Strategy and

Action Plan

2019-2024

A Time for Transformation

2

We acknowledge the First People’s and traditional owners, the Wurundjeri people, of the

land we now call Brimbank, and celebrate the history, knowledge and creativity of the world’s

oldest continuous culture.

We pay our respect to Elders past and present.

We acknowledge the impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

We recognise the strength, resilience and pride of the Aboriginal community.

Welcome to the Brimbank City Council Neighbourhood Centres Strategy 2019-2024,

This document is Council’s first ever Neighbourhood Houses/Community Centres Strategic

Plan. It is a roadmap for an ambitious transformation of the six Council-managed

Neighbourhood Houses/Community Centres into sites of belonging and learning for all.

Through a process of creative innovation, we plan to build on the many past achievements

of our centres to create community spaces that are inspiring and accessible to everyone at

all life stages and from all backgrounds. This Strategy will guide the work of the

Neighbourhood Houses and Community Centres that are managed by Brimbank City

Council, over the next five years.

Council listened to its communities to set these future directions and it is clear what

Brimbank communities want from Neighbourhood Houses and Community Centres. What

the community (those currently using our spaces and potential new users) say they value

most are opportunities to connect with others, drive their own community initiatives, link to

other services, strengthen their own cultures and identities and learn new skills. Knowing

this, Council is committed to making its Neighbourhood Houses and Community Centres

sites of

and

for everyone.

Eminent Australian social researcher Hugh Mackay believes “The state of the nation starts in

your neighbourhood”. Mackay studies Australian society through a lens of “belonging” and

he writes about how important it is to begin locally to create systemic change in the way

people treat, respect and understand one another.

The Strategy will position the Neighbourhood Houses and Community Centres managed by

Brimbank City Council, to act locally to create systemic change in social and economic

equity. This will happen by bringing people together to connect and learn in order to foster

the fundamental human need of a sense of belonging.

4

The Brimbank community is at the centre of Council’s first Neighbourhood House and

Community Centre Strategy.

B

uilding on our strengths from the past, we are reimagining Neighbourhood Houses and

Community Centres that are for everyone, from every background, at every stage of life and

every stage of learning.

For individuals, we will be a place for activities, skills, links to services and people making

connections; a place for learning and for belonging.

For our community, our spaces will be a place of creative social innovation, where we play a

role in system transformation, from a community level.

P

artnerships, creativity and innovation, co-design with community, self-determination and

cultural safety will be the key enablers for this exciting new strategy.

5

•

The first Neighbourhood Houses in Victoria were established in the early 1970s.

•

Many of these early community spaces were focused on providing community-bas

ed

educ

ation for women returning to study or work.

•

Neighbourhood Houses also played an important role in the lives of mothers of young

children by offering opportunities for building relationships and networks between

w

omen thereby reducing social isolation.

•

Neighbourhood Houses can be community managed independent organisations, r

un

by

local government, or part of larger not for profit organisations.

•

Some Neighbourhood Houses are Registered Training Organisations and run

accredited training programs.

•

There are 401 Neighbourhood Houses in Victoria.

Today Neighbourhood Houses and Community Centres operate as generalist services which

aim to be inclusive, flexible and responsive to their local communities. An important feature

of many Neighbourhood Houses is an approach that encourages communities to initiate

recreation and education activities, which address local needs.

M

ost Neighbourhood Houses offer classes and activities that are generally low cost or free,

and cover topics such as, health and wellbeing, the arts, sport, digital literacy, English as an

additional language and much more. Neighbourhood Houses /Community Centres are also

spaces for community events of all kinds. Some of these events are initiated and run by

Neighbourhood House staff and others are community ventures run by community members

who are using the Neighbourhood house spaces as a hired facility.

V

olunteering is an important part of the Neighbourhood House model. Community members

volunteer in program support and community liaison roles, and sometimes as facilitators of

programs. Volunteers may be retired people wanting to stay connected or young people and

new arrivals wanting to get connected and learn new skills.

