Position Description

Educator Counsellor

Reporting to: / Bethel Coordinator
Unit: / Bethel Pastoral Centre
Location: / 59 Doncaster Road, North Balwyn
Tenure: / Part-time limited tenure
Hours per week: / 18.75
Cost centre: / SG.800
Date: / December 2016
Employee Name
Employee Signature
Date
Julie McDonald
Manager’s Name
Managers Signature
Date
Isabel Thomas Dobson
Executive Director’s Name
Executive Director’s Signature
Date

Workplace ethos and values

As an employer, we express the ethos of Christianity to love one another, to live justly and to seek the reconciliation and renewal of all creation by respecting ourselves and all whom we serve and employ. We strive to do so by:

  • Being inclusive
  • Acting and advocating for a just society
  • Working for peace and justice in the world
  • Having an openness to the wisdom of people of other faiths and views
  • Implementing environmentally sustainable practices

Our workplace is one that values:

Justice

  • Welcomes people speaking for themselves and on behalf of others
  • Hears all voices and contributions
  • Actively removes discrimination

Inclusion

  • Actively fosters diversity and open communication
  • Welcomes different thoughts, ideas and contributions

Compassion

  • Acknowledges and values the whole person
  • Seeks to be responsive to people’s needs

Shared leadership

  • Works collaboratively
  • Shares knowledge
  • Uses consultative decision-making

Respect

  • Values all people, roles and contributions
  • Creates an environment where we and our work flourish

Integrity

  • Does the right thing for the right reasons
  • Acts ethically with appropriate accountability and transparency
  • Aligns policy and practice
  • Expects honesty from all staff, in their relationships with each other, their external partnerships and with society

Wise stewardship

  • Makes responsible and sustainable use of resources
  • Ensures we have the skills to perform our jobs
  • Provides opportunity for professional development
  • Works collaboratively to utilise our strengths and diverse talents

Innovation

  • Generates ideas and translates them into workplace improvements
  • Reflects on experience and is open to new ways of doing things
  • Values continuous improvement to our work practices and systems

The Bethel Pastoral Centre

The Bethel Pastoral Centre, established in 1997, was an initiative of the UCA Synod Standing Committee. Bethel currently has three part-time staff – Coordinator, an Educator/Counsellor, and an Office Administrator. The Bethel Centre Council reports to the General Secretary of Synod, and the Coordinator reports to the Bethel Centre Council and participates in the monthly meetings.

Vision

To provide opportunity to experience support, care, a healing process and grace for those who have been affected by abuse, misuse of power, traumatic events or processes within the Church.

Mission

  • To offer and create healing opportunities within the Uniting Church for people experiencing trauma (or who have experienced) abuse, misuse of power, bullying or hurt within the Church.
  • To also provide support to those who have been accused of being a perpetrator.
  • To provide education to the wider church on issues of abuse, misuse of power, trauma and its impact, with a view to prevention and improved response
  • To resource people ministering to those who have been affected by trauma, abuse, and misuse of power through providing consultation, supervision, relevant literature and information about appropriate services
  • To advocate with the Synod and its committees on appropriate issues, as distinct to the Culture of Safety Unit, but supportive of their place in the UCA.

Role purpose

The Educator Counsellor . is responsible for a client caseload and the delivery of a range of education/psychosocial education workshops and programs in consultation with the Co-ordinator and other stakeholder representatives. The role also involves some consultation with congregations to support them to respond to abuse and misuse of power in the church. This role reports to the Bethel Co-ordinator

Number of staff

Reporting directly:NilReporting indirectly: Nil

Level of decision making

Expected to work autonomously and in collaboration as part of a team.To make professional judgments as required in consultation with the Co-ordinator.

Essential requirements of the position

  • Employment is subject to a satisfactory National Criminal History Check
  • The Uniting Church in Australia is committed to keeping children safe
  • Employment in this role is subject to a current Working With Children Check
  • Capacity and willingness to travel is required
  • Current Victorian driver’s licence
  • Flexibility of hours is required with the capacity to undertake some work in the evening or on weekends

Key selection criteria

Qualifications and experience

  • Tertiary qualifications in Counselling/ Social Science and eligibility for membership of a professional association
  • Minimum 5 years counselling experience with sound assessment skills in mental health and risk of harm
  • Skills, experience and interest in trauma counselling are essential
  • Understanding processes with respect to conflict resolution will also be of benefit.
  • Experience in designing, brokering and delivering educative workshops and seminars
  • Understanding that the work of Bethel will involve theological and church based issues.
  • An ability to work in a small team both collaboratively and independently.
  • Basic competence in use of IT programs including Microsoft Office

Skills and abilities

  1. Client services: Timely and high quality client services. Identifies and responds to clients’ needs; Uses understanding of the client organisational context to tailor services
  2. Communication skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to work face to face, on the phone and online
  3. Team work: Cooperates and works well with others in the pursuit of team goals; collaborates and shares information; shows consideration, concern and respect for others' feelings and ideas; accommodates and works well with the different working styles of others; Able to work independently but also as part of a collaborative team
  4. Problem solving:Good analytical and problem solving skills and understanding of complex systems, human behaviours and relevant response and service systems; excellent mediation and negotiation skills
  5. Project management:Ability to undertake projects where required, meeting project timeframes, managing stakeholders and achieving project outcomes
  6. Administration organisation and planning skills: Ability to identify priorities in relation to work demands

Personal competencies

  1. Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to communicate with people at all levels of the organisations
  2. Capacity and willingness to work within the workplace ethos and values of the Uniting Church
  3. Work to ensure a safe workplace for self and others
  4. Capacity to discern and maintain strict confidentiality

Key responsibilities, tasks and outcomes

Key Responsibilities / Tasks / Outcomes

1.

/ Education
  • Presbyteries
  • Congregations
/ To undertake education and awareness raising activities within the wider church, across the whole Synod, on issues of abuse and its impact, including organising educational/ psychosocial education workshops for presbytery ministers, ministers, , church councils and congregation members.
In order that Presbyteries will be better equipped to deal with trauma, abuse/ misuse of power, to visit and liaise with presbyteries and resource needs in this area
Render services to congregations disrupted or traumatised due to trauma, abuse/ misuse of power perpetrated (in their midst) by clergy or lay members / Awareness of issues is increased and effective workshops/training programs are conducted
Resource Presbyteries as required
Congregations requiring support and education receive prompt attention

2.

/ Professional counselling / Offer and create healing opportunities for people (individuals or groups) experiencing or having experienced trauma, abuse/ misuse of power within the Church. / Those experiencing or having experienced trauma, abuse/ misuse of power receive timely and appropriate assistance

3.

/ Consultancy / Provide consultancy to the UCA Vic/Tas as requested on a range of Bethel issues. / Requests for consultation are responded to in a timely manner

4.

/ Other / Liaise and work with:
a)other denominations
b)other professional agencies as needed. / Resources are shared and networks supported, both professionally and inter-denominationally

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