Organisation: Disability Services Commission
Job Title: Local Area Coordinator
Word Limit: 3 pages maximum
Location: Albany
Well-developed communication, negotiation and advocacy skills
I have excellent communication skills, with a proven record in effectively liaising and consulting with a
diverse range of internal and external stakeholders. Working within various human services environments, I
have demonstrated the ability to negotiate and liaise with individuals, carers, relevant government
agencies, service providers, peak bodies, community groups and other allied professionals.
I am currently employed as an Employment Coordinator with Activ, the largest disability service provider in
WA. Activ’s services include accommodation, home and community care, recreation, respite, supported
employment and transport. In my role I liaise extensively with a range of stakeholders to recruit and
support the employment of people with a disability. Initially I use my strong communication skills to
develop a partnership with my clients and their key support group, working with them to establish their
learning and development goals and needs. To achieve this I have communicate clearly with all
stakeholders, focusing on key information and tailoring my approach based on the requirements of my
audience. I also have exceptional listening skills which I utilise to clearly identify people’s expectations and
concerns and what they want to achieve. I need to confirm all this information to ensure that the proposed
type of work is appropriate to the skills and abilities of our client and that it provides them with meaningful
vocational engagement. My role involves ongoing negotiation and consultation, working with clients to
ensure that their training and work plan is both realistic and achievable, while allowing them to reach their
full potential.
I also need strong communication skills to determine if clients need additional support or access to services
to assist them in meeting their goals. In these circumstances I advocate on behalf of the client, consulting
with a range of allied stakeholders to deliver an integrated service to our clients. For example, I may refer
clients on to service providers such as the Albany Disability Advocacy Service or the Albany Community
Legal Service to provide them with guidance, information and support regarding any number of issues
outside of the workplace.
I also act as an advocate for employees to help them find additional training and education opportunities. I
work with employees to source activities and training based on their interests. This has included learning
opportunities related to photography, sewing, IPads, computers, cooking and barista work. Another aspect
of my role is to act as a mediator to resolve any conflicts or issues that arise between employees. I have
strong resolution skills and have a proven record in finding ways to minimise conflicts and repair workplace
relationships.
I also have exceptional presentation and facilitation skills, with the ability to deliver information in a
confident and persuasive manner, and to adjust the presentation to suit the knowledge and interests of the
audience. I have undertaken a range of lecturing roles at the Great Southern Institute of Technology (GSIT),
including Visual Arts and Workplace Readiness to Indigenous students, and Spoken and Written English and
General Adult Education to Migrant students. To undertake these roles I had to have excellent presentation
skills, with the ability to engage the interest and attention of my students, and ensure they are able to
understand and retain the information I provide them with.
Finally, I also have excellent written communication skills. In my current role I have to prepare a wide range
of funding submissions and reports to ensure that my clients can continue to access the resources and
assistance they need. I also have experience in developing training programs (such as the Certificate I in
Workplace Readiness) from conception through to approval under the Australian Qualifications
Framework.
Ability to build and nurture relationships at a personal, organisational and community level
Throughout my professional career I have demonstrated the ability to develop cooperative and productive
working relationships with clients, colleagues, and other relevant stakeholders. To provide quality service
and support within the disability services sector you need to develop and leverage collaborative
partnerships with a diverse range of individuals and organisations. The most important relationships
though are those initially established with clients and their key support staff. The focus of these
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partnerships is one of trust and respect, with the aim of delivering the best possible outcomes for the
client. To achieve this I need to establish an open and supportive relationship where we can work together
to assess skill levels, clarify goals, strengths and needs, and then develop future plans to build and expand
on these.
I also have developed excellent links and networks with groups and organisations within the sector. As
mentioned previously, I regularly refer clients to local disability and advocacy services to ensure they are
provided with relevant advice and guidance in relation to issues outside of the work environment. In my
current role I also work closely with a number of providers within the education sector, such as the Albany
Secondary Education Support Centre (ASESC), Vocation Education and Training (VET) Teachers and School
Support Workers, to source additional education opportunities for our employees and to create a pathway
into our organisation for students currently studying. In relation to the later aim, I work with the ASESC
Coordinator to find students who may be suited to a career with Activ. The student is then offered a
position through work place learning, a program designed to assist people to make the transition from
school to the workplace. I work with the student, parents, Teachers, VET representatives, Principals and
ASESC Coordinators to ensure a seamless, coordinated transition tailored to the specific requirements of
the student.
I also work closely with organisations such as the Lower Great Southern Support Association and
Community Living Association who provide a range of support services to many of my clients. The types of
functions that we coordinate together can include organising transportation and attendance at medical
appointments, resolving behavioural issues, and facilitating annual assessments (staff from the Associations
often act as key support people for my clients). Once again this is about having collaborative partnerships
with these organisations to ensure that we provide an integrated, person-centred service to our clients.
