Are you looking to apply your specialist expertise in a high-quality, responsive and values-driven organisation in a role that supports victim-survivors of institutional abuse?

Do you want to be part of a supportive and welcoming professional team that aims to make people feel heard, seen, understood, supported and connected?

Pathways is seeking members with specialist knowledge to join our Complaints Committee, Assessment Panel and Resolution Panel.

Pathways Victoria is a new organisation responding to reports of abuse of minors and adults at risk and sexual misconduct within the Catholic Church in Victoria and their claims for resolution.

Pathways seeks to provide a compassionate, fair, transparent and accountable process for responding to allegations of abuse that is:

• person centred
• trauma-informed
• timely
• accessible
• an alternative to an adversarial civil court approach
• respectful of the primacy of police investigations
• compliant with legislative and regulatory requirements such as administered by the Commission for Children and Young People
• Upholding of safeguarding measures relating to children and adults at risk
• In matters involving a child, the protection of children is the paramount consideration, as stated in the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005 (Vic), s 16B(1).

About the Complaints Committee

The Complaints Committee will have responsibility for overseeing investigation of allegations. The Complaints committee performs that function through its delegate or appointee who may be the Response and Resolution Director or an independent outside investigator.

Proceeding investigation of a reportable allegation will be subject to advice from the Chief Commissioner of Police. 

If the Committee has not made a summary determination it will appoint an independent investigator, who collects evidence and who may be asked by the committee to recommend a finding. The Response and Resolution Director will facilitate the work of the committee.  The Director will have available to them a pool of qualified and professionally trained investigators. The Director will work with the Complaints Committee to determine the most suitable investigator. 

If an allegation against a living person is substantiated, the committee will then make an assessment of the respondent’s fitness for ministry and the risk they present. This assessment is reported to the Church Authority as a recommendation for action, if any, that should be taken in relation to the respondent. 

About the Assessment Panel:

The Complaints Committee will consider the investigator’s report and any recommended findings and any report from the Director and ordinarily make a finding of fact. It may also determine to refer the matter to the Assessment Panel for adjudication, for example if the allegations are contested. It would give notice of that referral to the respondent and the victim-survivor. This would generally only occur when a respondent is alive and contests the allegations. 

About the Resolution Panel:

The Resolution Panel’s function is to adjudicate on matters where the survivor has opted to apply for a monetary payment through a panel as opposed to a resolution through mediation.

About the roles

The independent committee/panel member's role is to reinforce the technical expertise of Pathways by:

• Providing independent expert advice in the specific subject areas of the committee/panel.
• Working within the parameters of the Terms of Reference to make decisions.
• Build and maintain relationships with the Board, other members and the Response and Resolution Director.
• Exercising independent judgment in ensuring Pathways is meeting its safeguarding, legal, and ethical obligations and in line with the organisation’s values
• Working in line with Trauma Informed Care and Practice principles

The Members will meet in their respective committee/panel on papers as required and regularly engage with the Response and Resolution Director (remote meetings available). It is expected that that members may meet up to 20 times per year on an as needs basis.

Skills and experience

• Strong writing skills to document decisions
• Highly developed interpersonal communication skills and the ability to form collaborative working relationships with others in the Committee
• Experience in understanding the impacts of trauma on individuals who have experienced abuse.

Complaints Committee/Assessment Panel specific:

• Qualifications in law, Criminology, investigations, child protection or demonstrated experience in a similar role
• Expertise in Safeguarding and assessment of risk
• Experience in overseeing investigations or conducting investigations into criminal offences, professional standards complaints and/or historical abuse complaints
• Knowledge of legislated reporting obligations such as The Reportable Conduct Scheme, Mandatory Reporting and Duty to Disclose to Police

Resolution Panel specific:

• Qualifications in law, psychology, psychiatry, counselling, social work, mediation, or dispute resolution.
• Ability to review medico-legal reports, victim impact statements and other materials as presented to assist in decision making 

Protection for Office Holders 

The Committee, the Director and Members of other panels established, will all be appointed by the Board of Directors of Pathways. They will each operate independently of the Church and will benefit from an indemnity from each participating institution for their respective matters, provided they acted in good faith and in the discharge or purported discharge of their duties under the model. 

Safeguarding

Pathways Victoria, including its Boards of Directors, is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people in accordance with our Safeguarding Children and Young People Framework. Pathways requires that all applicants undergo satisfactory screening prior to commencement, including but not limited to:  

• a national criminal history check;
• an international criminal history check where applicants have worked overseas;
• holding or obtaining a Working with Children Clearance/ equivalent in accordance with state/ territory laws;
• rights to work in Australia. 

Any successfully appointed applicant will be required to adhere to the Safeguarding Children and Young People framework, which includes a thorough safeguarding children and young people induction and committing to upholding the safety and wellbeing of children and young people throughout their engagement with Pathways.

For more information please contact [email protected] using the subject line: Committee and Panel Members enquiry via EthicalJobs.