An i

mportant characteristic of Neighbourhood House and Community Centres is their

informal nature and small size in comparison to other educational institutions. This smaller

physical scale and counter-institutional feel makes Neighbourhood Houses particularly

accessible to people typically under-represented in formal educational settings – those who

experience structural discrimination in society through social, economic, cultural

circumstances or who are living with a disability.

B

rimbank City Council manages six Neighbourhood Houses and Community Centres over

seven sites:

Cairnlea Community Hub

Hunt Club Community and Arts Centre

West Sunshine Community Centre

Westvale Community Centre

Delahey Community Centre

Sydenham Neighbourhood House and Keilor Community Hub Program Spaces

E

ach one of Council’s centres is unique; Westvale Community Centre has expansive

community gardens and a Men’s Shed, Hunt Club Community and Arts Centre is focused on

arts and cultural activities and has a pottery studio, West Sunshine Community Centre has a

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sports stadium, Delahey Community Centre and Cairnlea Community Hub are co-located

with a range of children’s services, Sydenham Neighbourhood House has a dance studio

and study space for young people, and the Program Space at Keilor Community Hub is an

unstaffed site that primarily provides health and wellbeing classes.

There are also five community-managed Neighbourhood Houses and Community Centres in

Brimbank:

•

Duke Street Community House (Sunshine)

•

St Albans Community Youth Club ‘Tin Shed’ (St Albans)

•

CommUnity Plus (Deer Park)

•

Good Shepherd St Albans Community House (St Albans)

•

Kororoit Creek Neighbourhood House (Albion)

All of the Council-managed centres and the community-managed Neighbourhood Houses

receive annual funding from the Department of Health and Human Services. This funding is

provided through the Neighbourhood House Coordination Program to support the provision

of community development programs and activities that lead to community strengthening

outcomes (DHHS Neighbourhood House Coordination Program Guidelines 2016-2019).

Council-managed Neighbourhood Houses and Community Centres and the community

managed Neighbourhood Houses are members of the Brimbank Neighbourhood Houses

Strategic Partnership. This formal agreement was first signed in 2013 and renewed in 2018.

This partnership aims to strengthen the relationships between the houses/community

centres and advocate to influence positive change in the communities we serve.

An intended outcome of this Strategy is to increase and deepen the partnerships between

with the six Council-managed Neighbourhood Houses and the five community-managed

centres, to maximise and better share resources. A new Action Plan that is informed by the

directions of this Strategy will be drafted with the partnership group in 2019/2020.

Community-managed Neighbourhood Houses receive an annual grant from Brimbank City

Council. To ensure this Strategy has maximum social impact, community managed

Neighbourhood Houses will be required to align their activities that are funded by Council,

with the Strategic Goals outlined in this document.

Council aims to continue the good work being done by Council-managed Neighbourhood

Houses and Community Centres but pivot the focus to more proactively address some

ongoing social issues. Council wants to support community members who have not

experienced the same level of access and resourcing as other groups currently using the

spaces.

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Informs the Brimbank

Neighbourhood House

Strategic Partnership

Agreement between BCC

Neighbourhood Houses

and Community Centres

and Community Managed

Neighbourhood Houses

and Community Centres

Informs the criteria

for Council

Contribution Grants

for Community

Managed

Neighbourhood

Houses and

Community Centres

Underpins strategic

partnership projects

between BCC

Neighbourhood Houses and

Community Centres and

Community Managed

Neighbourhood Houses and

Community Centres

Provides the Roadmap

for the transformation

of Council managed

Neighbourhood

Houses and

Community Centres

into sites of learning

and belonging for

everyone

8

•

Before European colonisation, Brimbank was occupied by the Kurung-Jang-Balluk

and Marin-Balluk clans of the Wurundjeri people, which form part of the larger Kulin

Nation. Other groups occupying the land included the Yalukit-Willam and Marpeang

Balluk clans. Today it estimated that Brimbank has just over 800 Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander residents.

•

In the 1900’s the Sunshine area became the home of many factory workers from

many parts of the world. The inflow of migrants has continued since then and this has

seen Brimbank develop into one of the most culturally diverse municipalities in

Australia. Over half its residents speak a language other than English, and there are

over 160 languages spoken in Brimbank.

