Cultural Advisor - CSP and AFLDM (Identified)

Bendigo and District Aboriginal Cooperative; Greater Bendigo; On-site; AUD 61,000 - 86,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pay aligned with SCHADS 5.1

Access to Salary Packaging

12% Superannuation

Supportive work environment

Ongoing training and development

Job summary

BDAC is seeking a Cultural Advisor for Aboriginal family lead decision making and Cultural Support planning to shape cultural plans for vulnerable children in out‑of‑home care. You will convene family meetings, engage families, and activate support networks to reflect Aboriginal heritage and best interests.

The role requires collaboration with care teams, travel and after‑hours work, and ability to document meetings accurately while promoting safety and wellbeing.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of Aboriginal Culture and the ACCHO environment.
• Strong negotiation and meeting facilitation skills.
• Ability to work through conflict to achieve outcomes.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to work after hours and travel as required.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist knowledge to care teams in developing and reviewing cultural plans.
• Collaborate to ensure Aboriginal input in all cultural plans and family meetings.
• Schedule meetings in line with process timelines and invite significant participants.
• Facilitate meetings in culturally appropriate ways with inclusive participation.
• Record meetings accurately and ensure notes are complete.
• Support development of Case Plans addressing child welfare in the best interests.
• Provide information and advice on Aboriginal cultural needs and available services.
• Contribute to ongoing development and review of cultural plans and family connections.
• Monitor, review and recommend actions to strengthen community ties.
• Establish and maintain relationships with Child Protection and stakeholders.
• Lead or participate in case conferences including family decision making.
• Research extended family and activate them as support networks.
• Engage with families to highlight strengths and capacities.

Skills

Negotiation

Meeting facilitation

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Education

Social Work, Family Support, or Family Welfare

Job description

Cultural Advisor - CSP and AFLDM (Identified)

Please note: This is an Aboriginal Designated Position, classified under 'special measures' of section 12 of the Equal Opportunity Act 2010. Only Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people are eligible to apply.

About BDAC

BDAC is an ACCO (Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation) registered as a member under the umbrella of VACCHO (Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation) and represented nationally through NACCHO (National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation).

BDAC was founded to represent and provide services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living on Djaara Country.

BDAC has a responsibility to ensure growth of services, development of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, better and improved health outcomes for our people, improved quality of life and be a lead agency in providing self-determination employment and career pathways for Aboriginal people.

What We Are Offering

• Full time
• Fixed term ending 31 May 2027
• Pay aligned with SCHADS 5.1 - $53.43 per hour
• Access to Salary Packaging
• 12% Superannuation
• Supportive work environment
• Ongoing training and development opportunities

About The Position

The Cultural Advisor for Aboriginal family lead decision making & Cultural Support planning will hold a key role in developing the family meeting processes and supporting the development, implementation, and review of cultural plans for vulnerable Aboriginal children and young people living in out-of-home care. The role will convene family meetings as well as engaging families, finding and activating family support networks as well as negotiating with families where there are significant concerns for the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. They support the development of cultural plans by care teams, assessing and providing support where Page 2 of 5 v1.3 Position Description needed and recommend cultural plans are endorsed by the relevant manager. This includes reviewing cultural plans and working with care teams to ensure they are of a suitable standard and address the cultural needs of vulnerable Aboriginal children and young people. This position will require some travel and after hours work.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide quality, timely and effective specialist knowledge to care teams, including complex matters, in developing and reviewing cultural plans and family meetings. Assist care teams to ensure cultural plans meet the cultural needs of vulnerable Aboriginal children and young people, as well as reflecting the best interest’s principles as the primary consideration for all child protection planning.
• Collaborate with care teams to ensure Aboriginal input into all cultural plans and family meetings; and ensure care teams undertake reasonable steps to identify, gather information, and explore vulnerable Aboriginal children and young people’s Aboriginal heritage and family. When necessary, work with Aboriginal children and their families to obtain information and develop plans.
• Schedule meetings in line with process timelines.
• Ensure all significant people are personally invited and have ability to participate in the meetings.
• Facilitate meetings in cultural ways that ensure all participants have a voice.
• Ensure accurate record of meetings are taken and recorded.
• Skilfully manage conflict to negotiate common goals.
• Where needed, work with families to develop Case Plans that address the concerns and promote the child or young person’s best interests.
• Provide information to children, families, carers and service providers on procedures, practices, and guidelines and provide advice and case consultation on the Aboriginal cultural needs of Aboriginal children and young people, including services available to help meet needs.
• Actively contribute as a collaborative team member in the ongoing development and review of cultural plans, related to strengthening Aboriginal children and young people’s connection to their Aboriginal community and culture.
• Monitor, analyse and review cultural plans; assess the effectiveness of the plan provided to Aboriginal children and young people and provide well-developed recommendations on future actions required to support the maintenance and strengthening of Aboriginal children and young people’s connection to their Aboriginal community and culture.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships, ongoing communication and successful negotiations with Child Protection and key stakeholders.
• Provide authoritative advice and opinion to professionals in other disciplines; lead or participate in case conferences, including family decision making, with other professionals.
• Where the need is identified, research extended family and work to activate them as support to the children and families.
• Actively engage with families identifying strengths and capacities, highlighting these in family meetings.

About You

• Knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal Culture and the ACCHO environment.
• Highly developed negotiation and meeting facilitation skills.
• Willingness to work through conflict situations in an understanding way to achieve best possible outcomes.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills including the capacity to negotiate and work effectively with a range of individuals and agencies to achieve positive outcomes.
• Ability to make decisions in high pressure contexts, clearly able to communicate rational for decisions. Ability to engage children, young people families and communities through a friendly warm approach.
• Demonstrated resilience and ability to managing self-care in being able to work in high pressure environments and work with families. Ability to work afterhours and on call as required. Desired:
• Experience or formal qualifications in Social Work, Family Support, or Family Welfare
• Aboriginal applicants are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Experience and training in any form of conciliation convening will be an asset.

Mandatory Requirements

Should an applicant be the preferred candidate, background checks (Police check, reference check and Working with Children's Check) will be completed prior to the candidate's employment being confirmed.

For more information about this position please see the Position Descriptionwhich can be accessed via our website www.bdac.com.au or contact our human resources team on(03) 5442 4***orsend an email through to***********@bdac.com.au

Please note: This is an Aboriginal Designated Position, classified under 'special measures' of section 12 of the Equal Opportunity Act 2010. Only Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people are eligible to apply.