Organisation: Department of Education and Communities
Job Title: School and Community Senior Information Officer
Location: Sydney
Extensive experience in managing complex public inquiries including telephone,
correspondence, internet and email enquiries
I currently am employed in an administration role within the Health and Safety Branch, Fire and
Rescue NSW. The position is the first point of contact for internal clients regarding relevant health
and medical information being handled by the Branch. I provide advice and assistance relating to
inquiries and correspondence from internal stakeholders and external clients. I assess the nature
of inquiries and provide appropriate information, including referral to relevant areas. The
information I deal with is highly confidential and I exercise discretion and sensitivity at all times. I
also have the highest level of discretion and integrity and ensure I deal with confidential
information discretely and uphold all relevant privacy provisions
While employed as an operational Police Officer I often dealt with diverse and complex enquiries
both in person and over the phone. Not only was I dealing with distressed and emotional people,
it was often difficult to ascertain the exact issue and how it could be dealt with. For example, I
often needed to first determine if it was a criminal matter that fell under the jurisdiction of the
police. Often the matter was a civil issue and the police were not the appropriate service to deal
with the issue (for example a dispute with a neighbour). In these circumstances I always tried to be
as helpful and consultative as possible, offering the customer possible avenues of address or
resolution. To provide an effective service I needed to familiar with a number of Acts, Regulations,
Determinations, Policies and Guidelines. It was my role to understand this information and apply it
to the customer’s specific circumstances. I have developed excellent interpretation and analytical
skills in this area.
I also needed to have extensive knowledge of the interaction of government, community, welfare
and other services that impacted on, or were the correct referral point for, a number of enquiries.
For example, many of the issues I dealt with required that I contact and liaise with another service
such as emergency accommodation through the Department of Housing or Case Workers and
Social Workers from the Department of Communities. I also liaised with mental health
professionals, a range of hospital and health workers, staff from the Departments of Immigration
and Education respectively, and a number of community welfare workers.
It is also relevant that as a Police Officer I was a mandatory reporter as defined by the NSW child
protection legislation which meant I had a statutory responsibility to report any identified risk of
significant harm to children. I needed to have substantial knowledge of my legal obligation and the
Mandatory Reporter Guide in order to determine the appropriate course of action when dealing
with an issue or enquiry where a child was at risk.
Extensive experience in complaints handling and customer service
Within my current position I am required to provide quality administrative service and support to
a range of internal clients and external stakeholders. This includes extensive liaison with members
of the Health and Safety Branch, operational staff, corporate support areas and Medical Officers.
In this role I always strive to provide a professional, courteous and respectful service. I also try to
be proactive in meeting the needs and requirements of my clients.
Similarly within NSW Police I demonstrated excellent customer service. I recognised that the
service I provided and the level of customer satisfaction I achieved reflected on the reputation of
the police service. I was both a law enforcement officer and an ambassador for the police. My
customers came from an extremely diverse range of social and cultural backgrounds and part of
my role was liaison and consultation with members of the public, community groups and staff
from a range of government and community services. I also had to deal with and resolve any
issues or complaints that customers had. I always remained calm and polite when dealing with any
concerns and did my utmost to find a solution that the customer was satisfied with.
Either when attending incidents or dealing with any issues while in the station, I always listened
carefully to the information being provided, checked that I understand all the circumstances and
then determined how to deal with the issue or complaint. At the same time I had to manage the
interaction with a client who was often distressed, angry or upset. I learned to focus clearly on the
process of the interaction rather than the anger and the personal components of it.
Often situations and complaints that I dealt with did not fall within the jurisdiction of the police. In
these situations I did my utmost to work with the customer to find an avenue of resolution for
them. Part of this was understanding the myriad of interacting services within the community and
being able to analyse the issues involved in order to determine appropriate referral or how to
source the information required. The other part was to mediate and negotiate with the customer,
often just allowing them to vent their concerns and to then help them to resolve the matter
themselves.
I also had to be familiar with the NSW Police Force Complaint Handling Guidelines in order to
determine the correct course of action. Similarly Fire and Rescue NSW has policies and procedures
that govern both complaints from external customers as well as internal staff. I have read the
Department of Education and Communities Complaints Handling Policy and Guidelines and found
it clearly sets out the steps recommended in dealing with issues depending on the nature and
seriousness of the complaint, as well as how such issues can be progressed if local or informal
resolution is not possible. I have always adopted a personal ethos of fairness, responsiveness and
accountability with regard to dealing with any issues or complaints during my professional career
and have found that this provides an excellent foundation in finding resolution.
