Position Description

Women’s House Shelta Collective Member

Position Title: Shelta Collective Member

Service: Women’s House Shelta

Employer: The Women’s Community Aid Association

Work Hours: This is a fixed term one-year contract. 33.4 hrs/ week ( 4 days and some on-call hours)

Pay Award & Classification: Wages, Terms and Conditions are in line with the “Queensland Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award, 2010” (SCHADS), paypoint 5.2, unless otherwise negotiated.

Organisational Context.

Women’s House Shelta provides Centre based outreach support to women and children affected by domestic and family violence as well as refuge accommodation at other locations for women and children who are escaping violence. The organisation operates collectively and workers are expected to have commitment to, and a working understanding of the skills required to work effectively as a member of a group using consensus decision making processes. Collective members are responsible for the overall coordination of the service as well as providing support, information and advocacy to women and children affected by violence.

Support Work Responsibilities

Undertake Risk Assessment, Safety Planning and Referral

• Prioritise the safety of women and children accessing service, by working alongside them to assess their risk of violence and making a plan to increase their safety

• Work alongside women and their children to assess their needs and facilitate referral to our refuge or other services

Develop Support Plans and address support needs

• Assist women to identify their own needs and develop a “Support Plan” to secure/ maintain protection from violence

• Address crisis and on-going support needs including, for example:

• Accessing income, financial support, employment, education

• Accessing housing and support re tenancy issues

• Applying for DVO’s and Legal Aid; support at court; visa applications,

• Accessing opportunities/services to meet social, health and emotional wellbeing needs

• Document work undertaken; review Support Plans at weekly Collective meetings; fulfil all data entry and reporting requirements

Provide information, advocacy and referral

• Provide supported referral and advocate with and for women with other services, being mindful of confidentiality, as required.

• Update resources, referral options, share information/resource with co-workers, provide clear and accurate information to service users

• Maintain relationships with other services and agencies to ensure ease of referrals and better outcomes for service users

Working with children

The Women’s Community Aid Association is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. We acknowledge and respect mothers’ expertise and knowledge of their children, their ongoing relationships with them, and their ability to support them. We aim to support the relationship between mothers and their children. We also acknowledge the power that we hold as workers in the system as well as power gained through any personal privilege. Thus, workers will ask for permission and consult with the mother about work that we are doing with their children. Workers are expected to follow our Working with Children Risk Management Strategy. As of July 5th 2021, all people over the age of 18 in Queensland are required by law to report sexual abuse of children. (refer to our policies and procedures)

• On intake: With the mother’s permission, workers will provide children with age-appropriate information about Shelta, such as who we are and what they can expect while in refuge, and can develop a plan of support. There are Welcome to Shelta booklets for kids that are available to use, if necessary.

• Supporting children: By spending time with children, we are able to build relationships with them and provide support around their experiences of domestic and/or family violence. Children’s ongoing support needs will be discussed in our collective meetings.

• Apart from providing information, material support and referrals where required, workers can provide childcare for specific events or to give the mother a break. If regular childcare is needed, we would refer the family to a childcare centre

• Maintain valid Queensland Blue Card

Collective Management Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development and evaluation of work practices and projects.

• Participate in annual evaluation and long term planning and budgeting.

• Investigate funding options and prepare funding applications.

• Negotiate with government and other bodies on behalf of the organisation

• Take responsibility for ensuring the service can demonstrate compliance to a specific HSQF Standard on a rolling rotational basis (the Queensland government’s Human Service Quality Framework)

• Represent Women’s House Shelta at network/interagency meetings, forums and consultation as decided by the Collective

Evaluation, Training and Worker Development:

• Participate in regular co-worker support (peer supervision) sessions and “ethical dilemmas”.

• Participate in worker evaluation processes.

• Participate in, and organise aspects of, in-service training as may be negotiated with Shelta Collective and WCAA evaluation and training sub-collective.

• Contribute to new worker orientation and training.

• Attend workshops, meetings, conferences and training on areas which are relevant to Shelta.

Accountability:

• Participate in weekly Collective meetings and report on work undertaken.

• Provide a written report of work undertaken to include in monthly Collective Reports to the Management Collective meetings.

• Provide information necessary for reports to funding bodies as required.

• Keep up-to-date documentation of current work, which includes making it readily accessible through the filing system.

• Workers are expected to follow our Working with Children Risk Management Strategy. As of July 5th 2021, all people over the age of 18 in Queensland are required by law to report sexual abuse of children. (refer to our policies and procedures)

• Participate in Collective financial accountability processes.

• Monitor the Organisation’s practice in relation to approved Policy and Procedures.

• Complete data collection forms for statistical purposes.

• Ensure critical incidents are managed and documented as per policy and procedures; adhere to Worker Health and Safety policies and Risk Management Strategy strategies are followed

Access and Equity

• Ensure service is culturally safe for ATSI women and children

• Ensure the service is welcoming and accessible the diversity of women’s cultural background, disability, language, sexual identity or other relevant characteristics and respond appropriately to their needs

• Challenge discrimination faced by women and children from ATSI, CALD backgrounds or specific needs groups

• Initiate, develop, monitor and implement policies, strategies and practices in relation to access and equity principles and objectives, as outlined in the Policy and procedures of Women’s House

Maintain Refuge Premises

• Contribute to the practical tasks of maintain safe, secure, welcoming refuges, including finding suitable rental properties in which to locate refuges, maintaining tenancies, furnishing, cleaning etc.

On Call Work

• Be available at least one night per week and one weekend every ten weeks for on-call work

Group Work

• Organise the practicalities of conducting groups, e.g. childcare, transport, and preparation with a co-facilitator.

• Co-facilitate support groups and community education workshops/events.

System Change

• Seek to change institutions, policies, laws and systems that treat women unjustly  Challenge messages in the community/media which excuse perpetrators and blame victims for the violence they experience

• Work collaboratively with communities, government and local agencies to influence public policy or change legislation, to improve access to services and resources, and to build individual, community and organisational capacity to improve the status of women

Association membership:

• Fulfil responsibilities as an Association member, including attending monthly Management Collective meetings, participating in working groups and sub-collectives, initiating and/or contributing to policy reviews, identifying service gaps and planning responses, and developing proposals for projects and programs.

• Contribute to the preparation of the Annual Report and the organisation of the Annual General Meeting.

• Participate in worker selection panels.

Reviewed May 2024

Women’s House Selection Criteria

Please include in your application and provide a copy of your CV and names of referees.

• A demonstrated feminist understanding of the nature and causes of violence against women and children and a commitment to social change.

• Knowledge of issues affecting women and children who have experienced men’s violence

• An understanding of specific issues faced by women and children from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds who have experienced men’s violence

• An understanding of specific issues faced by women and children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who have experienced men’s violence

• Demonstrated skills and ability providing support, information and advocacy within a feminist framework to women and children affected by violence

• An understanding of working in a collective structure that operates with a consensus decision making process.

• An ability to contribute to the management of the organisation including the establishment of work practices, the evaluation and planning of operations and projects, budget preparation, and negotiating with government and other bodies on behalf of the organisation.

• Demonstrated time management skills, organisational administration skills, verbal and written communication skills, and ability to reflect on work practice

• Possession of a current driver’s license.

• Possession of a Blue Card