Join us and make a real difference
At VACCA you’ll be part of an organisation dedicated to supporting culturally strong, safe and thriving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
We employ over 1,000 people across Victoria to provide more than 80 programs and services. Over 40 per cent of our staff are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. Our connection to community and culture is what distinguishes us from other service providers. Join us.
Careers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
We know that strong Aboriginal families and communities means strong Aboriginal children
Since 1977, VACCA has responded to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people, families, Elders and community in Victoria.
Our work is founded on our vision for self-determination. We focus on creating services, supports, policies and advocacy that deliver solutions for our people now, and that make a difference for our future generations.
At the heart of our work is the focus on safety, wellbeing and cultural connections for our children, families and communities – first, foremost and always.
Our vision
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander self-determination – Live, Experience, Be.
Our purpose
Supporting culturally strong, safe, and thriving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Our approach - Cultural Therapeutic Ways
Cultural Therapeutic Ways (CTW) guides the way that we work at VACCA. It provides an Aboriginal lens linking practice and outcomes. This means that we prioritise Aboriginal ways of doing while we determine what’s important to us.
As an integrated approach to the way that we work, CTW applies to everyone at VACCA, from the Board to Leadership to all staff. It is our commitment to strengthening and growing Aboriginal leadership, Aboriginal knowledge, and ensuring the health and wellbeing of our staff.
Cultural Therapeutic Ways marks our point of difference as an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation – we deliver programs to heal, protect and connect Aboriginal families and individuals.
VACCA is the peak voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Victoria
We are Victoria’s leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child and family services organisation, and the largest provider of family violence, youth justice, and homelessness support services.
We provide empowering and healing programs and services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people, and families. We believe that compliance with traditional protocols, cultural practice and ceremony is integral to us achieving successful outcomes, and that children and young people have a right to their identity, connection to their community, and to be with their family wherever possible. Our Cultural Therapeutic Ways works to integrate Aboriginal culture and healing practices with trauma theories to guide an approach that is healing, protective and connective.
Roles at VACCA
Case Worker/Manager
Case Workers and Case Managers work directly with clients to support and identify their needs. They connect clients with other relevant VACCA services and programs, or work with external Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal organisations to best support clients. Duties might include assessments, referrals, case planning, case reviews and reports. Our Case Workers and Case Managers are great problem-solvers, excellent communicators, and can build strong relationships with both clients and other service providers.
Search for Case Worker and Case Manager roles
Practitioner
Practitioners provide outreach support services to clients using evidence-based and trauma-informed risk assessment frameworks and intervention techniques. They are trained in child development and family functioning including theories of attachment, intergenerational and personal trauma, and have a comprehensive understanding of issues that impact on Aboriginal families, children and young people, particularly those who are involved with Child Protection. Our Practitioners are empathetic, dedicated, and skilled in developing innovative, holistic, and culturally appropriate interventions.
Search for Practitioner roles
Program Manager
Our Program Managers are responsible for the operational oversight of the various programs offered by VACCA across Victoria. They manage and coordinate the programs to ensure the delivery of best quality and timely responses to clients and conduct ongoing monitoring and evaluation to ensure the impact and efficacy of our programs. The role of Program Manager includes leading a team, achieving relevant funding targets, and ensuring statutory reporting and compliance requirements are fully met. Our Program Managers are analytical, highly organised and have excellent communication skills.
Search for Program manager roles
Team Leader
Our Team Leaders are responsible for overseeing the day-to-day delivery of our programs and services. They provide leadership, case direction and support to a team and work in conjunction with the Program Manager to plan and implement the program requirements in accordance with our practice guidelines and frameworks. Our Team Leaders are dynamic and motivational leaders and excellent multi-taskers.
search for team leader roles
Therapeutic Residential Care Worker
Therapeutic Residential Care Workers engage with the children and young people in our residential care houses to develop a nurturing and positive relationship and support healing, emotional growth and development of positive attitudes and life skills. They meet the children’s individual needs using a culturally therapeutic approach, and support and develop child’s Aboriginal identity, rights and connection to their family, land, and community. Our Therapeutic Residential Care Workers are caring, empathetic, and committed to ensuring children and young people in our care are supported to thrive.
Search for residential care roles
Corporate Services/Office of the CEO
Our Corporate Services and Office of the CEO departments include areas such as Finance, IT, Human Resources, Organisational Development, Communications, Fundraising, Facilities Management, and Policy. These teams service the entire organisation, lending specific expertise to support and promote the work done in our client-facing teams, and advocating our vision and purpose externally. Employees working in these areas often bring significant knowledge and skills from other sectors, ensuring we can support the strategic growth and development of VACCA.