•

In some of Brimbank’s neighbourhoods, there are significant access and equity

issues due to high levels of social and economic disadvantage. However, while

Brimbank represents the second most disadvantaged Local Government Area (LGA)

in Melbourne, the community has many strengths including the richness of its

culturally diverse population, many service organisations and agencies combined

with its social, economic, human and environmental capital.

There are other challenges for the communities of Brimbank, but the ones highlighted below

have been identified in current research, as having worsened in recent years. These

challenges need a collaborative approach across government, business, philanthropy and

non-profit organisations and community members to achieve significant and lasting social

chance. Brimbank City Council is committed to achieving better outcomes in the health and

wellbeing of all its citizens and supports a

approach to entrenched

problems and range of inequities as the most effective way to create positive change.

Despite Brimbank’s strong economy, youth unemployment is much higher than Greater

Melbourne’s average and is becoming worse. In 2016, 1 in 5 young people in Brimbank were

unemployed. There are many reasons for this including:

•

Lower levels of tertiary education than many other municipalities

•

Lack of clarity and information about career pathways post-high school

•

Racism and other forms of discrimination based on age, gender and other identities,

experienced by young people

The lack of youth friendly spaces is an issue reported by young people in Brimbank. Service

agencies and police also report large numbers of young people gathering in some public

spaces/services venues to socialise and pass time. Many of these public spaces/service

venues are not able to accommodate large numbers of young people and do not offer young

9

people choices of activities that are meaningful for them. There is a clear need for a broader

array of youth programming in youth friendly spaces.

Although there are some parts of Brimbank where almost all children are identified as being

developmentally ready for school in their first year of formal education, in other parts the

numbers of children identified as developmentally vulnerable by the Australian Early

Development Census (AECD), is significantly higher than other places in Victoria. The

current level of developmental vulnerability has worsened from already high levels in 2009

and 2012. An abundance of research has consistently shown how hugely influential the first

eight years are on our life chances. More needs to be done to support families and children

in Brimbank.

Linking race to social issues is a political trend on the rise in Australia and more globally.

Political debate creating fear of specific cultural groups does damage to people’s sense of

belonging and threatens social cohesion. This is a serious concern to municipalities like

Brimbank whose communities are among the most diverse in Australia. Racism is a social

determinant of health and a major factor in creating inequity in health and wellbeing,

education and employment.

Neighbourhood Houses and Community Centres are uniquely positioned to have impact in

some of Brimbank’s social challenges. The community development framework that guides

the work of Neighbourhood Houses and Community Centres is based on creating social

change by working with community groups. Harnessing community strengths, drawing on

local knowledge and listening to how people want to approach issues that affect them, is

central to the community development framework we use.

Neighbourhood Houses are informal spaces that are flexible, accessible and family friendly.

This can create opportunities to develop participatory programs that can complement and

mutually reinforce the activities delivered by clinical settings and other modes of service

delivery.

Another way we conceive of Neighbourhood Houses/Community centres are as

, as those that are in-between, the home and other formal spaces such as school and

work. A

is a setting that invites and brings into conversation people’s life stories,

biographies, and other knowledge to make new stories important for personal and

community development.

Brimbank City Council is committed to continuous improvement of its services in order to

stay relevant and responsive to community needs. To develop Council’s first Neighbourhood

House and Community Centre Strategy, Council listened to its communities and partners,

and reviewed the most recent research and data available about the Brimbank community

In 2018 the Brimbank Neighbourhood House Unit conducted extensive consultation with

community members, key community agencies, existing partners, educational institutions,

Neighbourhood House/Community Centre staff and a range of other Council departments.

10

Over 350 responses to interviews, surveys and workshops were analysed by Spark

Strategy, an external provider.

Three strategic themes emerged from this consultation:



The prominent things that people want from Neighbourhood Houses/Community

Centres (from both current and potential users) were connections with other people

and gaining skills and knowledge. This indicates that opportunities for

and

fostering a sense of

are things people want from Neighbourhood Houses

and Community Centres

•

Partnerships is a strong theme with a focus on maximizing relationships with existing

partners which include a range of community organisations and the community

managed Neighbourhood Houses in Brimbank. There is also strong interest in new

partnerships. This was expressed by a diverse range of possible future partners from

within Council, with educational institutions, state government and community

members and organisations.

