Frequently Asked Questions

What are the National Excellence Awards in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health?

The National Excellence Awards in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (The Awards Program) is a national biennial awards program established by the Australian Government to celebrate the achievements of individuals and organisations and to promote quality and excellence in health care Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Awards Program will highlight innovation and leadership and will provide encouragement to all individuals and organisations in their pursuit of excellence.

What are the Award categories?

There are six award categories comprised of three awards for individuals and three awards for organisations, as follows:

Categories for Individuals

Categories for Organisations

Refer to the nomination guidelines for further details.

Who are the previous award winners?

As this is the first year of the Awards Program, there are no previous winners.

Who is eligible for the awards?

The Awards Program is open to nominations from Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health workers and organisations, and mainstream health workers and organisations involved in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health service delivery including academic, researchers, nurses, doctors and other health care professionals.

Who can nominate?

Individual award nominations can be made by anyone other than the person being nominated. The nominated person must provide their consent to the nomination.

For Organisation awards, the organisation must self nominate and provide written approval from the governing body.

How do I nominate?

All categories require a Nomination Form to be completed. See how to nominate section to download a form.

How can I obtain assistance with my nomination?

Further assistance in the nomination process can be obtained by phoning the National Excellence Awards enquiry line on 1800 641 538 (freecall) or emailing NEAwards@health.gov.au

What is the letter of support?

Nominations for individuals must include a letter of support (up to 500 words) from an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person of standing within the community where the individual works. The letter must demonstrate that the person being nominated is recognised by the community for their work in the health sector.

Nominations from organisations must include a letter of support (up to 500 words)
from a stakeholder. This letter must demonstrate that the organisation is contributing to positive health outcomes for the community.

Can I nominate for more than one award?

Individuals and organisations can be nominated in more than one category however they can only win one award in any one award year.

Will a nominee be asked to provide information in addition to the Nomination Form at any stage?

Short-listed nominees may be interviewed by the judging panel to assist with finalising award winners.

When will the Awards Program winners be announced?

Thursday 22^nd November 2007 at the presentation ceremony in Sydney.

What is the purpose of the site visits?

The site visits will provide a valuable opportunity for each finalist to showcase and expand on their claims against the selection criteria. The judging panel will meet finalists in their own environment as part of the assessment process. The judges will also meet with relevant stakeholders and colleagues in order to hear first hand how the finalist is contributing to quality and excellence in health care.

How can the award money be spent?

It is expected that the recipient will use the award money to further their involvement in Indigenous health service delivery. For example the money may be used for one or more of the following:

Research
Study
Conferences
Donations to Indigenous health services for training equipment.

Is the information I provide to the Australian Government confidential?

The information in the nomination form, as well as any material forwarded in support of nominations will become the property of the Australian Government and may be
used by the Department of Health and Ageing for the purposes of promoting the National Excellence Awards in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health.

Any documentation submitted in support of nominations will not be returned. (You should note, however, that under the Privacy Act 1988, the Department of Health and Ageing is required to safeguard any information given into its possession. The Information Privacy Principles set out under the Privacy Act 1988 provide guidelines for the safe storage, use and disclosure of personal and/or commercial in confidence
information).

Freedom of Information

All documents created or held by the Department of Health and Ageing with regard to the 2007 National Excellence Awards in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health are subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act, 1982).

Unless a document falls under an exempt provision, it will be made available to the general public if requested under the FOI Act.

What is the closing date for nominations?

Friday 3 August 2007 at 5.00 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time.

Where do I send my completed Nomination Form?

Please send completed the nomination form to :

Department of Health and Ageing
National Excellence Awards in Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Health
MDP17
GPO Box 9848
Canberra City ACT 2601
or by email - NEAwards@health.gov.au