Zahra Foundation Australia: Head of Financial Counselling Services - Flexible Location
Michael Barnett OAM
Head of Financial Counselling Services - Flexible Location
Job description
- Team: National Financial Counselling Team
- Reports To: CEO
- Direct Reports: Financial Counsellors
- Location: In person at Mile End, Adelaide; Remote – Australia; or Flexible and Hybrid work arrangements
- Employment Status: 0.8 FTE
- Classification: SCHADS Level 6
- Date Reviewed: June 2024
- Award: Social, Community, Home Care & Disability Services Industry 2020
- Delegation and Authority: Senior Management
THE ORGANISATION:
The Zahra Foundation supports women and non-binary folks affected by domestic and family violence through programs and financial counselling services.
By facilitating pathways into further education, training, and employment, we empower our participants to break the cycle of abuse. We are one of the leading non-government, not-for-profit services in Australia providing trauma-informed specialist financial counselling and programs for people recovering from domestic violence.
Our tailored programs and financial counselling promote economic empowerment and support women and non-binary folk on their journey to recovery after domestic and family violence.
The foundation is embarking on significant growth and seeks value-driven individuals passionate about social justice and gender equality to join our team. The development of our three-year strategy is on foot, making this a great opportunity to join a value-driven organisation and influence the change we need in our communities to end gendered violence in Australia.
The Zahra Foundation addresses the issues of gendered violence through innovative projects, advocacy for change, and community awareness. Our programs and services are co-designed with survivor advocates and are policy innovators in our mission to break the cycle of domestic violence.
HOW DO WE BREAK THE CYCLE OF DOMESTIC ABUSE?
- Quality services that are trauma and violence-informed, grounded in best practices and research.
- Partnering with corporates and stakeholders.
- Community awareness.
- Informing policy and research from Zahra Foundation's service delivery data.
- Listening to and centring the experience of survivors in everything we do.
OUR VISION, PURPOSE & VALUES
Our Vision:
Every woman in Australia recovering from domestic and family violence is economically empowered and safe.
Our Purpose:
Empowering women’s economic independence to break the cycle of abuse.
Our Values:
- To instil HOPE and optimism in the lives of women and children.
- To provide women and their children with a range of financial and educational OPPORTUNITIES.
- To build meaningful relationships and PARTNERSHIPS with stakeholders and the community.
- To deliver services that promote women’s economic EMPOWERMENT.
OBJECTIVES OF THE POSITION:
Lead, manage, and deliver the Zahra Foundation Specialist Economic Abuse Financial Counselling service designed to economically empower women and non-binary people impacted by domestic and family violence.
TEAM:
The Zahra Foundation Economic Abuse Financial Counsellors are specially trained and accredited financial counsellors and domestic and family violence specialists who understand economic and financial abuse in the context of domestic and family violence.
The team provides specialist trauma and violence-informed services to women and non-binary folk across Australia who are recovering or impacted by domestic and family violence. Working within an intersectional feminist, client-centred, strengths-based framework, the team uses professional skills to assist, support, guide, and advocate on behalf of participants in financial hardship due to economic abuse.
Providing financial literacy, budgeting, and creditor advocacy, participants are provided services until they have increased economic empowerment. The team works in compliance with the financial counselling code of ethics and national standards.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Leadership and Delivery of Financial Counselling Services:
- Foster an environment of continuous improvement and professional accountability to staff, service users, and stakeholders.
- Lead an inclusive and shared leadership culture underpinned by the Zahra Foundation Values.
- Motivate and influence a positive working culture, providing opportunities for staff to thrive and meet their professional goals.
- Provide internal supervision, training, and mentoring of direct reports.
- Ensure all direct reports are supported and have access to the Zahra Foundation employee assistance program, internal supervision, and external training and professional support.
- Ensure all service delivery staff are trained and supported via the organization’s professional development frameworks.
- Work in collaboration with the business service manager to ensure all direct reports use and interact with internal HR systems.
- Provide a high-quality confidential specialist financial counselling service to clients who have been subject to financial abuse.
- Deliver a specialist financial counselling service that promotes economic empowerment and advancement of women through financial literacy.
- Provide advocacy and accurate information regarding financial rights, responsibilities, debt management legislation, credit regulations, and consumer finance issues.
- Ensure the specialist financial counselling service aligns with agreed benchmarks and outcomes under specific funded agreements.
- Assist with the appropriate evaluation of the specialist financial counselling service.
- Manage referrals, maintain waiting lists, and liaise with the Financial Counselling Manager if the workload exceeds agreed benchmarks.
Quality and Compliance in Practice:
- Ensure high-quality, trauma, violence-informed financial counselling services are delivered and accessible to women across Australia.
- Ensure all services are inclusive and culturally sensitive.
