JOB DESCRIPTION

Position: Men’s Aboriginal Practitioner

Location: 1 x Hume Merri-Bek & 1x Werribee

Hours: Full time – 37.5 hours per week

Classification Award: Social and Community Services Employee – L 6.1

Contract Period: Ongoing position

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Supervision: Manager Aboriginal Centre for Males

Travel: Occasional statewide travel may be a requirement of the position

OUR ORGANISATION

VACSAL

The Victorian Aboriginal Community Services Association Limited (VACSAL) is the recognised state-wide Peak Advisory body on Aboriginal Community issues. VACSAL is a community based, community controlled organisation, comprising representatives from Koorie organisations across the State. As well as having an advisory role, VACSAL delivers and manages a range of critical community services across Victoria.

Program Area

VACSAL Aboriginal Centre for Males is a key stakeholder in addressing and focussing on the issues surrounding family violence and strongly support men to commence and continue a path of healing for themselves, their families and communities. In 2005 the state government introduced reforms to the family violence service system. As a result Victoria has established an Integrated Family Violence System that enables a range of service providers to respond collaboratively to Aboriginal Men who use violence against women and families.

About the Orange Door

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 The Orange Door- a network of Support and Safety Hubs across Victoria. The Orange Door aims to provide a new way for women, children and young people experiencing family violence, and families in need of support with the care, development and wellbeing of children and young people, to access coordinated support. The Orange Door will also focus on users of violence of family violence, to keep them in view and play a role in holding them accountable for their actions and changing their behaviour.

The State-wide Concept highlights that the safety of victim survivors and children will be the Orange Door’s priority. It also recognises that a gendered understanding of family violence and an understanding of child and family vulnerability are critical to effective services and systems.

The Orange Door will be accessible, safe, and welcoming to people, providing quick and simple access to the support and safety they need. The Orange Door will engage user of violence and plan interventions to hold them to account and support them to access services to address these concerns.

Role of The Orange Door

The Orange Door will deliver a fundamental change to the way we work with women, children, families and men. The role of The Orange Door is to provide:

• A more visible contact point so that people know where to go for specialist support.

• Help for people to identify family violence and child and family safety and wellbeing issues.

• Advice based on contemporary risk assessment tools and guidance and best available information.

• Specialist support and tailored advice for victims, families and children, and users of violence.

• A strong focus on users of violence accountability.

• Connection and coordination of access to support.

• An approach across the spectrum of prevention, early intervention, and response.

• A system-wide view of service capacity, client experience and outcomes.

The Orange Door Team will include a mix of staff employed by Family Safety Victoria and other agencies (including VACSAL) to reflect the local needs.

POSITION SUMMARY

Located at The Orange Door, this role will provide comprehensive intake, assessment and planning to Aboriginal community members seeking support around family violence and child well-being.

The Aboriginal practitioner will work primarily with users of violence as part of a multi-disciplinary team to deliver high quality, culturally safe and effective responses to women, children and families seeking support and safety through the Orange Door. Through a whole of family approach focused on victim/survivor safety and well-being, services will also be offered to users of violence to engage with services to address these behaviours and other support needs.

KEY RESULT AREAS

TASKS:

· Provide culturally safe intake, assessment and planning to women, children, families, and men seeking support through The Orange Door.

· Work within a specialist discipline to deliver Orange Door services and develop an understanding of and the capabilities to work safely across family violence, users of violence responses and child well-being (with appropriate training and supervision).

· Deliver screening and triage, assessment, crisis responses, service planning, targeted interventions, allocation and coordinated referrals consistent with the Integrated Practice Framework, Operational Guidelines, Services Specifications and relevant risk assessment tools and frameworks.

· Identify, assess, and prioritise risk and needs of women and children, families, and users of violence, drawing on the expertise of different practitioners in a multi-disciplinary team.

· Work collaboratively with the Orange Door team to support integrated risk assessment and planning, including participating in case conferences and meetings.

· Recognise and identify limits of own expertise and when to seek advice or refer clients to The Orange Door specialist practitioners or Practice Leaders to ensure safe practice.

· Identify when a Central Information Point (CIP) request is required and refer request to the Orange Door Practice Leader and/or Family Violence Team Leader.

· Apply for brokerage on behalf of clients in accordance with brokerage guidelines.

· Navigate the broader service system for clients by referring clients to services and providing information and support including supporting strong links between The Orange Door and other Aboriginal services.

· Record client information accurately on The Orange Door Client Relationship Management (CRM) system.

· Handle client information in accordance with the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS), Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS), information security, privacy policies and requirements.

· Participate in training and development activities designed to build capabilities to work effectively in The Orange Door environment.

· Assist with VACSAL community events such as NAIDOC activities, sports carnivals etc.

· Attend internal and external training as required.

· Ensure compliance with legislations, contract and policy requirements in your day to day work in order to meet the organisation’s audit, contract and registration obligations.

· Proactively apply your specialist knowledge in the review and maintenance of policies, systems and processes.

· Continue the development of a culturally strong and positive working environment using a continuous improvement approach.

· Attend VACSAL In Service and AGM annually.

· Ensure you have a sound knowledge of all VACSAL programs

· Create a yearly work plan, ensuring it aligns with your KPI’s and is in conjunction with your program and the Strategic Plan. Ensure it is updated bimonthly as part of your Supervisor Sessions.

· Participate in bimonthly Supervisor Sessions

· Undertake other duties that are peripheral to the main tasks, provided that such duties are reasonably within the employee’s skills, competence and training.

KEY SELECTION CRITERIA (KSC)

Mandatory KSC:

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Preferred

· Bachelor level qualification in Social Work or equivalent (or working towards Bachelor level qualifications).

· Sound knowledge and understanding and commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, culture and the philosophy and practice of Aboriginal Community Control and be able to effectively utilise this knowledge to effectively communicate with Aboriginal people including women and children, men, and families.

· Demonstrated ability to work successfully with Aboriginal people to address a range of complex and diverse needs including the understanding of the importance of culture and community connection.

· Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the drivers/causes of family violence and child and family vulnerability.

· Ability to provide outreach and home visits outside of normal office hours.

· Proven ability to maintain confidentiality and knowledge of privacy requirements relevant to the role.

Other Relevant Information:

· After hours, weekend may be required.

· 10am-6pm shifts may be required

· The successful applicant will be required to disclosure any pre-existing injury/injuries and/or medical condition/s, which could be aggravated by the type of employment they are applying for. The existence of an injury/injuries and/or medical condition/s will not preclude the applicant from employment, unless they are unable to perform the inherent requirements of the position. However, failure to disclose any relevant information may affect a claim for Worker’s Compensation.

· Current Working with children’s check

· Current National police check

· Proof of full vaccination against COVID-19

· Current Victorian Driver’s License

Applications for this position must include the following:

Written cover letter that outlines why the applicant believes that he/she would be suitable for this position.

Detailed Curriculum Vitae that outlines educational and employment background, which must also include at least 3 referees.

A detailed response to the Key Selection Criteria.

Applications for this position close on 30th May, 2025. Applications must reach VACSAL office by close of business that day.

It is a mandatory requirement that all successful applicants provide a current Working with Children check, full vaccination against COVID-19 and a current National Police check.

Applications must be marked Private & Confidential and addressed to:

Linda Bamblett

CEO

Victorian Aboriginal Community Services Association Limited

496 High Street

Northcote, VIC 3070

Email: [email protected]

Further information or questions concerning this position can be directed to David Nelson on

03 9484 8587