•

It was clear from the data that current Neighbourhood House programs are not

serving all members of the community. It was made clear that youth and community

members from a range of specific cultural backgrounds seek greater access and

more opportunities to participate in Brimbank community spaces including

Neighbourhood House and Community Centres.

Current users report that:

•

We provide range of classes, courses and community events at low or no cost.

•

Neighbourhood Houses Community Centres are friendly, safe and accessible

spaces.

•

Being involved in programs can reduce levels of loneliness and increase numbers of

friendships and connections.

•

We provide affordable spaces for current users (community groups) to deliver their

own activities.

Current and potential users think we should:

•

Be welcoming to young people, both in our interactions, program offerings, and the

physical presentation of space.

•

Provide programming relevant to young people that will increase vocational

capability.

11

•

Open longer hours, on weekends when more of the community could access the

facilities.

•

Provide spaces that are less “institutional” in their design and layout.

•

Partner effectively with other areas of Council to address community issues,

particularly entrenched social problems.

•

Partner with external organisations (including community managed Neighbourhood

Houses) in more strategic and creative ways.

•

Facilitate more opportunities to support groups separated (by culture, gender, age,

class and disability) to come together and learn about each other.

•

Engage with academic and educational institutions in partnership projects that benefit

our community.

•

Market and profile the work of Neighbourhood Houses and Community Centres more

effectively using digital platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.

•

Run more programs that focus on art, music, dance, culture and sport.

•

Change the perception of Neighbourhood Houses as places that are only for older

people and specific cultural groups.

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(current user)

(current user)

(potential user, Cairnlea age 18)

(potential user, Sunshine age 19)

“

(current Council partner)

(current partner organisation)

(possible partner)

(possible partner)

13

Not all NH fit for purpose;

some under-utilised outside

business hours

Recommends: NH have space

for mixed activities,

investigate options to

facilitate programs at non

traditional venues, increased

out of hours use, and improve

data and reporting systems

Neighbourhood

Houses have

key role in

building

community

connections

10 principles

that

encourage

social and

economic

participation

and inclusion

Key objectives:

Support

opportunities for

people with

disability to

volunteer; Support

mentoring & work

experience; Diverse

& accessible

programs; Highlight

the talents and

creativity of people

with disability

Promote

group based

physical

activity

programs for

adults in

venues

including NH

Priority areas:

Educations & Training,

Employment, Family/

Social Connections,

Civic Participation,

Language Services,

Service Provision

Council

committed to

social justice

principles of

access, equity,

participation &

human rights;

focus on

vulnerable

groups

Objectives:

Opportunities to

participate in

community life;

facilities and fit for

purpose and well run;

People can access

education and

lifelong learning;

People can gain

employment

Services and

facilities respond

to community

need; all can

access education,

training and

lifelong learning;

Brimbank is a hub

for employment,

innovation &

investment

Promote gender

equality and

prevent family

violence and all

forms of violence

against women

Developed with

ATSI peoples;

Council to

promote

inclusion,

respect and

pathways to all

Council

programs and

activities

Employment

growth, new

training

needs;

Creative

industries

are growing

Align with NH in

providing learning

rich environments

for babies,

preschool and

school age

children at home

and in the

community.

Liaise re EY

Outreach and

Group Program

developments

Explore

opportunities

for creativity

and cultural

development;

Support

projects to

promote

community

participation

NH - an informal

learning setting and

important for those

facing barriers to

accessing structured

or formal learning:

Many areas of

overlap promoting

learning, community

focus, life stage

focus, promoting

access and equity,

advocacy

Aligns with

the NH

Strategy that

focuses on

building a

skilled and

proactive

workforce

Opportunity to

align strategies

to post school

pathways and

education for

young people.

Evidence that

supports NH

taking settings

based approach

to youth

l

t

Two

objectives

that align:

Stronger

Together

and Our

Shared

Places

Principle of

access: Provide

a community

environment

which supports

inclusive &

accessible

opportunities to

increase the

sense of

belonging for

ageing people

Support community

to uptake sustainable

practices via

inclusive,

diverse and accessible

services.