Search all roles
Programs at VACCA
Our programs are based on our Cultural Therapeutic Ways to support the healing and empowerment to Aboriginal children, young people and families.
When you join VACCA, you will be supported with a comprehensive induction program, excellent supervision, and ongoing training and professional development to ensure you have the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in your career with VACCA.
-
Find roles in the Aboriginal Children's Healing Team
The Aboriginal Children's Healing Team (ACHT) is a culturally led, multidisciplinary therapeutic social and emotional wellbeing team.
The ACHT has led the development of trauma-informed practice across VACCA since 2012. The team provides:
- Healing services: Culturally led therapeutic trauma-informed social and emotional wellbeing and mental health advice, assessment, and goal-directed healing work for Aboriginal children and families.
- Capacity building: Supporting staff and programs in the provision of trauma-integrated therapeutic case practices.
The program is delivered by a multidisciplinary team comprised of specialist cultural and therapeutic practitioners including cultural and healing leadership, psychiatry, paediatrics, nursing, occupational therapy, speech pathology, social work, and family therapy.
-
Find roles in Family Services
Family Services offers family support programs to heal, connect, and protect Aboriginal children, young people, and families.
Our Family Services staff work alongside families in a strength-based way to promote parenting capacity and grow up Aboriginal children in a positive way underpinned by culture. We provide a continuum of service from brief or early support all the way through to intensively working with families in the home. Our Family Services programs work with families involved with Child Protection but also with families and Community more broadly, using both individual and group-based approaches.
-
Find roles in Family Violence services
VACCA is the largest provider of family violence services supporting Aboriginal families and community in Victoria.
Our extensive experience in delivering programs to Aboriginal families affected by family violence is through primary prevention, early intervention, response, healing, and recovery in a culturally safe and appropriate way.
VACCA family violence services include intensive case management for people experiencing family violence, intensive individual case management for people who use family violence, behaviour change programs, programs for adolescents, The Orange Door (triage service), Orana Gunyah (Aboriginal women and children’s crisis service), and therapeutic and healing programs.
-
Find roles in Foster Care and Kinship Care
VACCA’s Foster Care and Kinship Care programs provide case management and support for Aboriginal children and young people who are unable to live with their parents.
The Foster Care and Kinship Care teams work closely with the children, young people, families and carers involved in our programs. They work within a trauma-informed framework and implement Cultural Support Plans to promote stronger connections with culture, community and family.
Where possible, VACCA works to reunite children and young people with their families as soon as possible.
-
Find roles in Lakijdeka ACSASS
Lakidjeka Aboriginal Child Specialist Advice and Support Service (ACSASS) provides specialist advice and case consultation to the Victorian Child Protection Service.
The role of the program is to provide culturally appropriate guidance and support to inform the respectful engagement of families, risk and other assessments, planning, monitoring and reviews undertaken by child protection. This might include:
- culturally appropriate interventions
- significant child protection decisions
- culturally appropriate referral services.
The Lakidjeka team also offer involvement in all aspects of casework for Aboriginal children - from home visits through to court and case planning and case closure.
-
Find roles in Nugel
Our Nugel program is the first of its kind in Victoria: fully responsible for the protection and care of Aboriginal children and young people on Children’s Court protection orders.
Nugel, meaning ‘belong’ in Woiwurrung, is for Aboriginal children involved in the child protection system. Nugel manages the case planning and case management of children and is a new model of child protection that embeds traditional Aboriginal cultural practice in our service response and includes working closely with family and community to build capacity and restore circles of care.
-
Find roles in Residential Care
VACCA’s Residential Care program provides therapeutic care and support for Aboriginal children who are unable to live with their parents.
Children in our Residential Care program are cared for in a culturally safe, nurturing and healing home environment, staffed 24/7 by paid carers on a rostered basis.
Care is based on theories of trauma and attachment as well as recognising the ongoing intergenerational trauma, racism, and other forms of cultural abuse that Aboriginal children and their families have suffered. The child’s Aboriginal identity, rights and connection to their family, land, and community are privileged.
We know that strong Aboriginal families and communities means strong Aboriginal children
Since 1977, VACCA has responded to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people, families, Elders and community in Victoria.
Our work is founded on our vision for self-determination. We focus on creating services, supports, policies and advocacy that deliver solutions for our people now, and that make a difference for our future generations.
