The Loddon region is the location for an exciting and innovative partnership to provide early intensive supports and intervention to young people entering care for the first time.

The Loddon Care Hub is being funded by Department of Families, Fairness and Housing. This trial model brings together placement options, family services and outreach support to minimise the time a child or young person spends in care, and maximise the likelihood of successful reunification with family, by coordinating and enhancing:

  • Placement options (foster and residential care);
  • Therapeutic and cultural support;
  • Family work and outreach support;
  • Mental health and alcohol and other drugs support.

The Care Hub will provide early assessment, planning and wrap around supports in a single coordinated team for children and young people who are first time entrants into care.  The average duration of time in the Care Hub is expected to be six weeks in placement and/or up to 12 weeks with outreach support.

The Care Hub will be led by Anglicare Victoria, and be delivered by a consortium of partners with resources, experience and expertise in care, including Bendigo and District Aboriginal Cooperative, Njernda Aboriginal Corporation; Berry Street Take Two; The Salvation Army; Bendigo Community Health and Youth Support and Advocacy Service.


Learn more about the organisations

  • Anglicare Victoria works with children, young people and families to prevent harm and empower people to overcome challenges and achieve their full potential. AV believe in families and know that with access to the right support every family can grow and achieve their goals. AV are Victoria’s largest provider of Out of Home Care and Family Services, and one of Australia’s most innovative agencies in working with vulnerable children youth and families.

    AV work with families towards positive change. Whether it be a helping hand in a time of crisis, or providing longer-term support and care. They partner with local communities, the private and public sectors and our donors to deliver better results. Supporting tens of thousands of Victorians every year, their 1700+ staff and volunteers operate from more than 45 sites across the state, as well as delivering assistance online, at home and in the community.

  • Bendigo & District Aboriginal Co-operative (BDAC) is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) established in 2001 providing culturally appropriate, safe and accessible services and programs within the Dja Dja Wurrung catchment. BDAC’s services have been researched and developed to reflect the ever changing social, economic and legislative environment leading the community towards change, acceptance and self-determination.

    BDAC currently provides a broad range of services in a culturally safe environment in the following areas:

    • Family and Community Services: client intake (assessment and referral), family support, stronger families, Koori pre-school assistance, Aboriginal early years access, children’s resource program, Aboriginal women’s and children’s case management, Aboriginal child first, Koori youth justice, youth support, family supported playgroup, kinship case contracting, leaving care, targeted care packages, cultural support planning and monitoring, Aboriginal tenants at risk, home and community care including social inclusion, foster care project, placement and support, Aboriginal family led decision making, Mutjang Bupuwingarrak mukman, family safety, family preservation and reunification and more.
    • Medical and Wellbeing Services including a comprehensive and integrated model of primary health care.
  • Njernda is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) established in 1974. Njernda provides culturally appropriate, safe and accessible services and programs to Echuca and surrounding areas. Njernda delivers a range of programs including in the areas of health, housing, childcare and family services and employs around 65 aboriginal people across the organisation which includes:

    • Family Services Unit: Stronger Families, Family Services, Family Violence Placement support for OOHC, Aboriginal Family Led Decision Making Program, Targeted Care Packages, Senior Advisor Cultural Planning officer, Kinship Care and case contracting and Foster Care.
    • Yakapna Healing Centre and Baroona Youth Healing
    • Medical and Wellbeing Services
    • Community Engagement Unit
    • Berrimba Child Care Centre
  • Take Two is a partnership between Berry Street, La Trobe University, Mindful Centre for Training and Research in Developmental Health (University of Melbourne, Department of Psychiatry) and VACCA. Take Two provides trauma informed mental health services  to children and their families involved with statutory Child Protection services in all DFFH Areas, including Loddon, since inception. Take Two also delivers therapeutic services in partnership with residential care, foster care and Stronger Families as well as Therapeutic Family Violence Services. Take Two provides therapeutic specialists for young people in residential care and foster care in several areas throughout Victoria. Overall, Take Two has approximately 95 FTE; employing psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, and other mental health professionals.

  • The Salvation Army Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) services provide a broad range of national and state-wide Residential, Supported Accommodation and Non-Residential programs to support adults and families with alcohol and drug concerns. The Salvation Army’s Alcohol and other Drug services are underpinned by a modern, evidence-based, and holistic Model of Care and work within a Harm Reduction framework with the purpose of preventing and reducing AOD related harm. AOD services are designed to respond to a range of need and promote full and healthy lives for program participants, their families and communities. In the Loddon region the Salvation Army provide Overdose Prevention Case Management Services; Intensive Family Support (Family Reunification); Building Bridges Therapeutic Day Rehab Program, Residential Rehabilitation and counselling, care and recovery services. The Salvation Army have staff located across the Loddon Area including Bendigo, Inglewood, Kyneton and Maryborough and with their services, expertise and networks will enhance the operations of the Care Hub.