Accelerate change

via partnerships,

engagement,

innovation &

knowledge-sharing.

Deliver services

providing multiple

benefits to community

and environment.

:

•

Support parents and carers in their roles in children’s lives through family

learning programs that are creative and engaging.

•

Partner with other children and family services to develop integrated service

models that are innovative and have collective impact.

•

Promote, strengthen and celebrate cultural identities and knowledge.

•

Partner with schools and kindergartens to develop learning programs for

vulnerable cohorts.

Learning-rich environments for babies, preschool and school age children at

home and in the community, that foster security and a sense of belonging

•

Engage young people with priority needs, to co-design youth led programs

that are creative and culturally relevant.

•

Partner with other services working with young people to develop innovative

programs that can build an evidence base of effective youth led approaches.

•

Support and enable self-determined youth led and run initiatives and projects

•

Build critical literacies and life skills through community projects, mentoring,

conversations, forums and events.

•

Develop online engagement through multiple social media platforms.

: Young people have a strong sense of belonging, and the skills and

confidence to navigate pathways into post-school education and vocations of

choice.

•

Provide opportunities for separated groups to learn about each other through

creative projects and community events.

•

Promote opportunities for community conversations around race equity with

all community members at all life stages.

•

Create a culture of race equity in Neighbourhood House and Community

Centre workforce and volunteer base.

•

Partner with organisations committed to race equity.

People from all backgrounds have the same opportunities for good health and

wellbeing, by challenging the systems that perpetuate the influence that racial

identity has in how people are treated in society.

15

•

Provide opportunities for intergenerational exchange and learning that are

creative and engaging.

•

Co-design projects with community members that support intergenerational

sharing of skills

•

Support self-determined programs led by culturally specific groups that

address community identified issues between young people and older people.

•

Encourage and enable an intergenerational workforce and volunteer base.

Elders, adults, young people and children respect and value each other’s

contributions to community life.

.

•

Foster staff skills and behavior to match strategic goals, and Council’s values.

•

Work with other Council areas to enhance race, gender and disability equity

in the work place.

•

Prioritise training in recognising unconscious bias and implicit assumptions in

cultural, gender and disability contexts.

•

Support young people to find pathways into volunteering and employment in

Neighbourhood Houses and Community Centres.

•

Actively recruit staff from the diverse communities of Brimbank

Neigbourhood Houses and Community Centres are staffed by a highly

effective workforce with local knowledge and who represent the diversity of

communities in Brimbank.

•

Develop a contemporary evaluation framework that is culturally safe and co

designed by community members.

•

Partner with researchers that are engaged with projects that will benefit

Brimbank communities.

•

Design all programs and projects with social impact at the fore of the rationale

for doing them.

•

Train all staff are in evaluation methods and techniques.

Neighbourhood Houses and Community Centres deliver socially impactful

programs, and contribute to the development of new knowledge and

evidenced-based best practice.

16

We will partner strategically with other parts of Council, state and federal government

departments, aligned organisations and the community, to deliver maximum social impact.

We will take a considered view of what kind of partnerships will serve our communities best.

We will monitor and evaluate our partnerships throughout our work together to ensure

success.

We will encourage creativity and new approaches in our programming, partnerships and

processes. We will take calculated risks in trialing new ideas and approaches. An

abundance of research tells us that creative arts projects are very effective in bringing

people together, exploring and forming identities and visioning more desirable futures. The

use of

in arts and cultural projects will be a key driver in our approach. Stories

are powerful because they can make prejudice visible, build understanding and empathy.

We will collaborate with our communities to design programs and projects that are

meaningful and relevant to them. We will listen and learn from the knowledge that resides

within our communities about what they want and need. We will value the lived experience

as expertise and make space for the sharing of that expertise.

We will actively support community members and groups to develop and run their own

activities and initiatives. We will act as enablers for projects and ideas that promote decision

making by and the agency of community members. We will provide opportunities to develop

skills that support self-determination and self-advocacy.