At the heart of our work is the focus on safety, wellbeing and cultural connections for our children, families and communities – first, foremost and always.
Our vision
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander self-determination – Live, Experience, Be.
Our purpose
Supporting culturally strong, safe, and thriving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Our approach - Cultural Therapeutic Ways
Cultural Therapeutic Ways (CTW) guides the way that we work at VACCA. It provides an Aboriginal lens linking practice and outcomes. This means that we prioritise Aboriginal ways of doing while we determine what’s important to us.
As an integrated approach to the way that we work, CTW applies to everyone at VACCA, from the Board to Leadership to all staff. It is our commitment to strengthening and growing Aboriginal leadership, Aboriginal knowledge, and ensuring the health and wellbeing of our staff.
Cultural Therapeutic Ways marks our point of difference as an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation – we deliver programs to heal, protect and connect Aboriginal families and individuals.
VACCA is the peak voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Victoria
We are Victoria’s leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child and family services organisation, and the largest provider of family violence, youth justice, and homelessness support services.
We provide empowering and healing programs and services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people, and families. We believe that compliance with traditional protocols, cultural practice and ceremony is integral to us achieving successful outcomes, and that children and young people have a right to their identity, connection to their community, and to be with their family wherever possible. Our Cultural Therapeutic Ways works to integrate Aboriginal culture and healing practices with trauma theories to guide an approach that is healing, protective and connective.
Roles at VACCA
Case Worker/Manager
Case Workers and Case Managers work directly with clients to support and identify their needs. They connect clients with other relevant VACCA services and programs, or work with external Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal organisations to best support clients. Duties might include assessments, referrals, case planning, case reviews and reports. Our Case Workers and Case Managers are great problem-solvers, excellent communicators, and can build strong relationships with both clients and other service providers.
Search for Case Worker and Case Manager roles
Practitioner
Practitioners provide outreach support services to clients using evidence-based and trauma-informed risk assessment frameworks and intervention techniques. They are trained in child development and family functioning including theories of attachment, intergenerational and personal trauma, and have a comprehensive understanding of issues that impact on Aboriginal families, children and young people, particularly those who are involved with Child Protection. Our Practitioners are empathetic, dedicated, and skilled in developing innovative, holistic, and culturally appropriate interventions.
Search for Practitioner roles
Program Manager
Our Program Managers are responsible for the operational oversight of the various programs offered by VACCA across Victoria. They manage and coordinate the programs to ensure the delivery of best quality and timely responses to clients and conduct ongoing monitoring and evaluation to ensure the impact and efficacy of our programs. The role of Program Manager includes leading a team, achieving relevant funding targets, and ensuring statutory reporting and compliance requirements are fully met. Our Program Managers are analytical, highly organised and have excellent communication skills.
Search for Program manager roles
Team Leader
Our Team Leaders are responsible for overseeing the day-to-day delivery of our programs and services. They provide leadership, case direction and support to a team and work in conjunction with the Program Manager to plan and implement the program requirements in accordance with our practice guidelines and frameworks. Our Team Leaders are dynamic and motivational leaders and excellent multi-taskers.
search for team leader roles
Therapeutic Residential Care Worker
Therapeutic Residential Care Workers engage with the children and young people in our residential care houses to develop a nurturing and positive relationship and support healing, emotional growth and development of positive attitudes and life skills. They meet the children’s individual needs using a culturally therapeutic approach, and support and develop child’s Aboriginal identity, rights and connection to their family, land, and community. Our Therapeutic Residential Care Workers are caring, empathetic, and committed to ensuring children and young people in our care are supported to thrive.
Search for residential care roles
Corporate Services/Office of the CEO
Our Corporate Services and Office of the CEO departments include areas such as Finance, IT, Human Resources, Organisational Development, Communications, Fundraising, Facilities Management, and Policy. These teams service the entire organisation, lending specific expertise to support and promote the work done in our client-facing teams, and advocating our vision and purpose externally. Employees working in these areas often bring significant knowledge and skills from other sectors, ensuring we can support the strategic growth and development of VACCA.
Search all roles
Programs at VACCA
Our programs are based on our Cultural Therapeutic Ways to support the healing and empowerment to Aboriginal children, young people and families.
When you join VACCA, you will be supported with a comprehensive induction program, excellent supervision, and ongoing training and professional development to ensure you have the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in your career with VACCA.
