POSITION NO: / 3SD050
DIVISION: / City Communities
DEPARTMENT: / Social Development
SECTION: / Community Capacity Building
STATUS: / Permanent Full Time
CLASSIFICATION: / Band 7
OCCUPANT: / VACANT
LOCATION: / Broadmeadows and Sunbury Offices
DATE: / December 2013
POSITION OBJECTIVE(S):
¡ Lead the Community Capacity Building Team within a community development approach to plan for and deliver community capacity building activities and strategies that strengthen communities to work towards a healthier, safer and more accessible and socially just Hume community.
¡ Work collaboratively with residents, local organisations, businesses, State and Federal governments to build support for initiatives, negotiate joint investment in projects to make community priorities a reality and to develop and oversee projects to meet community objectives.
¡ Plan for and co-ordinate the Division’s Emergency Recovery strategies, supporting the MRM to build organisational capacity and develop plans and processes that enable effective organisational emergency relief and recovery strategies to be planned for and utilised when needed.
¡ Lead the delivery of Council’s Community Safety Strategy within the Social Justice Charter Framework.
¡ Work collaboratively with and provide leadership to the Social Development Department across all geographic areas.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:
1. Community Development and Capacity Building:
¡ To facilitate community engagement and active participation in the the municipality.
¡ To resource the community to deliver positive and lasting outcomes.
¡ To manage the planning, implementation and evaluation of community development and capacity building and its various elements for the municipality.
2. Liaison and Collaboration :
¡ To establish and maintain effective relationships and partnerships with community members and organisations in the municipality.
¡ To foster collaboration and partnerships within Council and between key agencies such as Federal and State government departments, Community Centres and Neighbourhood Houses, sporting clubs, schools, Victoria Police, transport operators, local business, employment and learning organisations and the community.
¡ To work collaboratively with the Southern Community Capacity Building Co-ordinator and the Supporting Parents and Developing Children Project Co-ordinator to maximise community outcomes.
¡ To work collaboratively with the MRM, the MERO and other emergency management staff within the organisation.
¡ To work collaboratively with all Council Departments to oversee the implementation of the Community Safety Strategy.
3. Advocacy, Research, Report Writing and Policy Development :
¡ To strategically position the community capacity building work program and align with Federal and State government, other council and community initiatives.
¡ To negotiate resources and investment from partners in response to local priorities.
¡ To identify external funding and sponsorship opportunities and develop and prepare funding submissions.
¡ Identify implications and prepare responses for Council arising from State and Federal government legislation, policies and strategies.
¡ Contribute to Council’s ongoing policy leadership in the areas of emerging social trends, community safety human rights and social justice policy.
¡ Monitor all available data to identify trends and provide timely advice to Council and other key stakeholders to identify opportunities for innovation in the areas of access, social equity and inclusion.
¡ Prepare reports for the Executive Management Team, Council and other reports as required.
4. Management
· Lead and provide day to day management of the Community Capacity Building team and other staff as funding and projects arise, to deliver Council Plan and relevant strategy and action plan outcomes within Hume City Council’s core values of respect, collaboration, customer service and innovation.
· Manage budget in accordance with Council policies and procedures.
· Work collaboratively with the Community Capacity Building team and the Social Planning team to explore and maximise how community capacity building opportunities can be maximised.
5. Values
· Perform work in accordance with Hume’s values of respect, collaboration, customer focus and innovation.
· Provide support and expert advice to the Social Planning Co-ordinator, and to work in collaboration with the Social Planning Team and the Social Development Department.
ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT
VISION
Hume City Council will be recognised as a leader in achieving social, environmental and economic outcomes with a common goal of connecting our proud community and celebrating the diversity of Hume.
MISSION
To enhance the social, economic and environmental prosperity of our community through vision, leadership, excellence and inclusion.
Our Hume Values & Guiding Behaviours:
Respect
I will:
¡ Actively listen and communicate openly with others
¡ Value individual differences and the contribution of others
¡ Treat people fairly and ensure others do the same
Customer Focus
I will:
¡ Take responsibility for delivering services and solutions in a timely manner
¡ Respond to internal and external customers professionally and respectfully
¡ Engage with, listen and seek to understand the needs and expectations of the customer/resident
Collaboration
I will:
¡ Support and assist others by sharing information, knowledge and resources
¡ Cooperate with others and set and achieve common goals
¡ Actively participate and contribute to the team
Innovation
I will:
¡ Explore and act on better ways of doing things
¡ Be open minded and encourage new ideas from others
¡ Actively learn and develop to improve the work I do for the organisation
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
Hume City Council has a strong and enduring commitment to environmental sustainability, and prides itself on its leadership on a range of environmental issues. Council’s Sustainable Environment Department leads Council activities in this area, however all Council departments have a direct responsibility for implementing environmental sustainability actions across all Council operations and services to the community.
