• Hours: Full time 38 Hours a week (+ADO)

The Royal Women’s Hospital

The Royal Women’s Hospital is Australia’s first and largest specialist hospital dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of newborns and women of all ages. To join the Women’s is to be instrumental in forging progress towards health equity for women from ground-breaking research through to the bedside delivery of multi-disciplinary clinical care.

Creating exceptional experiences is at the heart of everything we do for our patients, their families, and our people across our specialised services within maternity, neonatal and women’s health.

Organisational Context

This role sits with the Badjurr- Bulok-Wilam Team in the Social Model of Health Division [SMOH] at the Women’s. The SMOH is a newly formed function that reinforces our commitment to the social determinants of health. Whilst all services at the Women’s ensure health equity for all women, the Social Model of Health Division brings together our services and programs that specialise in providing care to women facing challenges that may adversely affect their health. The Social Model of Health Division at the Women’s has responsibility for ensuring the hospital’s clinical and social support services are coordinated, aligned and leveraged to provide wrap around care for the women who need it most. In particular, the division has a focus on ensuring a woman’s social, economic, cultural, environmental, geographic, and other factors are taken into account in her care plan with the overall aim of reducing health inequalities and addressing systemic inadequacies that affect health access and outcomes.

The Women’s is committed to improving health equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, patients, children and families and we recognise the fundamental significance of cultural traditions, beliefs and connection to Country for the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We acknowledge the importance of kinship and family structures as a cohesive force that binds Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and we recognise their cultures, community connection, and self-determination as critical protective factors for wellbeing. For more information see The Women's Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan 2022-2024, which builds on the foundational work of The Women's Reflect Reconciliation Plan implemented during 2020-21. ​ ​​

Department and Position Overview

Badjurr- Bulok-Wilam is dedicated to improving the health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, patients and their families. The unit is responsible for raising the profile of and promoting issues to do with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health within the hospital and the broader community. Badjurr Bulok Wilam is also responsible for working with hospital staff to increase cultural awareness and sensitivity of healthcare issues for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The Aboriginal Hospital Liaison Officer (AHLO) is responsible for providing support and advocacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and their families receiving care at the Women’s. The AHLO has a key role in supporting the promotion of indigenous patients’ health issues across the organisation and in the community. This position will work closely with the award winning Baggarrook Yurrongi team which offers Caseload midwifery care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and babies, the Women’s Drug and Alcohol Service [WADS] who provide medical care, counselling and support to patients and babies with complex substance use and dependence related medical complexities and Social Work. In addition, this position will also work closely other members of multi-disciplinary teams across the hospital ensuring that we are providing high quality and culturally safe care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and their families aligned with our commitment to Closing the Gap.

Your contribution

Your duties will include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Identify all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander inpatients and outpatients and initiate contact
• Ensure prompt assessment of newly referred patients
• Provide quality patient focused care and support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients, babies and their families as inpatients and outpatients in the Women’s
• Involve and support the involvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients, carers and significant others in medical treatment decision making and care plans, treatment goals and discharge plans as per the patient’s wishes
• Support multidisciplinary teams in the formulation of culturally safe, competent, evidence-based care including admission and discharge planning as well as culturally safe bereavement care, advocacy, community liaison and referral
• Participate in planning meetings within a multidisciplinary team to meet the care needs of the individual in the context of their circumstances, family and community
• Engage the Victorian Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Organisation sector as requested and required for patient care
• Assist patients and their families to navigate the health system, understanding their treatment and medical terminology
• Assist patients and their families with access to practical needs to help them with their hospital stay
• Complete and document clinical activity, contacts and alerts in the Electronic Medical Record in accordance with hospital policies and guidelines

About you

To be successful within this role you will need to be/ hold:

• Identified and be acknowledged by community as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
• Have a demonstrated sound knowledge and understanding of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, society and kinship networks and their relevance to the provision of healthcare
• Have direct service experience in a complex environment working constructively to provide support and advocacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their families.
• Have a demonstrated ability to ensure referrals responded to in a timely and effective manner
• Have the ability to manage a demanding workload, and effectively prioritise tasks, seeking guidance and support as appropriate
• The capacity to participate in initiatives, provision of training and education and meetings that improve the cultural sensitivity and accessibility of services throughout the Women’s for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and their families

Our offering

When you join the Women’s you unite with talented people who share your purpose and unwavering determination to advance health outcomes for all women. You will find a workplace that is collaborative, progressive and passionate about learning and working together in multi-disciplinary teams to ensure you find the exceptional in your everyday.

Our staff benefits program includes salary packaging, on-site car parking and childcare (subject to availability), alongside a range of discounted financial, lifestyle and wellbeing benefits provided by our staff benefit partners. To learn more, please visit: www.thewomens.org.au/careers/why-work-at-the-womens/staff-benefits/

We are proudly Breastfeeding Association accredited. The Women’s is committed to gender equity principles and our people have an awareness of and sensitive approach to violence against women/family violence matters.

The Women’s is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and social inclusion. We welcome applications from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, including those from Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders, people with lived experience of disability and people who identify as LGBTI.

It is a policy of the Women's to provide reasonable adjustments for persons with a disability. If you need assistance or adjustments to fully participate in the application or interview process, please contact the hiring manager listed under 'Contact Person'.

Ready to make the move?

For more information about the position, please see the Position Description attached and apply online by selecting “apply now” below.

All appointments to the Women’s are subject to a satisfactory clearance of Working with Children Check and Police Check.

COVID 19 Vaccination

Provide evidence that they have received a full COVID-19 Vaccination, or provide evidence from a medical practitioner certifying that an exception applies related to a contraindication to the administration of the COVID-19 vaccination. This includes employees in all roles at the Women’s Hospital. This requirement is in line with the directions pursuant to section 200 (1)(d) of the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 (Vic).

Influenza Vaccination

In line with the Health Services Amendment (Mandatory Vaccination of Healthcare Workers) Act 2020, some health care workers are now required to have their flu vaccination to work in health care. Evidence of vaccination is required. As this role fits into category A or B of the departments risk ratings, applicants will be required to have been vaccinated against influenza. Evidence of vaccination is required.

All applicants will be required to provide acceptable evidence of their vaccination status.

If you would like to receive this information/publication in an accessible format (such as large print or audio) please call our HR Enquiries line on: 03 8345 2080, or email [email protected] using the subject line: Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Hospital Liaison Officer enquiry via EthicalJobs.

Selection Criteria:

• Essential: Do you identify and are acknowledged by the community as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander?
• Essential: Do you possess sound knowledge and understanding of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, society and kinship networks and their relevance to the provision of healthcare?
• Essential: Do you have experience in direct service experience in a complex environment working constructively to provide support and advocacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their families?
• Essential: Do you have knowledge and understanding of Victorian Aboriginal culture, values and communities?
• Desirable: Do you have previous experience working within a public hospital/ health care setting?
• Desirable: Do you hold a relevant qualifications in allied health/ community development/community education?