-
Find roles in the Aboriginal Children's Healing Team
The Aboriginal Children's Healing Team (ACHT) is a culturally led, multidisciplinary therapeutic social and emotional wellbeing team.
The ACHT has led the development of trauma-informed practice across VACCA since 2012. The team provides:
- Healing services: Culturally led therapeutic trauma-informed social and emotional wellbeing and mental health advice, assessment, and goal-directed healing work for Aboriginal children and families.
- Capacity building: Supporting staff and programs in the provision of trauma-integrated therapeutic case practices.
The program is delivered by a multidisciplinary team comprised of specialist cultural and therapeutic practitioners including cultural and healing leadership, psychiatry, paediatrics, nursing, occupational therapy, speech pathology, social work, and family therapy.
-
Find roles in Family Services
Family Services offers family support programs to heal, connect, and protect Aboriginal children, young people, and families.
Our Family Services staff work alongside families in a strength-based way to promote parenting capacity and grow up Aboriginal children in a positive way underpinned by culture. We provide a continuum of service from brief or early support all the way through to intensively working with families in the home. Our Family Services programs work with families involved with Child Protection but also with families and Community more broadly, using both individual and group-based approaches.
-
Find roles in Family Violence services
VACCA is the largest provider of family violence services supporting Aboriginal families and community in Victoria.
Our extensive experience in delivering programs to Aboriginal families affected by family violence is through primary prevention, early intervention, response, healing, and recovery in a culturally safe and appropriate way.
VACCA family violence services include intensive case management for people experiencing family violence, intensive individual case management for people who use family violence, behaviour change programs, programs for adolescents, The Orange Door (triage service), Orana Gunyah (Aboriginal women and children’s crisis service), and therapeutic and healing programs.
-
Find roles in Foster Care and Kinship Care
VACCA’s Foster Care and Kinship Care programs provide case management and support for Aboriginal children and young people who are unable to live with their parents.
The Foster Care and Kinship Care teams work closely with the children, young people, families and carers involved in our programs. They work within a trauma-informed framework and implement Cultural Support Plans to promote stronger connections with culture, community and family.
Where possible, VACCA works to reunite children and young people with their families as soon as possible.
-
Find roles in Lakijdeka ACSASS
Lakidjeka Aboriginal Child Specialist Advice and Support Service (ACSASS) provides specialist advice and case consultation to the Victorian Child Protection Service.
The role of the program is to provide culturally appropriate guidance and support to inform the respectful engagement of families, risk and other assessments, planning, monitoring and reviews undertaken by child protection. This might include:
- culturally appropriate interventions
- significant child protection decisions
- culturally appropriate referral services.
The Lakidjeka team also offer involvement in all aspects of casework for Aboriginal children - from home visits through to court and case planning and case closure.
-
Find roles in Nugel
Our Nugel program is the first of its kind in Victoria: fully responsible for the protection and care of Aboriginal children and young people on Children’s Court protection orders.
Nugel, meaning ‘belong’ in Woiwurrung, is for Aboriginal children involved in the child protection system. Nugel manages the case planning and case management of children and is a new model of child protection that embeds traditional Aboriginal cultural practice in our service response and includes working closely with family and community to build capacity and restore circles of care.
-
Find roles in Residential Care
VACCA’s Residential Care program provides therapeutic care and support for Aboriginal children who are unable to live with their parents.
Children in our Residential Care program are cared for in a culturally safe, nurturing and healing home environment, staffed 24/7 by paid carers on a rostered basis.
Care is based on theories of trauma and attachment as well as recognising the ongoing intergenerational trauma, racism, and other forms of cultural abuse that Aboriginal children and their families have suffered. The child’s Aboriginal identity, rights and connection to their family, land, and community are privileged.
-
We are committed to creating a positive workplace where everyone's unique contributions are celebrated and respected. Our Rainbow Tick status demonstrates that we are committed to ensuring our organisation and services are safe, inclusive, and welcoming for LGBTIQA+ staff, young people, carers, families, and community.
-
VACCA is one of Victoria’s largest employers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Our commitment to embedding culture in our work extends to embedding culture in our workplace, ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience a positive recognition, respect, and celebration of our culture. As an organisation, we commit to actively creating an environment which supports Aboriginal self-determination and challenges institutional and structural bias, racism, and discrimination. We extend this safety to everyone at VACCA from a range of diverse cultures, identities, and backgrounds.
