Meet the moment. Make it matter.

Make it Work

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 01:00:00 +0000

Want your job to fit with your life, not the other way around? Make it work at Anglicare Victoria.

Life hands most of us plenty of challenges. That’s why it’s so important to work with people who’ll catch you when you fall, respect you as an individual and share a laugh when you need it most. Discover how our people make every moment matter in a place where flexibility is part and parcel of all we do.

A culture of care

It’s the nature of our work - we care for a living. And that means we’re invested in building a culture where you feel cared for, too. Just ask our people:

Sinead Hope, Team Leader of Family Preservation and Reunification (FPR) / Rapid Response:

“There’s a really fun vibe and a lot of laughs in the office. My team is really highly skilled, but they’re also a wonderfully connected team. We spend a lot of time together, share our experiences and aren’t afraid to challenge each other’s perspectives, which leads to constant growth. It means a lot to come into work and feel so connected and supported.”

Trevor Dray, Program Manager for Residential Care (South Region):

“My team means a lot to me - they’re sort of my work family. We work really hard, but we take the time to build strong friendships outside work as well. One of our admin workers is in a band, so we’ll often go and see her play or go out for dinner together. Another staff member had a daughter who was going through chemotherapy treatments for a year and a half, and the whole team went along to her ‘ringing the bell’ ceremony to support them and celebrate that milestone.”

Kelly Harris, Out of Home Care (OoHC) Practice Lead (North Central Region):

“There are six or seven people I sit with in the office. We share the same quirky sense of humour, you need to have that in this line of work. There’s typically some stress balls being thrown around the place. But when the stress does get to you, you’re able to be vulnerable with each other. You can say, ‘I’m not having a great day,’ or, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing,’ and no one will judge you. It’s the kind of environment that’s very supportive and open to sharing advice.”

Support and managerial guidance

At Anglicare Victoria, you’ll get to challenge yourself and grow professionally. With that comes our commitment to support you, including structured supervision, so you can grow your impact AND your career - just like Dallas, Trevor and Melissah:

Dallas Hood, House Coordinator for Residential Care (West Region):

“Anglicare Victoria is great with their support services. The team has free access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at any time and there are plenty of chances at work to debrief and discuss anything that arises with our work or personal lives. I feel like every Anglicare Victoria employee can reach out if they feel they need or want to.”

Trevor Dray, Program Manager for Residential Care (South Region):

“It’s an organisation that genuinely cares about and values its staff. Especially for those roles where you’re often put in the firing line, we’re doing everything in our power to minimise risk and psychological harm. If there’s ever an incident in our resi (residential) care homes, there are four or five people reaching out to support the affected staff member - including House Coordinators, Team Leaders and a representative from the Health, Safety and Wellbeing team. That’s quite a unique thing that Anglicare does.”

Melissah Charlton, Assistant Regional Director (West Region):

“I feel really lucky to have had fantastic leaders who’ve supported me and also pushed me in my learning and development. I think that’s part of what’s kept me here. You feel supported, but challenged as well.”

Where family comes first

We get it, you have a life outside your job. That’s why we empower you to think about what works best for you - from flexible work hours to flexible work locations. Our people tell us this makes all the difference:

Sinead Hope, Team Leader of Family Preservation and Reunification (FPR) / Rapid Response:

“We’ve got a balance of working from home and the office, which is good. There’s also lots of flexibility in terms of work times - in the FPR program, we do a lot of before and after-hours work to support families in crisis, so we’re really encouraged to take our time in lieu and wellbeing days. In our line of work, we can’t be expected to take care of other people’s families if we aren’t taking care of our own. I just love that Anglicare Victoria has those values.”

Kelly Harris, Out of Home Care (OoHC) Practice Lead (North Central Region):

“My son plays competitive hockey three nights a week. Getting from Bendigo to Melbourne takes around two hours, so I have to leave work early to get him to training, which my boss is really supportive of. It’s a trusting relationship both ways. We just make it work.”

Melissah Charlton, Assistant Regional Director (West Region):

“As someone who has young children, I don’t think I could do this job without some level of flexibility. Here, it feels like as long as you do the right thing, you’re supported to have that level of flexibility. For me, it means I can drop the kids at school in the mornings. And if they’re sick, I can work from home instead of using carer’s leave. It’s all those things that make a difference.”

