Kulin Nation. While based in Naarm, the ADC’s work extends nationally and increasingly internationally, reflecting our growing influence in the global dental community.
How has the ADC engaged with the Indigenous sector? What actions have they taken to reconciliation? Any special programs, projects or collaborations? E.g. RAPs, employment, procurement
The ADC is dedicated to advancing health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. By placing cultural safety at the centre of the Accreditation Standards and Professional Competencies
we set, the ADC is helping to ensure students of dental education programs are able to provide culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Through our Reflect RAP, we developed a strong foundation for advancing reconciliation within our organisation and across the dental health sector. We provided cultural responsiveness training delivered in partnership with Indigenous Allied Health Australia for all ADC staff, Board members, and Committee representatives. This training has enhanced understanding of cultural safety and now forms an integral part of our onboarding process for new staff, Board member and Committee representatives,
ensuring reconciliation principles are embedded from the outset. We have extended this commitment to our assessors, and also partnered with ABSTARR Consulting to deliver specialised training, equipping ADC’s assessors to assess dental programs against cultural safety standards in a culturally safe manner.
Our Indigenous Board Directors, Assessment Committee Members and Accreditation Committee members ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experiences and expertise inform our governance and decision-making, and we have meaningful professional connections with organisations such as Indigenous Allied Health Australia and the Indigenous Dental Association Australia.
We have also developed our policy for engaging Indigenous suppliers, which has enabled us to collaborate with providers including Mabu Mabu, Jarrah Catering, Nganya and Carbon Offsets Australia. Our contribution also extended to grassroots activities, including a book donation drive for Books and Boots, an Indigenous not-for-profit supporting literacy for children in remote communities.
We are proud to be developing our Innovate RAP, with plans to launch it later this year. Through our Innovate RAP, we plan to deepen our impact and expand our partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations.
Why did the ADC sign up with Kinaway? What was the driving factor??
The ADC is eager to expand our relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses and organisations, to improve economic outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Kinaway’s offering of networking opportunities, additional support hours to develop an engagement program and access to Kinaway’s network of Indigenous businesses drove our decision-making. We are excited to partner with Kinaway as a Platinum Partner.
What is the ADC’s mission or aim in supporting the Indigenous economy? How will Kinaway member businesses benefit from this partnership?
The ADC understands that partnering with Indigenous businesses contributes to the economic empowerment and success of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
As a leading accreditation authority, the ADC is uniquely positioned to influence the quality of education, training, and care provided by dental professionals across Australia. We hope to share our successful partnerships within our sphere of influence in the dental sector, positively influencing other organisations to pursue similar partnerships.
How does the ADC hope to benefit from their partnership with Kinaway?
Through our partnership with Kinaway, we hope to expand our partnerships with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses and organisations, ultimately leading to improved economic and social outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.