- Ensure all services are operated in line with contemporary professional standards, client-focused, compassionate, and ethical.
- Ensure services meet children and young person-related reporting and legislative standards.
- Ensure all Zahra Foundation policies, procedures, and systems are upheld.
- Provide relevant reports to the Zahra Foundation executive team on key service issues.
- Ensure contractual compliance and delivery of contractual outputs, measurements, and outcomes in accordance with funding and service delivery.
- Ensure all service delivery teams abide by legislation frameworks and best practice standards of financial counselling and domestic and family violence services.
Project Management and Administration:
- Undertake administration activities associated with the role and provide reports as required.
- Undertake projects designed to improve the overall service for all Zahra Foundation Australia financial counselling services.
- Work in collaboration with business services to provide content information and expert advice on service delivery matters, including procedure and policy development and writing funding applications and grants.
Stakeholder Engagement:
- Represent the Zahra Foundation at agreed external meetings.
- Develop and maintain positive working relationships with stakeholders to support the team’s services and mission in addressing economic abuse in Australia.
Provide Financial Counselling Services and Manage the Delivery of the Zahra Foundation Grants Program:
- Manage and provide a high-quality confidential specialist one-on-one financial counselling service to clients who have been subject to financial abuse.
- Lead the provision of advocacy and accurate information regarding financial rights, responsibilities, debt management legislation, credit regulations, and consumer finance issues.
- Prepare income/expenditure statements, asset and liability statements, and/or budgets for clients.
- Manage agreed benchmarks and outcomes under specific funded agreements for the specialist financial counselling services.
- Lead the appropriate evaluation of the specialist financial counselling service and ensure summary progress reports are provided to the General Manager.
- Manage referrals, maintain waiting lists, and liaise with the Financial Counsellor to ensure workload does not exceed agreed benchmarks.
- Manage data processes, ensuring accurate records and data storage, maintaining confidentiality.
- Manage grant funding applications and partnerships for Financial Counselling (in conjunction with business services).
- Oversee the Opportunity Knox program, including budget management, applications, approvals, and grant distribution.
KEY SELECTION CRITERIA:
Knowledge, Skills, Experience, Behaviours – Essential:
Qualifications / Knowledge:
- Diploma in Financial Counselling.
- Eligible for membership with a governing body of the profession Financial Counselling Association.
Skills / Behaviours:
- Outstanding track record of effective leadership within the delivery of services.
- Ability to manage and lead various functions across service delivery with high-level decision-making skills.
- Ability to manage high workloads with conflicting priorities, meet deadlines, and remain calm and positive.
- Passion for excellence in quality service supporting women and non-binary folk impacted by domestic and family violence.
- Expertise in fostering and role modelling a culture aligned with the values of the organisation.
Experience:
- At least 2 years of experience working in a similar role.
- Experience working in trauma-informed and violence-informed settings.
- Applicants from outside the Domestic and Family Violence field are encouraged to apply – in-house and professional accredited Domestic and Family Violence training is offered to all staff.
GENERAL CONDITIONS:
- Employment is subject to continued funding and a 6-month probationary period.
- Employees must abide by the philosophies and principles of Zahra Foundation, as outlined in the organisational Code of Conduct.
- A current Australian driving license and work rights in Australia are required.
- Employees must have at least two COVID-19 vaccinations.
- Appointment is subject to state and national police screening, vulnerable person, and child-related employment screening.
- Employees must maintain registration with external peak or regulatory bodies and notify the organization of any changes within 5 working days.
- Compliance with Zahra Foundation systems and software is required to ensure high-quality work and services.
- Outside normal hours work may be required from time to time.
- Compliance with Workplace Health and Safety legislation and organisational policies and procedures is mandatory.
- Engagement in support, training, professional development, and mentoring through the organisational performance development system is required.
BENEFITS:
- Salary packaging options to increase take-home pay.
- Flexible and Hybrid work environment.
- Shared Leadership Framework.
- Accredited training.
- Employment Hero staff benefits include:
- Discount Store for products enhancing work and home life.
- Wellness and Self-Care content.
- Professional development opportunities including in-house training.
- Access to wellbeing programs and EAP scheme.
- Working in a supportive and dedicated team environment.
NEXT STEPS
Please click Apply Now to submit your application.
Contact Information:
For any inquiries or further information regarding the position or a confidential chat, please contact our CEO Kelly-ann Tansley at kell...@zahrafoundation.org.au, using the subject line: Head of Financial Counselling Services enquiry via EthicalJobs.
A position description is attached.
SUPPORTING MATERIALS
Job Summary
Remote / Work from Home
- $50 - $59.99 per hour
- Applications close: 5:30 PM AEST, 16th Jul 2024
- Job posted on: 26th Jun 2024
- Adelaide > Mile End