Another example of my ability to foster and maintain community and organisational relationships involves
my participation in Community Agency Meetings (CAMs) which are held on a quarterly basis. CAMs provide
a valuable networking opportunity that also ensures the currency of my knowledge in relation to the
agencies involved in disability services. It also provides me with excellent leads about a range of services,
supports and opportunities that I can feed back to my clients and their families. I also use these meetings to
let other agencies know of the services we provide and the types of training that we offer, such as a
Certificate I in Manufacturing and Leadership (Activ is a Registered Training Organisation). Another relevant
example is my position on the community steering committee for Disability Awareness Week. On this
committee I work in collaboration with a variety of groups and individuals within the disability sector to
coordinate events and activities aimed at increasing awareness and promoting access and inclusion.
Ability to set goals, manage a variety of tasks and achieve outcomes
I currently work with 53 employees, recruiting and supporting them, assessing their skills and development
needs, and liaising with them and various other stakeholders to set educational and vocational goals and
targets. To achieve this I have to juggle a variety of priorities and tasks, often with set deadlines. One of
these priorities is scheduling annual assessments with every employee and various stakeholders, reviewing
training notes, discussing options and goals, and creating a new work plan.
My role also includes dealing with any day-to-day issues that may arise with employees. This can
incorporate dealing with workplace conflicts, providing support and guidance to supervisors, consulting
with employees with regard to additional requirements, and dealing with behavioural issues. As mentioned
previously, I also need to liaise constantly with a range of internal stakeholders and allied external
providers to ensure a holistic system of support and to source various learning and development
opportunities for clients.
The position of Employee Coordinator also has a complex administrative and record keeping component,
which requires the completion of a range of functions relating to record keeping, data collection, reporting
and funding submissions. I need to maintain four separate files on each employee to ensure all required
information is captured. These include separate files for training, personal information, wages and leave,
4 Kim Marsden
and funding submissions. I have strong organisational skills and a commitment to maintaining the accuracy
and currency of these files to support the work that is undertaken. In particular, I have a number of
obligations in relation to submissions and reporting which need to be completed by set dates in order to
ensure ongoing funding for the programs that we operate.
Throughout my career I have managed a variety of projects that required the ability to plan effectively, set
goals and manage a variety of tasks and functions to deliver outcomes. For example, while employed as
Team Leader for the Friendship Group (funded by Health and Community Care), my role was to identify
client requirements and then create and facilitate programs to meet these needs. One program was aimed
at increasing the physical health and well-being of my clients. To progress this project I surveyed a range of
stakeholders to determine specific needs in relation to the program before drafting a plan to deliver these
outcomes for clients. After gaining approval, I negotiated with a number of community-based suppliers in
relation to accessing their programs, as well as modifying their programs to suit the needs of specific
individuals. I implemented a number of regular activities for my clients to access, including an aqua
aerobics program at the Aquatic Centre, a health and fitness program at the Body Care Centre, a cooking
program designed to focus on healthy eating and a body care program designed to improve personal
hygiene. These programs became a permanent fixture in the monthly calendar forecast and were well
attended.
Commitment to principles of social justice and a 'fair go for all"
I have always had a passionate commitment to social justice, fairness, and the rights of individuals to reach
their full potential. Supporting the achievement of this goal can take many forms, including providing
structured support, ensuring inclusion, promoting participation, increasing access and creating options for
people from marginalised groups within society. In my current role the focus is on recruiting and supporting
the employment of people with a disability. This means putting in place a range of aligned supports and
services that will allow each employee to reach their full vocational potential. In previous roles as a Social
Trainer and House Supervisor with Activ I also worked with clients to facilitate their improved access to a
range of social, leisure, community, educational and work related activities.
With my academic background in visual arts, I also have a strong commitment to facilitating access to, and
participation in, creative experiences and relevant cultural artistic heritage. As an Art Lecturer at GSIT I
delivered a Certificate II in Painting in Visual Arts and Contemporary Craft (Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander) to Indigenous students. I also delivered a Certificate IV in Visual Arts and Contemporary Craft
(Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander) to Indigenous mature age students.
Another relevant example was my role with a program funded by Disability in the Arts, Disadvantage in the
Arts Australia (DADAA), a national network of organisations and individuals that promote cultural
expression and artistic participation for people with disabilities and people disadvantaged by social
conditions. I worked in collaboration with other Artists to implement the ‘Unhiding’ project, a free-form
visual arts program for people with a disability that focused pursuing self-expression through a creative
visual form.
At GSIT I delivered the Certificate I, II, III and IV in Spoken and Written English to migrant students and the
Certificate I in General Adult Education to Afghanistan mature aged students. I also developed and
delivered a pilot Certificate I in Workplace Readiness, a program specifically tailored to provide increased
access for Indigenous students to vocational opportunities. While teaching all these courses I focused on
providing an inclusive educational environment tailored to the individual needs and goals of my students.
As mentioned previously, in 2013 and again this year, I participated on the community steering committee
for Disability Awareness Week. I contributed to the organisation and implementation of a range of activities
and events aimed at increasing public awareness, promoting fairness and increased access, and providing
people with a range of opportunities to participate in various leisure and social activities.