Make a Move

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 01:00:00 +0000

Want to challenge yourself and grow the best career you can? Make a move to Anglicare Victoria

It’s no surprise that working in this sector involves stepping out of your comfort zone (many times over!) But at Anglicare Victoria, you’ll be supported every step of the way. You’ll also have access to incredible opportunities across the breadth and scale of our services. Hear from three of our people what that’s meant for them.

For Melissah, it’s meant possibilities in every direction
Melissah Charlton’s journey at Anglicare Victoria has been one of continuous growth. From her early days as a student social worker to her current role as Assistant Regional Director, she has embraced every opportunity to learn new skills, adopt best practices or push herself to become the best leader she can be. Why has Melissah chosen to do it all with us? She says it’s all about the incredible opportunities she’s found here.

“I’ve worked across two of our regions, plus at the central office, and I feel that’s really valuable because you get different experiences. Plus the diversity of programs we have has enabled me to move into different roles, engage with different cohorts and experience different things, but still within the same organisation."

Now, Melissah oversees a team of approximately 300 staff, working across numerous programs spanning Melbourne's inner western suburbs to Ballarat. Melissah’s view is there’s always more to explore with Anglicare Victoria.

“There are so many roles you can move into. For example, we have social workers with strong writing skills who have wanted a break from direct practice and have moved into tender writing. And we’re always looking at developing new services and improving service design, so there’s all these opportunities there that aren’t even known yet.”

For Kelly, it’s meant empowering others

Kelly Harris knows what it’s like to be a fish out of water. In 2005, she made the leap from a background in early childhood education to working in foster care, facing a steep learning curve along the way. Kelly says her experiences combined with the supportive leaders she’s encountered have reinforced the importance of empowering others.

“Being in leadership has helped me realise that everyone has different strengths. So, for me, it’s about how I can help each person utilise their skills and strengths in a way that works for them and allows them to shine. Several staff have recently said to me they’ve felt really well supported by my approach. To have people giving that feedback is really nice.”

Kelly says she also values Anglicare Victoria’s focus on helping people find the role that’s right for them.

“Some people start with us and instantly love it. Others don't. But if these people choose to stay, we’ll actively try to help them find the role that’s right for them. So, it’s asking, ‘Well, what do you want to do?’ They might talk about family services or financial counselling, and we’ll put them in touch with those teams to get more information. Then they might get the chance to do a day-in-the-life with that team. What this means is they can find a role that means they stay with us.”

For Sinead, it’s meant the opportunity to be continually challenged

When Sinead Hope joined our Integrated Family Services team in 2019, she didn’t know what to expect. Her background was in supporting people through acute family violence situations, but joining Anglicare Victoria meant adapting her skillset while developing her therapeutic abilities.

“I felt like I was beginning my career again in a good way and things just grew from there. I think that's the beauty of Anglicare Victoria - you don't stay stagnant in a role. You’re encouraged to observe different programs, do secondments to different teams, get your foot in the door and just give things a go.”

Now, as Team Leader of Family Preservation and Reunification (FPR) / Rapid Response, Sinead has grown professionally more than she ever thought possible, and she’s done it in the unique Anglicare Victoria way.

“We have this real focus here on therapeutic knowledge. It’s about being able to work from a strength-based perspective and being encouraged to grow different skills and knowledge.”

Make Your Mark

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 23:08:57 +0000

Want to do meaningful work and really make it matter? Make your mark with Anglicare Victoria

Anglicare Victoria is all about supporting families to grow and achieve their goals. Sometimes, it’s creating everyday moments of positive change on the road to long-term stability. Other times, it’s a helping hand when a crisis immediately and unexpectedly hits. Hear from four of our incredible practitioners about how they champion change for those who need it most.

An Innovative Approach

Sinead Hope has seen countless lives changed for the better after accessing Anglicare Victoria’s support. She also knows that sometimes, reaching out and asking for help is the hardest part. But once that first step is overcome, the impact that can be made is nothing short of miraculous.

“There’s so many stories of positivity. Being able to really connect with families, allowing them to be heard and validated - it’s a real joy. I really appreciate that at Anglicare Victoria, we’re allowed to be flexible with our funding if we believe it meets the family’s goals.”

