ORGANISATIONAL OVERVIEW

Council on the Ageing (COTA Victoria) is the leading not-for-profit organisation representing the interests and rights of people aged over 50 in Victoria. For nearly 70 years in Victoria, we have led government, corporate and community thinking about the positive aspects of ageing.

PROGRAM BACKGROUND

Seniors Rights Victoria (SRV) is a program of COTA Victoria which addresses and responds to older people experiencing elder abuse. Elder abuse is any act which causes harm to an older person, carried out by someone they and trust such as family or friends. Elder abuse may be physical, sexual, financial, psychological or social abuse, or neglect. As a specialist community legal center SRV’s services to older people experiencing abuse include a Helpline, specialist legal services, short term support and advocacy, and community education. In addition, SRV has broader policy, systemic advocacy, law reform and capacity building roles both in Victoria and nationally to raise awareness of elder abuse and promote prevention.

POSITION OBJECTIVE

The position is located within the Policy and Advocacy Team and works closely with the Manager and Principal Lawyer and the SRV Team. The Policy and Advocacy Team integrates policy development, and advocacy with stakeholder and community engagement in relation to policy issues across all programs.

The position develops policy positions and fosters community and sector understanding in relation to elder abuse, including as a form of Family Violence.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide leadership and advice on policy positions relating to older people experiencing elder abuse, drawing upon the experience of SRV staff and clients.
• Contribute to Family Violence sector and other government reforms reform through the provision of discussion papers and evidence to foster understanding of elder abuse and the implications of system changes.
• Identify and respond to emerging issues including from SRV casework and education, contribute to strategic and operational planning and support the development of existing and new projects.
• Undertake policy research and prepare briefs, reports, articles, and submissions to bodies including Government.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders, to ensure successful policy development, advocacy and implementation including through convening the Elder Abuse Roundtable
• Represent SRV at relevant consultative forums and work co‐operatively with identified stakeholders to contribute to policy development.
• Manage short-term projects within SRV, and supervise staff involved as well as volunteers and students on placement.
• Develop and implement plans to monitor and evaluate the impact of SRV services, including the development of data collection and analysis.
• Identify business development opportunities and develop funding proposals based on agreed policy priorities.
• Provide progress reports and ensure that all necessary policy related data is captured for reporting and monitoring purposes

KEY SELECTION CRITERIA

Mandatory:

• Minimum of three years of experience in policy development and advocacy with an understanding of the non-government environment

Professional:

• Degree in Law, Social Policy, Social Work or equivalent
• High level analytical skills in the formulation of social policy
• Experience in group facilitation and public speaking
• Experience in campaigning, influencing and advocacy

Personal:

• Commitment to human rights, civic participation and the vision, mission and values of COTA Victoria
• Understanding of issues facing older people
• Ability to manage projects with tight deadlines in a timely manner
• High level interpersonal skills to build relationships with volunteers, staff and stakeholders
• High level written communication skills including report writing and plain English usage

SPECIFIC RESTRICTIONS/CONDITIONS

• Must be physically capable to carry out administrative duties, involving extended periods of VDU use;
• This role requires some out-of-hours work and travel intra and interstate;
• Employment is subject to an ongoing satisfactory police check;
• Must provide evidence of being fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

A position description is attached.