Excellent oral and written communication skills
I have exceptional interpersonal and relationship management skills, including the ability to
interact effectively with people from all levels, cultural and social backgrounds. In my current
position I liaise with a range of management staff, Health and Safety Analysts, Fire and Rescue
NSW Medical Officers, members of the Health and Safety Branch, corporate support staff, area
coordinators and individuals from across the Department. I give advice, provide information and
support, organise and coordinate work flows and individuals and refer-on issues. I focus on being
clear and concise and adapting the message and presentation to my audience. I need to work in
with many of these stakeholders to deliver a seamless, integrated service to our clients. This
requires excellent communication skills to develop a collaborative and cooperative team
approach. I have always maintained strong, productive relationships with team members. I enjoy
the exposure to the diverse skills, knowledge and expertise that comes with working within a
team. It is an opportunity to learn from others, see things from diverse views and perspectives and
contribute your expertise to enhance the skill mix.
As a Police Officer I needed to demonstrate excellent communication skills at all times. As
mentioned previously, this role necessitated dealing with a diverse range of people often in
stressful, confusing circumstances. I was required to mediate and negotiate with individuals and
groups to resolve issues and sometimes to de-escalate dangerous situations. I have also
participated in community liaison events that focused on supporting and providing information to
women in the community (sometimes from specific cultural groups) with regard to such things as
crime, personal safety, rights and responsibilities, domestic violence and child protection. These
sessions also covered things as the procedures they needed to follow and resources available to
them.
The purpose of these talks was not only to provide information, but to develop community
relationships and to engender trust and a collaborative approach to community policing. This
depended on my colleagues and I having the necessary communication skills to facilitate this
outcome. It is also relevant that in all my roles in law enforcement I was required to give evidence
in court and be cross examined by defence lawyers. This required a calm, professional approach as
well as confidence, clarity and strong presentation skills.
I am currently undertaking a Diploma of Counselling which has greatly enhanced my
communication skills and abilities. It has provided me with a strong theoretical background
regarding such things as communication processes, barriers and techniques as well as
confrontation, and influencing skills.
Throughout my professional career I have also developed excellent written communication skills.
Currently I prepare a range of correspondence to external stakeholders to seek clarification, and
request information, on a range of matters pertaining to workplace health and safety. I also take
minutes for working group meetings and correspond with senior executives requesting
information on action items.
While employed as a Surveillance Officer, Field Intelligence Officer and Police Officer I was
required to make a written record of every activity that occurred during my shift. This record had
to be clear, concise, logical and thorough. This task included preparing detailed event narratives of
incidents and events that I attended and dealt with.
It is important to note that all this information could then form part of evidence that would be
released during legal action to both prosecutors and lawyers and therefore my written reports had
to stand up to intense scrutiny.
Finally, I have had to prepare written assessments as part of the courses I have completed over
the years including my current Diploma of Counselling as well as my Diploma in Policing,
Certificate III in Children’s Services, Field Intelligence Officer and State Surveillance Branch
training.
Experience in the development of information databases with a focus on customer service
I have extensive experience utilising a range of information databases and have worked with
technical staff to configure systems to meet client service requirements. Currently I utilise a range
of systems including:
Dox, a medical record management system utilised by Fire and Safety NSW to manage Health
and Safety Branch information.
IMS, a complex information system that consists of a Database Management System and a
Transaction Management System
Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook)
SAP, a financial management system
ESS, the employee self-service tool
Trim, a records management system
I have used Excel to develop shared worksheets to record specific client information. This
document had to contain a range of information to meet client needs, be easily used as a shared
resource and had to allow statistical data to be extracted and collated in response to client
requests.
I also have experience with law enforcement databases such as the Computerised Operational
Policing System (COPS). This is a complex, multifaceted database that holds information on crimes
and other incidents reported to the police. I also used Eagle.i, which is the primary computer
system used by police for the purposes of high-level and significant investigations. It is an
investigation management system that facilitates information sharing in order to ensure
investigations are nots hampered by falling into separate silos under different investigators. As a
Field Intelligence and Surveillance Officer I used these systems extensively, updating information,
extracting data and reports, analysing statistical trends and collating required documents and
information as needed.
My experience with all these systems has given me a strong understanding of the hierarchy of
information within data bases and how data needs to be structured and configured in a way that
will meet client and business needs. Databases need to serve the business, supporting operational
activities and ensuring seamless service to the client base.
Extensive understanding of the policies and procedures across DEC
In both my current and previous positions I have worked in positions highly regulated by a divers
range Acts, Regulations, Determinations, Policies, Guidelines and Standards. It has always been my
role to understand the information contained in these documents, interpret it and have the
conceptual skills to apply it to a customer’s specific circumstances.
The work I currently undertake and the information and advice that I provide to clients, is
predominately governed by the relevant workplace health and safety legislation as well as the
policies, procedures and guidelines specific to the department. I also need to have a strong
understanding of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 and how it applies to
confidential of information, health data and the medical records that I deal with.
