Brenda Boland

I am a highly experienced executive in the Community Services Sector at the policy and operational level. I have designed and led major reforms in Child Protection, Out of Home Care, Disability and Housing sectors during my 35 years with the then Department of Human Services. I have excellent communication, analytical and people management skills, and am an open and strategic thinker. Versatile Executive Director focused on promoting mission and increasing effectiveness of key programs. Passionate about managing and overseeing implementation of company's daily operations. Quick and firm decision-maker possessing first-rate communication and organizational skills. Recognized for successfully collaborating with management to develop work plans, financials and strategies. Pragmatic professional with solid experience in leadership roles. Adept at implementing strategic business plans, driving growth and improving operations. Skilled in financial management and stakeholder relations. Collaborative and dedicated to building and leading talented and motivated individuals.

• As Regional Director in Southern Metropolitan and Grampians region I managed thousands of staff and delivered on the Department’s key performance indicators across all program areas.
• Managed a significant number of emergencies including the Black Saturday fires, the drought in the Wimmera and the many floods and fires that occurred through the Grampians region. This required a capacity to bring critical community leaders and agencies together in a time of high stress and deliver positive responses to people affected by the emergencies.
• Led the neighbourhood renewal activities at Wendouree West culminating in the development of an educational hub for the community which brought together key health, education, early years and employment services to address generational disadvantage and disengagement from education and training. The outcomes have been outstanding.
• In Disability I designed and led the transformation of funding in Victoria from block funding to agencies to individual funding for people with a disability, so they were empowered to choose the service and provider they wanted. This work has been the foundation of the NDIS scheme which is rolling out across Australia at the federal level.
• As an operational manager I implemented the government policy of outsourcing the Placement and Support program from then DHS to the CSO sector in the Western region. This was done effectively and involved working with agencies to ensure highly skilled residential and care workers were transitioned so there was continuity of care for children and young people.
• Vast experience in discipline and HR matters and was regularly requested by Senior DHHS people to manage hearings into staff performance matters that were highly sensitive in the Disability and Administration areas.
• In my time at The Commission for Children and Young People we have undertaken 126 Child Death Inquiries, 6 systemic Inquiries, and three individual inquiries and made many recommendations to government and services, the majority of which have been accepted. As well has this we have maintained a strong monitoring and oversight function in Youth Justice, Child Protection and Out of Home Care, resulting in many changes to the system.
• Administered the operation of Taskforce 1000 for the CCYP, supporting the Aboriginal Commissioner for Children and Young People to undertake this mammoth and ground-breaking process which saw detailed examination of over 1000 Aboriginal children in out of home care across 2014/15. The process resulted in, amongst other changes, the release of the report Always was Always will be Koori Children, launched by Archie Roach in October 2015.
• The Commission has doubled in size over the last 12 months as we have been requested by government to undertake new regulatory functions in relation to child safe standards and reportable conduct, following the Betrayal of Trust Parliamentary Inquiry in 2012.
• Led a major cultural and structural change piece following a report from the VPSC in 2014, soon after my commencement in the role, which found the Commission to have a negative culture and poor work practices. We have undertaken significant cultural work in response to this as well as introduced new data systems and processes.

• Liana Buchanan, Principal Commissioner for Children and Young People, 0447 047 307
• Alan Hall, Senior Executive Director, Operational Performance and Quality, 0411 255 884