-
We offer salary packaging of up to $15,900 per year, allowing you to package specific cost of living expenses such as rent or mortgage, or school fees. Additionally, you can package a further $2,650 for meals and entertainment. Once you have completed probation you can apply for a novated car lease which allows you to package the purchase and running costs of a vehicle (subject to terms and conditions) using pre-tax income. (You can use these calculators to estimate your savings.)
We also provide a 17.5% loading on your accrued annual leave which effectively increases your leave pay by 17.5% to allow for extra expenses you may have on leave.
-
We are committed to supporting your career goals through educational opportunities and ongoing training and professional development. Depending on where you are in your career, we can support you to obtain qualifications, expand your knowledge or enhance your skills. You will also benefit from regular internal supervision sessions, providing you with a formalised structure for feedback, guidance and collaboration to ensure you continually grow in your role and career.
-
We support flexible work arrangements to create a culture that allows staff to balance work with personal preferences and commitments while ensuring the needs of our clients are fully met. Depending on your role, you may work across different locations or from home for part of the week, you may work variable hours, or start and finish work at different times.
-
We offer a range of leave benefits, including 12 weeks paid parental leave (in addition to the 20 weeks statutory requirement), carers leave, Cultural Event Day leave, Christmas bonus day leave, the opportunity to purchase additional leave and study leave. We understand the importance of work-life balance and support you during various life stages and events. Time in Lieu is also available to staff who are required to work outside of their contracted hours.
-
Your wellbeing is our priority. We have a comprehensive Employee Assistance Program, providing confidential support and resources to help you navigate personal and professional challenges. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff also have access to a specialist Employee Assistance Program provided by the Victoria Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS).
-
VACCA partners with Fitness Passport to give full-time and part-time staff exclusive access to a significantly discounted fitness membership, available at an extensive range of fitness centres across Victoria.
-
VACCA provides and maintains a fleet of vehicles as a part of a range of transport options available to staff in the conduct of their VACCA duties.
-
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Graduate Program is a structured 12-month rotational program giving you the opportunity to work across VACCA to gain experience and explore different opportunities.
The Graduate Program is open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have completed a diploma (AQF level 5) to Masters (AQF level 9) in a field related to community and social services in the past 24 months.
We’ll support you with excellent supervision and professional development and help you to find the right career for you in the community sector.
Want to find out more and apply? Email our team at orgdev@vacca.org.
-
As part of a traineeship at VACCA, you will work full time for 12 months while completing a Certificate IV in Community Services.
During your traineeship, you will be given the time to study, while getting on-the-job experience and training in one of our VACCA programs. You will learn the theory behind what we do and get the opportunity to apply this knowledge in the workplace.
A supervisor will provide guidance, support, feedback, on-the-job training and suitable day-to-day work tasks for you to complete and the Traineeships Co-ordinator will provide mentorship and monitor your progress, ensuring you are given every chance to succeed.
Want to be part our our Traineeship Program? Submit an application now:
SUBMIT TRAINEESHIP APPLICATION
For more information email our Organisational Development team - orgdev@vacca.org.
Please note this program is only available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
-
A Student Placement with VACCA enables to you to get important practical experience while you study to work in the Community Services sector.
If you’re currently completing a course or degree that will lead to a career in the Community Services sector, we offer student work placements where you will gain practical experience working alongside our skilled and knowledgeable staff.
We offer placement opportunities at all our VACCA sites (metropolitan and regional) and across many of our programs.
Apply for a Student Placement for 2024 here. Please note that applications for 2024 will close on 1 December 2024.
Apply for a Student Placement for 2025 here. Please note that applications for 2025 will close on 31 January 2025.
Student Placements are open to students studying at an accredited institution with a practical or field education component to their course. There is a high demand for these places and applications are accepted based on your learning objectives and the availabilities we have at the time. Please allow approximately 6-9 weeks for a response from our team.
-
We offer a variety of opportunities and benefits to help you transition from another profession, or to level up your career in Community Services.
We recognise that there are a range of skills and experiences that allow people to excel in their career with VACCA. Not only can we help you find the right role, you will also have the opportunity to gain relevant qualifications to develop and progress your career. This may include specific qualifications in your field which build on your previous studies, or a range of training programs supported by VACCA including:
- Diploma of Community Services
- Graduate Certificate in Family Violence
- Certificate IV in Community Services
- Certificate IV in Leadership and Management
- Ngulunbarra Leadership Program
Email orgdev@vacca.org to find out more.
Subscribe to our Careers newsletter
Discover deadly opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at VACCA
Find out more