As a law enforcement officer I also gained extensive knowledge of various pieces of legislation
including the Crimes Act 1900 and the Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002.
Almost all activities and duties undertaken by operational staff are governed by a strict regulatory
environment. I needed to familiarise myself with all this information in order to operate effectively
in my roles.
I also have experience with a range of policies and procedures that are the same or similar to
those utilised within the Department of Education and Communities. This includes documents
governing the public sector code of conduct, ethical behaviour, complaint handling, workplace
health and safety, child protection (as a police officer I was a mandatory reporter) and the
previously mentioned Government Information Act.
My work experience has provided me with an excellent understanding of the interaction of
community focused government services as well as the complex regulatory environment that
governs them. I would easily gain knowledge of any departmentally specific policy documents and
I already have the skills to understand, interpret and apply this information to any circumstances
or issues that arose.
Ability to inform key messaging strategies across DEC
As a police officer I have participated in a range of community liaison events that focused on
delivering key messages to a range of community and cultural groups. For example, I attended
several events aimed at providing information to women on issues that affected them and
covered things as the procedures they needed to follow and resources available to them. The key
message of these talks was not only to provide information, but to develop community
relationships and to engender trust and a collaborative approach to community policing. I had
input into how this message was delivered and integrated into these sessions.
Another relevant example was when I accompanied the police youth liaison officer to sessions at
local schools and youth "hang outs". The message that the police service were trying to promote
was that the department had a range of specialty liaison officers who were there to help these
young people. Their role was to provide them with information, resources and guidance rather
than to act as enforcement officers. Once again it was about developing trust and a consultative
approach to community policing.
I have also worked at the Royal Easter show on the police stand along with other officers from
diverse cultural backgrounds. I was actually featured in the promotional material which was aimed
at promoting the culturally diverse face of contemporary policing. My role was to promote the
message that the police force was an inclusive employer, reflective of the community that it
served. Similarly I have participated in promotional activities for the "90 years of women in
policing" celebrations. This was about promoting the contribution of women to the police both
historically and in the contemporary service.
Finally, I had significant input in the development of the Marrickville Police Station’s Intranet page.
This involved determining what messages and information we wanted to highlight about the
station and to ensure that the page reflected these priorities and messages.
To summarise, I have been required to adapt and deliver a range of key messages being promoted
by the police service. This involved gaining a clear understanding of the message and being able to
deliver it in an appropriate and meaningful way to members of the community.
Knowledge of and commitment to the Department's Aboriginal policies
I have read the Department’s Aboriginal Human Resource Development Plan 2009 – 2011 and the
Report of the Review of Aboriginal Education. I have a clear understanding of the linkages
between a workforce that is inclusive of the Aboriginal people it serves, community collaboration ,
a culturally competent workforce and improving learning outcomes for Aboriginal students. The
police service also recognises these linkages in trying to reduce the over representation of
Aboriginal people in the criminal justice system.
While employed with NSW Police I acted as an unofficial Aboriginal Liaison Officer for my area. I
think this role clearly demonstrates my knowledge of and commitment to Aboriginal polies aimed
at promoting diversity, inclusiveness and addressing past and current inequities. I developed and
maintained productive relationships with a number of elders and community leaders sometimes in
difficult and trying circumstances. I worked hard to earn and maintain their respect to enable a
collaborative and cooperative approach.
I communicate with Aboriginal people respectfully and sensitively. I also know that everyone
comes from different backgrounds and that many factors influence people’s experiences and who
they are. This can include a whole range of differences based on age, gender, historical
experiences, cultural backgrounds as well as where they come from. I am interested in the
individual person but I also have a deep respect for their history, their family, their culture, their
needs and their story.
With my community work I established a number of relationships with young Aboriginal people. I
always respected and valued their culture and history as well as their individuality and interests.
My links with these young people gave me a strong understanding of the difficulties faced by
young Aboriginals within urban NSW, especially those who have come from rural and remote
communities.
I have some knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal culture including the history and impact
of colonisation and the government policies that occurred in this history. This includes some
understanding of the major periods of government policy such as protection and segregation,
assimilation, self-management and determination, partnerships and reconciliation. I also
understand the deep and abiding impact that events such as the loss of land, controlled wages,
denial of citizenship and the removal of children have had on people. I also have developed some
understanding of modern issues (such as Native Title in Australia, Aboriginal Deaths in Custody,
Saying Sorry and the importance of Closing the Gap) and have been part of the lives of people
affected by many of these issues.
I also have some knowledge of the types of things that Closing the Gap is meant to address, like,
the over-representation of Aboriginal people in the criminal justice system, lower life expectancy,
educational outcomes and employment levels. Finally I have grown some understanding of the
many aspects of the diverse cultures of Aboriginal people such as cultural days of significance,
family ties, kinship lines, ties with land and sea.
