The Department is seeking suitably qualified and experienced service providers to deliver therapeutic foster care across Victoria.

Brief description of the division

Operations Divisions

Services for the most vulnerable members of our community are delivered across four Operations Divisions: - North, South, East and West – and a Statewide Operations Division overseeing functions spanning across all regions. Operations Divisions manage funded services through our partners in community service organisations. This includes child protection, housing and client support, child and family services, disability supports, health protection and community wellbeing initiatives. In the event of emergencies, local staff on the ground are equipped to work with state partners to support a community to recover.

North Division

The North Division stretches from the inner suburbs of northern metropolitan Melbourne to the red plains of the Mallee, covers 26% of the State’s geography and is home to 1.4 million people or 22% of the State’s total population. This includes coverage over 17 local Government areas. The North is home to 17,500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people representing 27% of the state’s Aboriginal and Torres strait Islander population. The North Division covers the traditional lands of Yorta Yorta, Wolithaca (Echuca), Bangarang (Kyabram), Taungurong, Barapa Barapa (Kerang), Latje Latje (Robinvale Mildura), Barkindji (Mildura), Wergaia (Ouyen), Wemba Wemba (Swan Hill) and the river mobs of Dadi Dadi, Wadi Wadi, Mutti Mutti, Nyeri Nyeri and Baraba Baraba, which stretch from Echuca to Mildura. Many of the State’s largest Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) call the North home with a strong and proud tradition of advocacy and activism. Over many years the North has been the destination for migrants and refugees from across the world – its multi-cultural communities adding to the fabric and strength of the North.

The North Division comprises of four areas:

• North East Melbourne Area

• Hume Merri-bek Area

• Malle Area

• Loddon Area

North East Melbourne Area

North East Melbourne Area includes five LGAs (Banyule, Darebin, Nillumbik, Whittlesea and Yarra) covering an area of 1,058 square kilometres and has an estimated population of 657,211 residents (10.1% Victoria). The Aboriginal population is currently 5,478.

Whittlesea is ranked the poorest across the five LGAs followed by Yarra, Darebin, Nillumbik and Banyule. Yarra reported higher levels of alcohol and drug use related problems, followed by Darebin. Whittlesea and Yarra are predicted to have rapid growth in the next 5 years (18% and 12% respectively vs Victoria of 9%) which will likely increase demands on future health service access. Together with Nillumbik, the three LGAs are predicted to have >23% growth in the elderly population.

Whittlesea and Darebin are also home to a large population of residents who speak a language other than English at home (~41% of these residents) and may require greater culturally appropriate services.

Hume Merri-bek Area

The Hume Merri-bek area includes two LGAs of Hume and Merri-bek covering an area of 555 square kilometres and has an estimated population of 415,258 residents (6.4% of Victoria).

Hume Merri-bek has a rich Aboriginal heritage within the two municipalities of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung clan and in Hume includes the existing family members of the Gunung-Willam-Balluk clan (3.1% Hume and 1.7% Merri-bek of the respective populations). The Aboriginal population currently sits at 2,952.

The area is home to a large culturally diverse population of residents with a broad range of demographics including many who speak a language other than English at home (38.8% Hume and 34.5% Merri-bek).

The area, particularly within Hume, has a number of suburbs with significant disadvantage. Hume is also predicted to continue to grow rapidly, leading to increasing demands on future health and community services.

Malle Area

Mallee Area includes four LGAs – Buloke, Gannawarra, Mildura and Swan Hill, covering an area of 40,183 square kilometres. Mallee has an estimated population of 95,236 and the main source of employment in Mallee is agriculture.

Mallee Area’s percentage of people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin is the highest in the state at 4.2% and the population currently sits at 3,941. Mallee also has higher than average refugee settlement than the rest of Victoria and a significantly older population.

Loddon Area

The Loddon Area includes the six local government areas of Bendigo, Campaspe, Loddon, Mt Alexander, Macedon Ranges and Central Goldfields. Its population is 253,158.

Loddon is a diverse area with population spread and a mix of regional centre (Bendigo), rural areas and one LGA, close to Melbourne.

The LGA’s of Central Goldfields, Loddon and Campaspe consistently demonstrate greater disadvantage, poorer health outcomes and greater risk factors than the LGA’s of Mt Alexander, Macedon Ranges and Bendigo. Overall Central Goldfields scored poorly in just under half of all indicators.

There are high levels of disadvantage when compared with other LGA’s in Victoria. Central Goldfields was the most disadvantaged area in Victoria (ranked 81/81); closely followed by Loddon as the ninth most disadvantaged area (ranked 73/81); and Campaspe as the 22nd most disadvantaged area (60/81).

Loddon has a higher number of Aboriginal people (5,129) when compared with Victoria but very low cultural diversity, although some increases in refugee populations noted for Bendigo and Loddon.

Supporting the work of the North are two divisional branches, Emergency Management and the Division-wide Service Operations.

The department operates from five offices across the division – Mildura, Swan Hill, Bendigo, Preston, and Fitzroy as well as Housing offices in Broadmeadows and on high-rise estates in Fitzroy, Richmond and Collingwood. The division delivers out of home care services to children and young people at Hurstbridge Farm.

Through area Community Partnership Units, connections to local communities are forged and sustained. Our area Agency Performance and System Support (APSS) teams manage funding and service agreements to community service organisations and provide invaluable advice to over 160 funded agencies across the division. The North works closely with the West, East, South and Statewide Services in the delivery of programs and services.

The North Aboriginal engagement unit part of the Aboriginal Self-Determination and Outcomes Division works in partnership with Aboriginal and mainstream providers to support place-based activities that aim to improve the health, wellbeing, and safety of the Aboriginal community. During emergencies such as bushfires, floods and pandemics, the Emergency Management Unit supports communities. The Office of the Deputy Secretary assists to coordinate North activities with a focus on out of home care and reform implementation.

Outcomes and objectives

The key outcomes intended from this program are for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children and young people to experience a high quality therapeutic and evidence-based model of care that supports them to recover from trauma.

The primary objectives of the therapeutic foster care program are:

• to provide a strong trauma informed and therapeutic focus in the delivery of foster care placements

• to support children and young people build resilience, improve coping mechanisms and support their emotional and social functioning

• to support and resource carers to establish and maintain a stable, loving and nurturing relationship with the child or young person

• to support placement principles for children and young people which include return to family networks when safe to do so and continued focus on exit planning.