Council’s Live Green Work Green employee behaviour change program encourages staff participation in reducing the environmental impact of Council operations. Staff is encouraged to join the environmental leadership team, the Green Team, guiding action in this area.
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT/BEST VALUE
Managers and Coordinators are responsible for conducting service reviews in their area of responsibility and ensuring implementation of service review recommendations. It is a requirement of the Best Value legislation for Councils to regularly review their services to the community.
ASSET MANAGEMENT:
Staff is responsible for undertaking Asset Management functions in accordance with the Asset Management Responsibility Matrix (found on the Asset Management Team Site), to ensure Council assets continue to be managed and maintained.
RISK MANAGEMENT:
Manage risks in area of responsibility by complying with the Hume Work Health & Safety Management Team and implementing appropriate risk management strategies.
Demonstrate Council's commitment to implementing best practice risk management processes.
WORK HEALTH & SAFETY (WHS)
Managers, Coordinators, Team Leaders and Supervisors are required to participate in the OHS process by:
¡ Assist with the implementation of WHS policies, procedures, guidelines, work instructions and Control Plans.
¡ Consult with employees on WHS issues and support Health & Safety Representatives in their duties and/or requests.
¡ Discuss WHS issues as a part of team meetings.
¡ Conduct and document system reviews and inspections of employees and contractors with assistance from the OHS Team, manager(s), Health & Safety Representatives and/or employees.
¡ Ensure appropriate training and instruction is given to personnel allowing them to complete jobs safely and without risks to health and safety.
¡ Take appropriate action to alleviate any hazards, unsafe acts or omissions that are observed or brought to their attention and provide appropriate feedback and support.
¡ Conduct effective induction of all employees, followed by ongoing training to develop and maintain a high level of WHS awareness.
¡ Assist with the implementation of Return to Work Plans.
¡ Ensure that relevant WHS legislation is complied with.
POLICE RECORDS CHECK:
The incumbent must have and maintain a current Police Records Check: ¨ YES ü NO
WORKING WITH CHILDREN CHECK:
The incumbent must have and maintain a current ‘Working with Children Check’: ¨ YES ü NO
OTHER DUTIES:
Responsibilities and duties included in this Position Description are subject to the Multiskilling provisions of the relevant Award and/or the Hume City Council Enterprise Agreement.
ORGANISATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:Reports to: / Community Capacity Building Co-ordinator
Supervises: / Community Development Officer
Community Development Officer – Northern
Emergency Recovery Project Officer
Project staff and/or contractors and volunteers as funding or projects arise
Internal Contacts: / All Council Departments
Councillors
External Contacts: / Federal & State Government Departments
Community Centres and Neighbourhood Houses
Community members and organisations
Community Grant Recipients
Schools
Victoria Police
Transport operators
Local business
Employment and learning organisations
Municipal Association of Victoria and the Victorian Local Governance Associations
Other Municipalities
ACCOUNTABILITY AND EXTENT OF AUTHORITY:
The incumbent is responsible and accountable for:
¡ The strategic development, coordination and implementation of Social Justice, safety, access and inclusion activities, programs and initiatives.
¡ The strategic development and implementation of the Community Safety Strategy.
¡ Providing specialist advice on Emergency Recovery within the organisation and at external forums as delegated by the Community Capacity Building Co-ordinator.
¡ Providing specialist advice on access and inclusion, human rights and social justice matters within the organisation and at external forums as delegated by the Co-ordinator Community Capacity Building.
¡ Contributing to the development of human rights and social justice policies.
¡ Seeking and optimising external funding opportunities from Government and other sources.
¡ Preparing reports for the Executive Management Team and Council.
¡ Leading, supervising and developing staff under their direction.
¡ Conduct service reviews in their area of responsibility and ensuring implementation of service review recommendations. It is a requirement of the Best Value legislation for Councils to regularly review their services to the community.[1]
JUDGEMENT AND DECISION MAKING:
The incumbent exercises judgement and decision making in relation to the following:
¡ The incumbent requires the ability to solve problems and exercise sound independent judgement within relevant legislation, Hume City Council policies, procedures and guidelines.
¡ The incumbent is required to exercise initiative and develop innovative responses to community development issues and to develop recommendations to Council.
¡ The extent of judgement and decision making is subject to the level of delegation by the Community Capacity Building Co-ordinator.
SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:
The following knowledge and skills are required to be utilised:
¡ Experience and expert knowledge of access and inclusion, human rights and social justice theory and policy frameworks and its application in a Local Government setting for new and existing communities.
