POSITION DESCRIPTION Family Violence Crisis Accommodation and Support Services

Transcription

1 POSITION DESCRIPTION Family Violence Crisis Accommodation and Support Services Position: Team: EFT: Family Violence Services Manager Family Violence Programs Refer to contract Hours: After Hours: Accountable: Rostered on a shared base, one week in three and more when sick leave / annual leave. To the General Manager (GM) and in her absence to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) BACKGROUND: Centre Against Violence (CAV) was previously known as Ovens Murray Centre Against Sexual Assault (OMCASA). The original organisation OMCASA was established in the early 1990s by a group of people from northeast Victoria. In 1992, the organisation was incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Act and has always been managed by a community-based Board of Management. In 2012 the new name of Centre Against Violence was created to incorporate the diversity of programs operating under the auspice of the organisation. CAV receives core funding through the Victorian Government Department of Human Services, Children and Family Services branch. From time to time special project funding is sought from other sources. CAV has endorsed the Standards of Practice for Victorian Centres Against Sexual Assault. The Victorian Centres Against Sexual Assault Forum Inc, the peak body for the 16 Victorian CASAs, developed the Standards. CAV s policies and procedures manual are supported by the Standards of Practice. CAV operates within a feminist framework in respect of our understanding and analysis of sexual assault and family/domestic violence. CAV provides crisis and short to medium term and long term counselling, advocacy, information and support to women, men and children who have experienced sexual assault and their supporting family members and friends. We also offer services to children under 10 with problem sexual behaviour and young people 10 and under 18 who have sexually abusive behaviours. Version: 5 Last Updated: Page 1 of 5

2 CAV is linked to the Victorian after hour s sexual assault crisis telephone service: SACL. Our agency provides 7 days per week 24 hours per day crisis care service to victim survivors of recent sexual assault (Recent = past two weeks). CAV is also linked to Safe Steps, the state-wide women s domestic violence crisis service. CAV provides 24/7 crisis care for women and children affected by family/domestic violence. Rostered after hours work is an important role shared by CAV staff in both the Sexual Assault Service and the Family Violence Crisis Accommodation and Support Service. CAV refers to the Code of Practice for Specialist Family Violence Services for Women and Children 2006 and the Practice Guidelines: Women and Children s Family Violence Counselling and Support Programs All staff working in Family Violence Teams are expected to work according to these guidelines and standards. Workers employed in CAV programs are provided with permanent employment subject to funding for this program being retained and to successful completion of six months probation demonstrated by compliance to the terms of employment described in CAV Employment contract which includes all requirements of the Quality Management System. ACCOUNTABILITY: Responsible to the General Manager and through the General Manager to the Board of Management of the Centre Against Violence (CAV). When the General Manager is unavailable reporting and consultation will be through the CEO. AWARD: Salary and employment conditions are in accordance with the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award Pay point will be negotiated according to qualifications and experience. LOCATION: The Administrative base of the service is at Wangaratta. Full service is provided from Wangaratta, Wodonga, Benalla and Mansfield. Outreach services are provided routinely in other areas of the North East according to demand. Version: 5 Last Updated: Page 2 of 5

3 MAIN PURPOSE: The main purpose of the position is to provide management and oversight for the full range of Family Violence programs provided by CAV. The Family Violence Services Manager will lead family violence teams by attending to operations within Ovens Murray, representing CAV strategically, strengthening partnerships and ensuring the service delivered is the best possible, focused on risk assessment, risk management and safety planning and recovery. The role requires attendance to the strength of the CAV model and recommendations for its maintenance or change. It requires an ability to study and analyse the client group and trends reflected in their access to service. HOURS: As per your contract QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE: It is expected that applicants will hold a degree in Social Work or Psychology (minimum entry requirement). The successful applicant will demonstrate extensive knowledge and understanding of the issues of family violence, the Victorian system and its reforms and will have strong leadership skills. KEY TASKS 1. To provide practice leadership to all staff members practicing in the field of family violence and providing consistent, ethical and reflective supervision to supervisees. 2. To ensure there is vigilance in relation to the care of women at risk of serious and immanent harm through a Strengthening Risk Management approach. 3. To establish, maintain and foster strong, positive relationships with key stakeholders within and outside of CAV. 4. Ensure that the risk assessment, safety planning and care of children accompanying women is a priority 5. Lead data management, using the data to analyse access to CAV, themes and trends and reporting to the leadership about this. Provide required data and other reports to GM or CEO as directed and by due dates. 6. Promote respect and participation in the practice of partnership in an increasingly integrated service sector representing CAV in nominated forums. 7. Contribute to the education of professional and community sectors: a. Provide secondary consultation to other workers involved in working with women and children affected by family violence Version: 5 Last Updated: Page 3 of 5

4 b. Provide professional training and community education to other workers, in order to increase awareness in the local community about family violence issues. 8. Contribute to happiness at work by supporting staff members in their activities, maintaining a positive approach to all programs, strategic and operational planning, application of quality management systems and maintaining a partnership with the CEO/General Manager that contributes to the dynamic capacity of the organisation to be strongly strategic in the sector. 9. To engage in supervision and reflection with the General Manager, accepting and respecting direction as set. 10. To actively participate in leadership and coordination activities. 11. Participate in professional development in order to pursue the development of relevant specialist skills and knowledge that will extend the range of skills and therefore the quality of service available to clients. KEY SELECTION CRITERIA: 1. Commitment to the philosophy of Centre Against Violence and to the values it upholds. 2. Leadership knowledge and skills that will enable development of strong teams working in distinct programs in support of the safety and recovery of women and children. 3. Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate positively and supportively with a variety of people in different settings. 4. Well-developed counselling theories/frameworks relevant to a. Counselling for women affected by family violence b. Crisis intervention c. Telephone counselling d. Short, medium and long term intervention. e. Children and young people affected by family violence f. Working with families 5. Well-developed understanding of the broad range of issues surrounding family violence. 6. Knowledge of rural issues and needs and an understanding of the specific issues for CAV clients in a rural context. Version: 5 Last Updated: Page 4 of 5

5 7. Strongly capable of maintaining strategic and operational professional relationships internally and externally. 8. Commitment to teamwork and democratic work practices with a demonstrated capacity to work respectfully and progressively with supervisees and colleagues. 9. Commitment to teamwork and working respectfully and progressively with CEO and General Manager. 10. Commitment to professional supervision, development and support. 11. Ability to travel extensively in North East Victoria and to Melbourne as required. 12. Current driver s licence. 13. Relevant formal graduate and post graduate qualifications and holding professional registration 14. Working with Children s Check and Police Check or willing to apply for these checks. PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES: 1. Ability to engage with all levels of the community. 2. Internally driven and motivated. 3. Good time management skills. 4. Ability to work to task. 5. An inclusive understanding of team. 6. An ability to be flexible and think creatively. 7. Feminist. The successful candidate holds a current Victorian Drivers Licence without risk of loss through demerit points. The successful candidate holds or is willing to undertake a current Police Check and WWCC ensuring their suitability as an employee of CAV. The successful candidate agrees that CAV selection panel reserves the right to contact previous employers and organisations that have contracted the candidate even if such contacts have not been named as referees for the purpose of checking authenticity and claims to experience/knowledge. Version: 5 Last Updated: Page 5 of 5