CKI Community Support and Resilience Pilot Program

The department seeks to source a service provider to deliver a range of core program activities to the CKI community from April 2026 through to June 2027. The provider(s)will deliver culturally informed, community-led services that strengthen individual and family wellbeing, enhance community resilience, and build local capability to respond to child safety and wellbeing concerns. Services will support the community to engage confidently and constructively in future climate adaptation and planning processes.

Scope:

The Coco Keeling Island (CKI) Community Support and Resilience Pilot Program is a trauma informed initiative designed to strengthen community wellbeing, resilience, and child safety.

The program operates in the context of ongoing child protection concerns and climate adaptation planning in the remote and culturally distinct setting of the Cocos (Keeling Islands).

The Australian Government has partnered with the Western Australian Government to develop a Coastal Hazard Risk Management and Adaptation Plan (CHRMAP) for CKI, in accordance with Western Australian legislation; State Planning Policy 2.6.

Community consultations and public submissions on the draft CHRMAP identified high levels of distress, grief, and anxiety associated with the anticipated impacts of climate change on the islands’ geography and the community’s way of life. These impacts have implications for mental health, community cohesion, and the community’s capacity to engage constructively in future planning and adaptation processes.

At the same time, service providers and community stakeholders have reported ongoing child safety concerns on CKI. Limited access to therapeutic services, combined with community reluctance to engage with services that are not culturally safe or trusted, has exacerbated these issues.

This program responds to identified community need for accessible, culturally safe psychological and psychosocial supports in a period of heightened stress with flexible and coordinated service provision. Trauma informed, culturally appropriate supports are required to promote child, youth and family recovery, strengthen protective factors, and improve outcomes for children, young people, and their carers.

Provider services overview

The Department is seeking to engage a service provider with expertise in trauma informed community engagement and change management to deliver a range of short term training and support to CKI Community, and to work with the community to co design longer term support, engagement and resilience programs.

The department seeks to source a service provider(s) to deliver a range of core program activities to the CKI community from April 2026 through to June 2027. The provider(s) will be supported by the Lead Psychologist (mental health and trauma specialist) from a separate recruitment process.

Purpose of the provider

The provider will deliver culturally informed, community-led services that strengthen individual and family wellbeing, enhance community resilience, and build local capability to respond to child safety and wellbeing concerns. Services will support the community to engage confidently and constructively in future climate adaptation and planning processes.