Ballarat & District Aboriginal Co-operative (BADAC)

Established in 1979 by the Ballarat Aboriginal community in the Ballarat district, BADAC’s vision is to be the strongest voice and presence in the Ballarat area, supporting and respecting their people, enhancing our community, growing their culture and honouring their heritage. BADAC is the Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisation (ACCO) for the Ballarat and District area, covering 4 local government areas (LGAs). The organisation is extremely proud of the contribution and support they have provided the local Aboriginal community over the past 40 years delivering a comprehensive range of health, social, welfare and community development programs to local Aboriginal people.

Our vision

Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative exists to achieve self-determination for the Aboriginal community, enabling stronger families by ensuring equal opportunities in health, housing, education, employment and justice through a holistic and culturally relevant approach.

The Opportunity

We currently have an opportunity for a enthusiastic and committed Aboriginal Practice Lead to join The Orange Door Integrated Team on a Full Time Ongoing basis.

Commencement for the successful applicant approximately March 2025.

Why work for BADAC?

• Above award wages (based on relevant qualification and experience)
• Generous benefits, entitlements and LSL acural
• Opportunities to develop your career further within our growing organisation
• Access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Professional Development and internal networking opportunities
• Access to generous Salary Packaging options
• Access to Cultural Awareness Training

The Program

BADAC is proud to be involved in one of Victoria’s Support and Safety Hubs in Ballarat. Known as The Orange Door, the hubs help protect women, children and families from violence and give people an easier way to access family violence services.

The Victorian Government has committed to implementing all 227 recommendations of the Royal Commission into Family Violence and to delivering on the vision described in Roadmap for Reform: Strong families, Safe children. A key recommendation of The Royal Commission and the Roadmap for Reform was to establish a network of Support and Safety Hubs (The Orange Door). The Orange Door delivers a fundamental change to the way we work with the community. The Orange Door will bring together different workforces and practices creating an integrated Orange Door team and a consolidated intake point in each of The Orange Door areas.

The Orange Door Team includes a mix of staff employed by local private Community Service Organisations (CSO’s) for the Central Highlands region together with Family Safety Victoria and DHHS. These organisations include Cafs, Berry Street and Ballarat & District Aboriginal Cooperative (BADAC) working collaboratively to provide and deliver services for The Orange Door across the breadth of the Central Highlands Region.

The Aboriginal Practice Leader is a practice leadership position in each Support and Safety Hub (known as The Orange Door). Auspice by THE Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative (BADAC) within The Orange Door network, the Aboriginal Practice Leader works in close partnership with the Hub Manager, Practice Leaders, the Aboriginal Hub Practitioners, and Team Leaders to lead high quality, culturally safe and effective responses to Aboriginal people seeking support and safety through The Orange Door.

The Aboriginal Practice Leader IS responsible for providing practice leadership and expert advice to The Orange Door workforce on culturally safe and inclusive specialist family violence services, child and family services and perpetrator interventions. The Aboriginal Practice Leader provides secondary consultations to internal and external stakeholders and proactively build cultural safety and competence in The Orange Door.

In addition, the Aboriginal Practice Leader works with the Hub Manager and the Service System Navigator to build and maintain effective partnerships with Aboriginal services and communities within The Orange Door Network to support choice for Aboriginal people.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

• Leading and supporting culturally safe and responsive practice in The Orange Door with Aboriginal children, families and perpetrators.

• Provide specialist secondary case consultation and technical input on complex family violence cases, child and family and perpetrator interventions.

• Co-working and providing daily specialist practice support for the Aboriginal Hub Practitioner and (as requested and required) for Team Leaders.

• Where appropriate, jointly managing a small caseload of complex and/or sensitive cases.

• Working with The Orange Door Team Leaders, Aboriginal Services, community and cultural leaders to identify and resolve clinical and practice issues as they arise.

• Operating with autonomy and accountability in supporting Aboriginal children, families and perpetrators.

• Leading, mentoring and developing Hub Practitioners and Team Leaders in working with Aboriginal children, families and perpetrators.

• Building capability of Orange Door practitioners to deliver culturally competent responses to victim survivors, children and families and perpetrators, informed by client experience and in line with the Integrated Practice Framework and relevant legislative frameworks (including (including the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 and Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005).

• Providing practitioners with relevant information and access to systems to support safe and effective responses to Aboriginal children and families as part of an integrated practice approach.

• Modelling integrated practice approaches and behaviours integral to ethical clinical practice working with Aboriginal children and families.

• Supporting professional development of practitioners in partnership with other Practice Leaders, Family Safety Victoria, Aboriginal organisations, CSOs, DHHS, and other local workforce and training planning initiatives.

• Sharing practice knowledge on Aboriginal approaches to holistic healing and whole of family practices.

