POSITION DESCRIPTION
POLICY OFFICER

Time fraction: Permanent ongoing (full-time)

Base salary: Up to $65,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Background
Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention and Legal Service Victoria (FVPLS Victoria) is an Aboriginal community-controlled organisation established in 2002 to provide assistance to victims/survivors of family violence and sexual assault, and to work with families and communities affected by violence.

FVPLS Victoria provides free legal advice, referral, ongoing casework, court representation, and assists in the following areas:

• Intervention Orders
• Family Law
• Child Protection
• Victims' compensation
• Other legal problems arising from family violence.

FVPLS Victoria has recently received funding to establish a Policy and Development Unit.

This Unit oversees a number of projects and activities:

• Policy and advocacy
• Research
• Planning for the 2012 National Conference: Standing Firm for Change: A Journey to Justice

The FVPLS Victoria head office is located at Level 3, 70-80 Wellington Street, Collingwood, and services metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria with funding and support received from Commonwealth and State Government sources.

We also service the following areas through our regional offices funded through the Commonwealth FVPLS program, which includes counselling services:

Barwon South West - This FVPLS Victoria office and staff are based in Warrnambool and cover the entire region, including Framlingham, Heywood, Hamilton and Portland.

Gippsland - This FVPLS Victoria office and staff are based in Bairnsdale and cover the entire Gippsland region.

Mildura - This FVPLS Victoria office is located in Mildura. This office covers the Mildura Local Government Area and Robinvale, Wentworth and Dareton in NSW.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

In collaboration with other team members and the CEO:

1. Develop policies within FVPLS Victoria which advance the achievement of key organisational objectves and incorporate relevant internal knowledge and expertise gained through on the ground experience.


2. Provide input into the FVPLS strategy to facilitate co-ordination and consistency across FVPLS Victoria's regional structure in relation to policy, strategic approaches and external engagement.


3. Build upon and extend relevant research and learning as a base to inform both internal FVPLS Victoria program and policy development and strategies for improved law and justice outcomes for Aboriginal victims/survivors of family violence and sexual assault more broadly.


4. Assist with the dissemination of FVPLS Victoria knowledge and learning gained through research, service provision and other sources to the broader community with a view to enhanced sector understanding and response to key issues identified


5. Contribute to FVPLS Victorias capacity to build upon Aboriginal and mainstream networks and organisational relationships to advance integrated service delivery and collaborative law and policy development.


6. Establish an evaluation framework to monitor the activity of the Policy and Development Unit programs and projects such as Sisters Day Out® wellbeing workshop program, ensuring the CLE component is relevant and updated as required


7. Assist to identify ways access to culturally appropriate legal and associated services can be improved for Aboriginal victims of family violence and sexual assault in Victoria (women and children in particular).


8. Develop targeted research evidence for FVPLS to draw upon to inform service development, future funding submission and knowledge dissemination in the law and justice domain.


9. Establish and maintain the internal organisational capacity to monitor Indigenous accessibility and outcomes within key areas of the legal system for Aboriginal victims/survivors including in family law, child protection, family violence law, victims assistance and police response.


10. Achieve a greater capacity for FVPLS Victoria to participate in and contribute to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and mainstream forums and reference groups to improve integrated service response and policy development.

Key selection criteria

1. A demonstrated knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and cultures, and the issues affecting these communities.


2. Excellent project management skills with a capacity for innovation and self-motivation, and the ability to develop and implement operational plans to meet project objectives.


3. Demonstrated experience and an understanding of community legal education practice.


4. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively to build trust with stakeholders and to develop strong, effective partnerships

5. Excellent communication skills including:

• the ability to liaise effectively with a wide range of Aboriginal and mainstream agencies, organisations and groups


• demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with Victorian Aboriginal communities

6. Excellent written skills including:

• problem solving skills and capacity to interpret a range of documents and convey the meaning for different audiences


• ability to prepare reports and submissions (inquiries and funding)


• the development of written materials for different media and target groups

7. Ability to work well as part of a team.
8. A current driver's licence and a willingness to undertake travel.

Desirable

• Tertiary qualifications such as law or equivalent.

Please send your application to:

hr@fvpls.org

Applications must be received by close of business on 24 February 2012.

Applications which do not address key selection criteria may not be considered.

For further information about this position please contact Loren Days, Policy and Development Unit (03) 9244 3313.

Download a printable PDF version of this Position Description here.