Organisational structure
Gill Callister is Secretary of the Department of Human Services, one of eleven state government departments in Victoria, Australia. Ms Callister oversees and administers the entire department, which covers the responsibilities of the Minister for Community Services and Women's Affairs, the Minister for Housing and the Minister for Youth Affairs.
A new departmental structure came into effect on 14 December 2012. Under the new structure, the department is managed by a Board, comprising the Secretary and eight other senior executives including two Deputy Secretaries (Deputy Secretary Community and Executive Services and Deputy Secretary Service Design and Implementation, Director of Housing), with two central Executive Directors (Policy and Strategy Group and Corporate Services Group) and four Divisional Executive Directors covering operations in the North, South, East and West of the State.
Importantly, responsibility for service delivery has been devolved to seventeen local Areas, each with an Area Director overseeing integrated functions. Child Protection continues to be managed as a distinct program reporting to Divisional Executive Directors.
Organisational chart (January 2013)
Deputy Secretary Community and Executive Services
The Deputy Secretary Community and Executive Services leads the effective delivery of a range of executive services to the Ministers and the Secretary, including providing strategic and tactical media and communications, parliamentary services and state-wide performance analysis. The Deputy Secretary also focuses on monitoring and analysis of state-wide service delivery standards and performance, ensuring a single conduit for data analysis and statistical information internally and externally. The office also provides expert advice on matters relating to emergency management and the Offices for Youth, Offices for Disability and Offices for Women’s Affairs.
Deputy Secretary, Service Design and Implementation Group, Director of Housing
The Deputy Secretary, Service Design and Implementation Group and Director of Housing develops cross-program and integrated service delivery responses to move the department from a program and problem focus to a people and place focus.
The Service Design and Implementation Group facilitate the effective translation of high-level policy intent into improved practice. Knowledge and expertise of service design and practice improvement is consolidated from different program areas into an integrated design capability. At the same time, specialist knowledge and functions are retained to maintain and improve highly specialised services.
The Deputy Secretary of Service Design and Implementation is also the Director of Housing accountable for the exercise of functions under the Housing Act.
Policy and Strategy Group
The Policy and Strategy Group is a flexible and dynamic strategic planning and policy group that considers the long-term future of the department and the human services system within a broader state, federal and international context.
Corporate Services Group
The Corporate Services Group drives internal practice consistency and corporate service delivery excellence to enable service delivery objectives. It delivers critical core corporate functions and infrastructure across the department. The Department’s Property Development and Management functions are now part of the Corporate Services Group.
Areas and Divisions
Areas are responsible for providing integrated departmental services to achieve positive client outcomes at the local level. They drive a holistic approach to meeting client need that is strongly supported by a client-centric culture.
Divisions are designed to support areas through the provision of corporate and other support services and will have oversight of quality, performance and service implementation. The divisional structure allows for flexibility of resource distribution to manage areas experiencing workforce shortages, higher than usual demand levels or requiring more specialist support services.
North Division
North Division consists of four areas and four branches: Divisional Child Protection Branch; Divisional Client Outcomes and Service Improvement; Divisional Corporate Services Branch; Secure Services; Loddon Area; Mallee Area; Hume Moreland Area; North Eastern Melbourne Area.
West Division
West Division consists of three branches and five areas: Divisional Child Protection Branch; Divisional Corporate Services Branch; Divisional Client Outcomes and Service Improvement; Western District Area; Central Highlands Area; Barwon Area; Western Melbourne Area; and Brimbank Melton Area.
East Division
East Division consists of three branches and four areas: Divisional Child Protection Branch; Divisional Corporate Services Branch; Divisional Client Outcomes and Service Improvement Branch; Goulburn Area; Ovens Murray Area; Outer Eastern Melbourne Area; Inner Eastern Melbourne Area.
South Division
South Division consists of three branches and four areas: Divisional Child Protection Branch; Divisional Corporate Services Branch; Divisional Client Outcomes and Service Improvement; Outer Gippsland Area; Inner Gippsland Area; Southern Melbourne Area; Bayside Peninsula Area.