    More information about the Salvation Army’s AOD National model can be viewed here.

  • Bendigo Community Health Services (BCHS) is an independent Community Health Centre providing services in the Bendigo catchment and to smaller centres beyond. BCHS works with families involved in the child protection system with a range of complexities and high-risk factors. BCHS is one of the region’s largest provider of mental health services. The service includes Primary mental health, HeadtoHelp Hub, Headspace, a LGBTQIA+ program and Enhanced Mental Health Support in Schools.

    The organisation delivers a range of Family Services and is convenor of the North Central Victoria Family Services Alliance (NCVFSA).  BCHS currently delivers services across five sites in and around Bendigo and employ over 200 staff. BCHS provides a range of child youth and family services through their Kidzspace children and families hub.

  • Youth Support & Advocacy Service (YSAS) is Australia’s largest, youth-specific community service organisation. YSAS provides practical support and evidence-based clinical services for young people experiencing serious problems, but also intervene as early as possible with those at risk to prevent problems from escalating and becoming entrenched. Since 2001, YSAS has had dedicated practitioners focussing specifically on addressing the risks/needs associated with AOD use for young people in ‘Out of Home Care’ (OoHC).


Learn more about The Care Hub positions

  • The Program Manager will have the key responsibility of delivering the Hub to the community and the sector, and coordinating the activity between consortium partners.  This is an exciting opportunity to drive the creation of a new way of working together to support young people in care, and their families and carers.

    The Program Manager will be employed by Anglicare Victoria provide a high level leadership for all staff and partner agencies within the program.   They will lead and oversee implementation of the Care Hub, respond flexibly to learning as the trial evolves, create opportunities for innovation, and manage the day to day operation of the Care Hub

  • The Team Leader is responsible for ensuring a quality and effective service is provided to clients and stakeholders. They will also be responsible for embedding our evidence-based models, including Mockingbird™ and Therapeutic Crisis Intervention. The role will be responsible for the supervision and support of Care Hub staff employed by Anglicare Victoria.

    The Team Leader will be employed by Anglicare Victoria.

  • Key Practitioners will have the lead responsibility for guiding children, young people and their families through their journey in the Care Hub.  They will be responsible for undertaking assessments, coordinating the care plan including the placement plan and being the one point of contact for the child or young person during their time in the hub. 

    The role will coordinate the multidisciplinary team in assessment and planning and support children and young people in the hub. There are four Key Practitioner roles with Anglicare Victoria and BDAC.

  • Community Workers will provide place-based support to children, young people and families through outreach support; strengthening the child or young person’s connection to community supports. They will work across different settings to support the children or young person to develop life skills, and engagement with education or employment.

    The Community Workers Anglicare Victoria, BDAC and Njernda.

  • The Family Worker will provide quality in-home and community interventions; with high intensity and flexible service delivery. The services and support are expected to be delivered in a child-centered, family focused way. They will work and walk alongside families to address the changes that may need to occur for their children or young person to be safe at home.

    The Family Workers will be employed by Anglicare Victoria, BDAC, Njernda and Bendigo Community Health Services.

  • The Cultural Support Worker will aim to work with children or young people to connect to family, community and culture. They will assess the cultural needs and strengths of the child or young person and their family and how they can contribute to the case plan. They will also support the care team to work with the child or young person in accordance with the cultural support plan.

    The Cultural Support Worker will be employed by BDAC.

  • Our Therapeutic Specialists will provide support across the Care Hub’s multi-disciplinary team working closely with team members to strengthen the therapeutic response, professional practice and development.  This will be achieved by providing reflective practice, clinical supervision, consultation and supporting the delivery and application of practice approaches that reflect outcomes for families we support.

    The Therapeutic Specialists will be employed by Anglicare Victoria and Berry Street Take Two.

  • The Mental Health Worker will provide support to the child or young person to meet their goals, monitor their progress and assist in navigating other health services. They will assess the mental health needs of the child or young person and contribute to the plan to address these needs.

    The Mental Health Worker will be employed by Bendigo Community Health.

  • Alcohol and Other Drug Workers will provide support, information and advice about alcohol, drugs and other addictions to the young person and family. They will implement treatment plans and rehabilitation strategies and support the young person and/or parent to navigate AOD services to assist with longer term supports.

    The AOD Workers will be employed by The Salvation Army and YSAS.

  • The Care Hub Administration role will provide professional, efficient and effective administration support to the operations of the Care Hub.

    The Administration Officer will be employed by Anglicare Victoria.