We recognise and acknowledge that many community spaces are not always safe places for

cultural minorities. We will endeavor to challenge biases and implicit assumptions in order to

improve the safety of our spaces for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and other cultural

minority groups. Cultural safety applies to people who experience discrimination due to race,

disability, socioeconomic status, age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity and migrant/refugee

status.

17

A group of intergenerational community gardeners meet to weed and water the community

centre vegetable patch before the heat of the day. The food growing will be used to cook a

shared meal to introduce First Nations Elders to Elders from local African, Pasifika and Asian

communities.

University students Martha, Malei and Connor meet up at the community centre to use a co

working space to print and collate their group project before they present it at university that

day.

Parents, grandparents and pre-school children arrive after school drop off to a group

storytelling session that includes music making and singing in a range of languages.

Some of the grandparents stay on to attend a meeting about the upcoming arts project that

is focused on creating digital content that celebrates deep history and the contemporary

stories of Brimbank. The project is run by university media students and will produce a series

of podcasts and a live event as part of the Brimbank Writers and Readers Festival

A collective of young artists from the South Sudanese community start work on a funding

application for a project to run school holiday workshops in photography and film making

with local school aged children. The project will culminate with an exhibition in a Brimbank

gallery space.

University students Michelle and Faustina arrive to attend a class in the community centre,

which is part of their diploma course in community development. Their unit of work requires

them devise a project that uses the development of relationships between elders and young

people to enhance digital literacy for elders.

A group of young people meet up with their facilitator for a ‘pop up school’ class in a spoken

word and hip hop. The class today will support the development of literacy through the

creative expression of personal stories. The facilitator will also work one on one with the

group to apply for education, training and/or employment opportunities and will introduce

them to other learning opportunities at Brimbank Learning Futures.

A carers group meet at the community centre to run their own support group and meditation

session.

A meeting is underway to discuss the levels of noise being created by a community group

using a Neighbourhood House space while a yoga class is in the room next door. Staff and

community members discuss timetabling and room allocation to find a solution.

18

An elder in the community and close-by resident for over 40 years, Jack arrives to chat with

staff and volunteers and have a cup of tea in the sun. He is joined by Molly who is back from

staying at her daughter’s place and finding it a bit lonely at her place on her own.

Community Centre staff and artist facilitators run a workshop in a local primary school that

explores the harms of race-based discrimination through lived experience. The workshop

uses song writing, role play and dance to have this important conversation.

Local resident Thanh and her daughter Thuy arrive for a painting class. The class is for

community members who live with autism and other forms of neuro-diversity. The class is

provided in a calm, low sensory space.

The daily Family Learning workshop begins. Parents, carers and primary aged children drop

in for group reading sessions and literacy/numeracy games and activities.

Sunshine Hospital midwives arrive to run an education session focused on culturally safe

antenatal and birthing support.

A group of older residents and their dogs meet at the centre to go on a group dog walk to

catch up and enjoy a summer evening in the local park.

A weekly all abilities yoga class begins.

Young people arrive for their monthly book club

19

Goal

1. Support Children

and Families to

Connect and Learn.

(with a focus on the early

years 0 – 8 years old)

•

Support parents and carers in their roles in

children’s lives through family learning

programs that are creative and engaging.

•

Partner with other children and family services

to develop integrated service models that are

innovative and have collective impact.

•

Promote, strengthen and celebrate cultural

identities and knowledge.

•

Partner with schools and kindergartens to

develop learning programs for vulnerable

cohorts.

√

√

√

√ √

√ √ √

√

√ √

√ √ √

2. Support Young

People to Connect

and Learn

(with a focus on young

people who experience

structural discrimination)

•

Engage young people with priority needs to co

design youth led programs that are creative

and culturally relevant.

•

Partner with other services working with young

people to develop innovative programs that

can build an evidence base of effective youth

led approaches.

•

Support and enable self-determined youth led

and run initiatives and projects

√

√

√ √

√

√ √

√

√

√

20

•

Build critical literacies and life skills through

community projects, mentoring, conversations,

forums and events.

•

B

uild online profile and develop online

engagement through multiple social media

platforms.

√

√ √

√

√

3. Create a Culture of

Race Equity in

everything we do

•

Provide opportunities for separated groups to

learn about each other through creative

projects and community events.