After eight years working in family violence refuges, Sinead witnessed the devastating outcomes of families being torn apart. So, as Team Leader of Family Preservation and Reunification (FPR) at Anglicare Victoria, she loves that her role is dedicated to bringing families back together.

“Even though it is a voluntary service, we might be met with some distrust and resistance, which is totally understandable. When we first meet with a family, we take the time to listen and understand them before we identify what their goals are and what we need to do to support them. I think having that transparent, authentic approach really helps build trust.”

Within FPR, Sinead’s expertise lies in Rapid Response, which prevents children from entering out-of-home care. This is just one of many innovative services at Anglicare Victoria, and it has achieved remarkable success. In fact, 94.5% of children supported through Rapid Response have been able to remain with their families. A key part of this success is the expertise of the Anglicare Victoria team.

“There’s such a vast range of knowledge and skills to draw upon in every team at Anglicare Victoria,” Sinead says. “Someone might be skilled in NDIS or mental health or family violence, like myself. We’re really encouraged to consult with others and be flexible and creative in our approach to supporting families.”

Closing the gaps

In her time at Anglicare Victoria, Sinead has been heartened by the amount of funding and innovation on offer. She constantly sees new programs emerging that make a real difference for the children and families she supports.

“There’s so much to be excited about at Anglicare Victoria. There’s always new things happening or new projects starting out, and we’re really good at sharing those successful outcomes. I know there are mental health projects taking off in the Family Violence space, and there’s a fantastic new service called Buldau Yioohgen, which is designed to support Aboriginal children in out-of-home care. It’s just amazing to hear about.”
Trevor Dray has seen a lot of innovations in his 30 years in the family services sector. Since joining Anglicare Victoria in 2016, he’s more proud than ever to work for an organisation that’s leading the way, and offering diverse services that directly respond to community needs.

“I think what Anglicare Victoria does really well is identifying gaps in our services, then having conversations about how we can fill those gaps through new initiatives. No matter where you sit in the organisation, if you have an idea for a new program, you’re encouraged to raise it with your manager and try to make it happen.”

As Program Manager for Residential Care (South Region), Trevor has experienced this first-hand thanks to the introduction of above-the-line therapy specialists in residential care houses. The positive difference these roles make in the lives of young people shows in the marked reduction of incident reports filed over the last two years. In Trevor’s view, the service is as successful as it's ever been, thanks to the deep care and compassion that lie at the heart of Anglicare Victoria’s impact.

“We want to lead the way in the sector, and the way we do that is through real, clear compassion. In order for us to put that out into the community, it has to start from within. Paul [our CEO] drives that right from the top, and it flows down to every single staff member. We couldn’t achieve what we do at the coal face without the genuine support that Anglicare Victoria gives.”

Bring your best

As impactful as it is, many people may not consider a career in family services. Kelly Harris certainly didn’t, but making the move from the education sector was the best career decision she ever made. The opportunities she’s been given to learn new skills and broaden her scope have made her work so much more meaningful.

“A lot of people come into this work because they love kids and want to work with them, but kids are just the middle of the circle. They’ve got a family of origin, a creche, kinder or school they go to, and other agencies they connect into. It’s not just your work with the child - it’s how you pull everything together to bring that really holistic approach to their wellbeing.”

Like Kelly, Dallas Hood started his career in a very different field - the football field, to be exact! Experiencing a tough transition to living out of home inspired him to mentor younger teammates in the same position, revealing how his skills were a great fit for supporting vulnerable young people in residential care houses.

“So many people live their lives and probably don’t realise they’re a mentor. If people tend to come to you for advice or to have a chat because they find you reassuring, those are the people who tend to do extremely well in resi. If you naturally have those comfort-giving qualities, this is a job you could really excel in.”

Excelling at Anglicare Victoria means so much more than forging a great career. It means making a mark on the lives of young people who need support and guidance. As Dallas has learned, every small moment shared with a young person can lead to progress that genuinely changes their lives.

“For a young person who has never been engaged with schooling, it could be that they start going three days a week. For a young person looking to have a career, it could be taking up a trade or finding a job. A young person who’s absconded from the house could start spending every night with us because they see it as a safe space where they feel comfortable. In resi, you’re never just going through the motions. Every day, you’re passing valuable lessons on to these young people and helping them reach those life milestones that are so, so important.”