NSW Health has launched the Stolen Generations Survivors Action Plan 2025–2030: Towards Health and Healing, the first action plan of its kind in Australia and a significant step forward in addressing the urgent health, wellbeing and aged care needs of Stolen Generations Survivors.
This landmark Action Plan represents a strong commitment to healing, truth-telling and justice. It acknowledges the profound and ongoing impacts of removal policies and responds to the “gap within the gap”, the disproportionate outcomes experienced by Stolen Generations Survivors that are even greater than those faced by the broader Aboriginal population.
This Action Plan aims to ensure that Survivors’ health and wellbeing needs are embedded within the health system, and that urgent actions that require collaborative efforts across the health system are operationalised.
Action plan objectives
The plan outlines six clear and interconnected objectives to guide reform across the health and care system:
- improve access to health and healing services for Survivors and descendants
- improve access to aged care and end-of-life care for Survivors
- improve health and wellbeing supports for Survivors and descendants in the criminal justice system
- strengthen health system capacity to meet the health and wellbeing needs of Survivors and descendants
- enhance resources and supports for Stolen Generations Organisations
- support a Survivor and descendant health and wellbeing research agenda.
Together, these objectives aim to embed culturally safe, trauma-informed care across the system while strengthening the organisations and services that Survivors trust.
Palliative Care NSW’s Commitment to this plan
Palliative Care NSW’s learning and connection to the Stolen Generations Survivors started in May 2025 when we participated in a NSW Health led yarning and training session with the Stolen Generations Organisations (SGO). From this session, new partnerships and connections were formed with conversations and initiatives now ongoing.
Kirsty Blades, CEO, Palliative Care NSW reflects on this journey so far:
“Following that first connection with the SGOs, Palliative Care NSW has partnered with and supported the Coota Girls Aboriginal Corporation at two of their Integrated Care sessions for Stolen Generations Survivors, their families and their descendants.
I was privileged to be able to connect with Survivors in Port Macquarie and Wollongong for a discussion on the journey to dreaming, the support palliative care can provide and the importance of advance care yarning.
Coota Girls Aboriginal Corporation work to meet the social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing needs of Coota Girls Survivors their families and their descendants. This connects directly to the goals of palliative care, to provide holistic care that puts the person at the centre of their care, to support them to live as well and as comfortably as they can right to the very end.
Ensuring that palliative care and end-of-life care is culturally safe is essential. The conversations we have had with Survivors acknowledged the sensitivity of this topic and the challenges that can be experienced in accessing culturally safe care. On the flipside, we heard of the deep positive impact on families and communities when care is provided that meets cultural needs, and how trust is established when culturally safe care is delivered. They have been honest conversations and emotional at times as stories were shared and we learnt from each other.
Improving access to end-of-life care for Survivors starts with conversations and partnerships like this and continues through a shared commitment to meet the Action Plans vision: Stolen Generations Survivors and their descendants receive high quality, culturally safe and responsive health and aged care that delivers outcomes to meet their needs.
I want to acknowledge the incredible work being done by the Aboriginal Health Workers in Supportive and Palliative Care, that are now part of every Local Health District across NSW. Cindy Younie presented with me in Port Macquarie, and it is clear the impact Cindy is having on her community and across the district, through her deep knowledge, connections and leadership.
But delivering high quality, culturally safe and responsive health and aged care for Survivors and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is not just the responsibility of Aboriginal Health Workers. It is a shared responsibility of every organisation and individual working in health and aged care.
Palliative Care NSW commit to the actions and strategic outcomes of this action plan. We will continue to foster partnerships and connections with SGOs, support SGO team members as they support Survivors, and through our professional education programs help build capacity and capability across health and aged care to deliver culturally safe and trauma informed palliative and end-of-life care.”
An Action Plan built through collaboration and co-design
At the heart of this Action Plan are the voices, wisdom and leadership of Stolen Generations Survivors themselves. Survivors experience poorer health outcomes across their lifespan, shaped by trauma, loss of family and culture, and enduring inequities in access to care.
The Action Plan was developed through extensive collaboration with Stolen Generations Survivors and Stolen Generations Organisations across NSW. Their lived experience, advocacy and leadership have shaped every stage of the Plan.
NSW Health extends its sincere thanks to all Survivors and organisations who contributed their time, knowledge and strength to this work. Their involvement reflects a shared commitment to healing for current and future generations.
Artwork that reflects healing and connection
The Action Plan features Healthy Living, an artwork by Uncle Richard Campbell, a Stolen Generations Survivor from the Kinchela Boys Home. The artwork symbolises harmony with natural fauna and flora, and the connection between people, culture and Country. It represents the many players working together to support healthy living, now and for generations to come.
Looking ahead
The NSW Health Stolen Generations Survivors Action Plan 2025–2030 is an important milestone, but it is also a call to action. Its success depends on sustained commitment, accountability and continued partnership with Survivors and their communities.
Read the full Stolen Generations Survivors Action Plan 2025–2030 by clicking here