SARU Project Worker: Strengthening Groups and Grant Development

Position Title / Project Worker: Strengthening Groups and Grant Development / Employment Type / Fixed Term
Casual / Time Fraction / Full Time
Location / Ross House, 247 Flinders Lane
Melbourne / Contract Duration / 6 months / Award / SCHCADS Level 6 Pay point 3, Community development worker, Class II(b)
Self Advocacy and Self Advocacy Groups
Self advocacy refers to the civil rights movement of people with disabilities. It is an important term in the disability rights movement, referring to people with disability taking control of their own life. While part of the larger disability rights movement, self advocacy focuses on the rights and lives of people with developmental, intellectual and cognitive disabilities.
Self Advocacy Groups are groups run by people with a disability for people with a disability. Groups support members to join together, have their voices heard and create change. Self Advocacy Groups work to make sure that people with disability have the same rights, choices and opportunities as everyone else in the community.
The Self Advocacy Resource Unit (SARU)
The Self Advocacy Resource Unit (SARU) is a state wide service that supports and resources Victorian self advocacy groups. It is the job of the SARU to resource and assist Victorian self advocacy groups in Victoria for:
- People with an intellectual disability
- People with an acquired brain injury
- People with complex communication support needs
Located in Ross House, the SARU has been strengthening self advocacy for 10 years.Group self advocacy is acknowledged for its power to centre the collective voice of people with disabilities in changing things that matter to them and enabling them to exercise choice and control over the direction of their lives. The sense of solidarity and mutual support derived from a shared life experience, and a common understanding of barriers and opportunities is a vital source of empowerment and citizenship. This philosophy and commitment to group self advocacy underpins the work of SARU.
Governance
SARU is managed by the SARB consortium. The SARB consortium is led by the lead agency AMIDA.
AMIDA is funded by the Commonwealth government via the National Disability Advocacy Program administered by Families, Community, Housing and Indigenous Affairs. AMIDA is also funded as the lead agency for the SARB consortium, to operate a number of projects including the Self Advocacy Resource Unit (SARU), by the State Government via the Department of Health and Human Services through the Office for Disability.
AMIDA is governed by a volunteer Committee of Management (COM) elected annually. At least 50% of the COM must be people with a disability. Projects under the SARB consortium such as the SARU, also have an established Project Management Group comprising representatives from AMIDA and our partners, Reinforce, Brain Injury Matters and stArt Community Art.
Remuneration
The position is as per the Social and Community Services SCHCADS Level 6, pay point 3, Community Development Worker, Class ll(b), 1st year.
Payment will be at a casual rate of $50.36 per hour up 38 hours per week.
Hours of actual work are flexible according to position requirements.
The role may require occasional out of hours and weekend work which should be taken as time in lieu according to the SACS/SCHCADS award.
Background Information
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides support to people with disability, their families and carers. It is administered by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and is jointly governed and funded by the federal and participating states and territory governments. The NDIS is currently being rolled outacross Australia from July 2016, with full implementation due in 2019.
The NDIS has two parts -
1. NDIS plans for eligible people with a disability
2. Information, linkages and capacity building (ILC)
Information about ILC
The focus of ILC is community inclusion, making sure people with disability are connected into their communities. Unlike NDIS plans the ILC doesn’t provide funding to individuals. The ILC provides grants to organisations to carry out activities in the community. The activities funded by the ILC will build the capacity of mainstream services and community organisations to be more inclusive of people with disabilities. The NDIA has identified five ‘focus areas’ to prioritise ILC funding. One of the five focus areas is delivery by people with disability for people with disability, also known as user-led delivery. User-led delivery has been identified as a significant funding opportunity for Self Advocacy groups.
Information about the Victorian Self Advocacy Network (VSAN)
In October 2013 members of Victorian self advocacy groups decided to set up a network and establish a working committee. With support from SARU the VSAN has been in operation for 3 years. Currently running two forums each year, VSANhas regular meetings with government and the NDIS. Self advocacy groups nominates two representatives to attend and report back on the VSAN Forums. The VSAN working committee is responsible for organising each forum, contacting and mentoring other representatives. Previous forums have focussed on themes or issues identified by VSAN group members, such as access to transport and employment.
Position reports to / SARU Project Co-ordinator
Police check required / Yes
Drivers Licence required / Yes
Position Summary / Under the direction of the SARU Project Co-Ordinator, the Project Worker position is two fold:
1.Three days of this position is dedicated to an NDIS Transition Support
Project, supporting Victorian self advocacy groups to be NDIS/ILCready.
2. The remainder of the role is to support the Victorian Self Advocacy Network
(VSAN) to plan and deliver an ILC focussed forum in mid-2018
This position involves extensive collaboration with Victorian self advocacy groups and the VSAN in order to explore and develop potential self advocacy projects that fulfil ILC outcomes. This position also involves developing and updating accessible resources, adapting/creating an ILC toolkitsuitable for self advocacy groups, submission writing and project co-ordination.
Duties and Responsibilities / NDIS Transition Support Project
  • Become familiar with SARU’s philosophy, resources and body of knowledge.
  • Facilitate and support participatory decision making and inclusion of people with a disability in all aspects of the project.
  • Work with Victorian Self Advocacy Groups to explore, identify and develop potential self advocacy activities that have the potential to receive ILC funding
  • Work with groups to apply for ILC funded self advocacy projects.
  • Develop individual group submission templates to support groups to apply for ILC and other funding opportunities into the future.
  • Project reporting and evaluation.
VSAN
  • Easy English adaption of the existing ILC toolkit and resources to ensure self advocacy groupshave access to accessible ILC information and resources.
  • In collaboration with the VSAN support the planning, co-ordination and delivery of an ILC forum.
  • Project reporting and evaluation.

Key Selection Criteria /
  • An understanding of and demonstrated commitment to the human rights conventions and legislation relevant to people with a disability.
  • Knowledge of the disability sector, including the NDIS.
  • Awareness of or experience in, disability advocacy and/or self-advocacy.
  • Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to the principles of community inclusion, empowerment, participatory decision making and strength based community development.
  • Experience working with a broad range of community organisations and government bodies.
  • Project co-ordination and implementation.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Demonstrated success in submissions writing and/or grant applications.
  • Awareness of or experience in the development of accessible resources including easy English.
  • Ability to work collaboratively and co-creatively within a small team environment.

Skills and Experience /
  • Experience in working in the self-advocacy sector and the ability to resource people with an intellectual disability, people with an acquired brain injury and people with complex communication support requirements.
  • Capacity to create and assess accessible communication formats.
  • Knowledge and experience of implementing inclusive and participatory practices.
  • Ability to work collaboratively.
  • Demonstrated experience working with people with disabilities.
  • Event planning, co-ordination and delivery.
  • Knowledge of the disability service system including the NDIS.
  • Effective time management skills, setting priorities, planning and organising one’s own work.
  • Well-developed written and verbal communication skills.
  • Excellent submission writing and grant application skills.
  • Competence in computer based data processing, word processing and spreadsheets.
  • Current driver’s licence.

AMIDA/SARU is an equal opportunity employer and encourages people with a disability to apply