¡ Knowledge of community development and how it would be applied in multicultural communities, and disadvantage communities. A broad approach to community development including safety, access, equity and social justice principles that leads to a diversity of creative approaches aimed at addressing disadvantage.
¡ Knowledge of principles, trends, reforms and innovative approaches to access, equity inclusion, rights and community cohesion.
¡ Experience and expert knowledge in Emergency Relief and Recovery in relation to Local Government and how a community development approach can be used to strengthen community resilience to ensure successful community responses and participation in recovery activities.
¡ Sound knowledge and experience in the, policy trends and frameworks for Local, State and Commonwealth Governments for community safety within a community development framework.
¡ Proven skills in designing and implementing access, inclusion and social justice initiatives.
¡ Demonstrated ability to develop community development and capacity building initiatives to engage participants and reduce the causes of disadvantage.
¡ Proven skill and ability to use a range of computer software programs including Microsoft Office and other relevant software.
MANAGEMENT SKILLS:
The following management skills are required to be utilised:
¡ Demonstrated ability to lead, supervise and develop access and inclusion professionals including ensuring adherence to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) policies and procedures.
¡ Project management skills including the ability to lead multi-agency project teams with internal and external stakeholders.
¡ Demonstrated ability to plan and prioritise workload, to manage multiple tasks so as to achieve objectives within given timeframes despite conflicting pressures.
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS:
The following interpersonal skills are required to be demonstrated:
¡ Proven facilitation, presentation, liaising and influencing skills with residents, community groups and organisations.
¡ Highly developed written and oral communication skills.
¡ Demonstrated ability to engage, gain cooperation, persuade and communicate with a broad range of stakeholders including, boards of management, community organisations, staff, and community members.
¡ Ability to deal with complex and difficult situations and present a positive Council image when dealing with issues of significant disadvantage.
¡ Ability to present and communicate complex data and information to community stakeholders.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:
The following qualifications and experience are required for the position:
¡ Tertiary qualifications in a social science or related discipline of social policy, public sector policy or administration or social work.
¡ Expert knowledge of access, equity and social justice principles and their application to reduce disadvantage and to strengthen and empower communities and promote social cohesion.
¡ Experience in the development and implementation of successful community safety strategies, policies and programs within a community development framework.
¡ Experience in working with multi-disciplinary teams, with internal and external parties to deliver improved access, equity, inclusion and community cohesion outcomes.
¡ Experience and/or knowledge of Local Government processes and procedures.
¡ Current Driver’s licence.
TASK ANALYSIS
In the course of his/her duties, a person in this position may be expected to work in or be exposed to the following conditions or activities as marked.
Condition/Activity /1 Constant
/ Frequent / Occasional / N/AManual handling weights - above 10kgs
- below 10kgs / ( )
( ) / ( )
( ) / ( )
(X) / ( )
( )
Manual handling frequency / ( ) / ( ) / ( ) / ( )
Repetitive manual work / ( ) / ( ) / ( ) / ( )
Repetitive bending/twisting / ( ) / ( ) / ( ) / ( )
Working with arms above head / ( ) / ( ) / ( ) / ( )
Lifting above shoulder height / ( ) / ( ) / ( ) / ( )
Using hand tools – vibration/powered / ( ) / ( ) / ( ) / ( )
Operating precision machinery / ( ) / ( ) / ( ) / ( )
Close inspection work / ( ) / ( ) / ( ) / ( )
Wearing hearing protection / ( ) / ( ) / ( ) / ( )
Wearing eye protection / ( ) / ( ) / ( ) / ( )
Working in dusty conditions / ( ) / ( ) / ( ) / ( )
Working in wet/slippery conditions / ( ) / ( ) / ( ) / ( )
Wearing gumboots / ( ) / ( ) / ( ) / ( )
Wearing safety shoes/boots (steel cap) / ( ) / ( ) / ( ) / ( )
Working with chemicals/solvents/detergents / ( ) / ( ) / ( ) / ( )
Washing hands with soap (hygiene) / ( ) / ( ) / ( ) / ( )
Working at heights / ( ) / ( ) / ( ) / ( )
Working in confined spaces / ( ) / ( ) / ( ) / ( )
Working in chillers (+4 degrees C) / ( ) / ( ) / ( ) / ( )
Performing clerical duties / (X) / ( ) / ( ) / ( )
Working on a keyboard / (X) / ( ) / ( ) / ( )
Driving cars / ( ) / ( ) / (X) / ( )
Other (please specify)______/ ( ) / ( ) / ( ) / ( )
Other special features (e.g. nature of chemicals, travelling requirements, etc.):