• Contributing to reflective practice for The Orange Door team in particular in relation to working effectively with Aboriginal people.

• Building the cultural safety of The Orange Door and supporting choice and self-determination of Aboriginal people.

• Liaising with and providing specialist or secondary consultation to organisations and services within The Orange Door network in order to discuss direct service issues for Aboriginal people accessing services through The Orange Door.

• Working with local Aboriginal governance groups to provide connection between Aboriginal services, communities and The Orange Door.

• Supporting system and service improvement by implementing systems and procedures to guide specialist practice responses working with Aboriginal children and families.

• Working in partnership with the Hub Manager, Team Leaders, and other CSO Managers where appropriate, to foster high quality service for Aboriginal people.

• Providing sound judgement and authoritative advice on risks, priorities, clinical and practice matters to The Orange Door team and where relevant the Hub Manager and/or relevant Hub governance groups.

• Participating in communities of practice with Aboriginal Practice Leaders across the Victorian The Orange Door network.

• Working collaboratively with the Hub Manager and Service System Navigator to build and maintain effective partnerships with Aboriginal services to support choice for Aboriginal people.

• Managing stakeholders through effective negotiation and influence, harnessing this network to support Aboriginal people and ensure effective The Orange Door operations.

• Oversee, monitor and deliver projects to respond to local needs, ensuring they are delivered in a culturally safe and effective way, in accordance with self-determination and relevant legislation and government regulations and guidelines.

• Keep accurate and complete records of your work activities in accordance with legislative requirements and the Victoria Government’s, information security and privacy policies and requirements.

• Take reasonable care for your own health and safety and for that of others in the workplace by working in accordance with legislative requirements and occupational health and safety (OHS) policies and procedures.

Key Selection Criteria:

• Strong knowledge of Aboriginal culture, aspirations and self-determination: Has a strong understanding of the local service delivery environment for Aboriginal children and families and communities in the local area, with additional recognition given to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants.

• A relevant tertiary qualification in Social Work, Community Services, Welfare or the willingness to work towards a qualification.

• Ability to work collaboratively to drive cultural change, has a clear concept of the culture required to deliver effective, culturally safe and responsive services for Aboriginal people within an integrated practice context.

• Designs and delivers innovative practices that enhance quality practice standards for Aboriginal people as well as an understanding how to build and establish effective practice cultures, identifies change required, describes reasons for it and engages people who can deliver the change.

• Expert knowledge and practice leadership roles within Aboriginal services, established expertise and capability to lead and embed culturally safe and responsive practice as part of an integrated service model of collaborative service delivery and quality clinical practice in The Orange Door.

• Highly developed leadership, negotiation and relationship building skills; has deep understanding of the role of the law and legal system in the context of responding to family violence.

• Knowledge of practice with Aboriginal women, children, families, victims and perpetrators of family violence, previous experience working in multi-disciplinary and multi-agency contexts is desired.

• Ability to diagnose trends, obstacles and opportunities in the internal and external environment; understands the linkages between natural systems and communities to inform policy; conceptualises and defines the systems working within the organisation.

• Ability to self-reflect, take on board constructive feedback and utilise information to improve day to day work is important.

• Establishes and maintain relationships with people at all level, promoting harmony and consensus through diplomatic handling of disagreements. Forges useful partnerships with people across business areas, functions and organisations builds.

• Proactive and self-starting, able to seizes opportunities and act upon them. Ability to take responsibility for own actions.

• Demonstrated capacity for sustained effort and hard work. Sets high standards of performance for self and others while enjoying a vigorous and dynamic work environment.

• Cooperates and works well with others in pursuit of team goals, collaborates and shares information, shows consideration, concern and respect for others feelings and ideas, accommodates and works well with the different working styles of others, encourages resolution of conflict within the group.

• Professional practice experience in family violence services, child and family services and or broader social services sector is essential.

Other Info

To be considered for roles with BADAC you will need to:

• Have (or be willing to have) a National Police Clearance and current Working with Children Check Clearance.

If this sounds like the sort of opportunity you would be interested in, please click ‘Apply Now’. If you have further questions on the role or would like a detailed copy of the position description, please contact BADAC on (03) 5331 5344.

Please Note: All applications will require applicants to provide a cover letter addressing the Key Selection Criteria above and a copy of their resume. Applications without the required documents will not be accepted.

Applications close C.O.B on 27th February 2025

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply.

BADAC is a Child Safe organisation and all employees are expected to adhere to our Child Safe Guidelines.

BADAC is committed to diversity in employment aiming to develop a workforce that reflects the diverse community that we operate in. We foster a workplace culture in which LGBTQIA+ employees feel included, safe and supported.

Under the Victorian Public Health orders, all employees working within the Public Health system must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and are required to provide acceptable evidence of their vaccination status. The current orders require evidence of three doses.