•

P

romote dialogue around race equity with

all

c

ommunity members at all life stages.

•

C

reate a cultural of race equity in

Neighbourhood House and Community Centre

workforce and volunteer base.

•

P

artner with organisations committed to race

equity.

√ √

√ √ √

√

√ √ √

√

√ √

√

√

√

4. Build intergenerational

C

onnections

•

Provide opportunities for intergenerational

exchange and learning that are creative and

engaging.

•

C

o-design projects with community members

that support intergenerational sharing of skills

√ √

√ √

21

•

Support self-determined programs led by

culturally specific groups that address

community identified issues between young

people and older people.

•

Encourage and enable an intergenerational

workforce and volunteer base.

√

√

√

√

√

√

5. Build a Skilled and

Proactive

Workforce that

represents the

diverse

communities of

Brimbank

•

Foster staff skills and behavior to match

strategic goals, and Council’s values.

•

Work with other Council areas to enhance race,

gender and disability equity in the work place.

•

Prioritise training in cultural, gender and

disability awareness for all staff.

•

Support young people to find pathways into

volunteering and employment in

Neighbourhood Houses and Community

Centres.

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Actively recruit staff from the diverse

communities of Brimbank

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6. Monitor and

Effectively

Evaluate Programs

and Participate in

Social Research

Projects

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Develop a contemporary evaluation framework

that is culturally safe and co-designed by

community members.

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Partner with researchers that are engaged with

projects that will benefit Brimbank

communities.

•

Design all programs and projects with social

impact at the fore of the rationale for doing

them.

•

Ensure all staff are trained in evaluation

methods and techniques.

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We are excited by the possibilities that this new Strategy presents. As always, we encourage

an open dialogue, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have thoughts to share or

ideas to add to the conversation. We welcome suggestions about strengthening current

collaborations or building new relationships with organisations, community members and

groups.

45 Kings Road, Kings Park, Vic 3021

80 Copperfield Drive, Delahey, Vic 3037

(located above Sydenham Library)

Level 1, 1 Station Street, Watergardens Town Centre, Taylors Lakes, Vic 3038

25 Kermeen Street, Sunshine West, Vic 3020

59 Carmody drive, Cairnlea, Victoria 3023

775 Ballarat Road, Deer Park, Vic 3023

24

a framework for tackling entrenched, complex social

problems. The approach calls for multiple organisations

to adopt a common agenda to create lasting change.

the ability to question presented information, rather

than take in media and written texts as given.

a state where race no longer determines one's

socioeconomic outcomes; when everyone has what

they need to thrive, no matter where they live or what

background they come from.

a form of discrimination that is embedded in the

institutional and language practices of a dominant

culture (in Australia the dominant culture is white and

Eurocentric). Structural discrimination can be hidden in

what is perceived as "normal". Unlike racism,

discrimination can occur in many types of majority and

minority (power) relationships. It is therefore not just

about ethnicity, religion or the idea of race, but also

about other minority positions, such as gender or

sexuality.

a service that is designed to serve a broad section of

the population, rather than specialising in a particular

life stage or community cohort

are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live,

work and age.

They have a large influence on our health.

It also determines health inequities, which is the unfair

and avoidable health difference between different groups

of people.

the action of supporting or rejecting a person or thing in

an unfair way because your personal opinions and

experience influence your judgement.

:

fostering an environment where people who experience

structural discrimination feel safe and secure in their

identity, culture and community.

Cultural safety applies to

people who experience discrimination due to due to

race, disability, socioeconomic status, age, gender,

sexuality, ethnicity and migrant/refugee status.

:

is a process where community members are supported by

agencies to identify and take collective action on issues

which are important to them. Community development

empowers community members and creates stronger and

more connected communities

.

9249 4000

info@brimbank.vic.gov.au

PO Box 70, Sunshine, VIC 3020

•

T

TY dial

133 677

•

Speak & Listen

1300 555 727

•

www.relayservice.gov.au

, then enter

03 9249 4000

www.facebook.com/brimbankcouncil

w

ww.twitter.com/brimbankcouncil

www.youtube.com/brimbankcitycouncil

097 - 0319