About St Luke's Anglicare
St Luke’s was established in 1979 by the Anglican Church with the support and cooperation of the Uniting Church. It works in support of the Anglican Diocese of Bendigo’s mission – to respond to human need by loving service, and to seek to transform unjust structures of society.
Our staff represent the same diversity of beliefs as the broader community. Many have no official religious affiliations. But we all share a common respect for the individual, a belief in the good in others; hope in the future and tolerance of difference – hence our motto “Respect, Hope, Fairness”.
Since 1979, we have expanded well beyond Bendigo. Now over 300 staff are dedicated to our clients across the Loddon Mallee and Riverina regions with offices in Albury, Bendigo, Castlemaine, Deniliquin, Echuca, Kyneton, Maryborough and Swan Hill.
St Luke's Values
St Luke’s promotes the following values in our work with clients, communities, colleagues, stakeholders and service partners:
- Respect is the value that holds each person as having inherent dignity, worth and rights. It acknowledges that they are responsible for their own choices and are their own best expert.
- Hope stems from the belief that other possibilities can always emerge, that change is constant and that people have untapped skills and resources Fairness is a commitment to the principles of social justice including the rights to access, equity and participation.
- Fairness is the belief that the family and community into which you are born should not determine life’s opportunities; the opportunity for a good start in life and a person’s options and choices for the future.
- Quality is giving the optimum standard of service and support within the limits of our resources. We are committed to learning and to continuous improvement.
- Community is our belief that we as humans need connection with each other, need real relationships to grow and share in the belief that the ‘village’ provides the best environment for support and nurture.
- Commitment is demonstrated through passion, compassion and persistence; ‘hanging in there’ with people through the toughest of times. We are constantly trying new approaches and trying to be the best we can for others.
- Openness speaks to our desire that all conversations with clients, communities, colleagues, stakeholders and service partners are characterised by honest and transparent communication. We actively seek and provide feedback.
St Luke’s and the Church
St Luke’s Anglicare is an agency of the Anglican Diocese of Bendigo in partnership with the Uniting Church Loddon Mallee Presbytery. Our Constitution states that the organisation exists to fulfill the mission of the Diocese, particularly by addressing human need and supporting the church in advocating for social justice. St Luke’s employs and values staff from various faiths and philosophical positions; together we seek partnerships with churches, organisations and people of goodwill to provide services and take action for a just society.
The Strengths Approach
St Luke’s is committed to strengths based and solution focused approaches in our work with clients, communities and colleagues. This approach orients us to focus first on listening and identifying the person’s strengths and resources, to understand clearly their goals and aspirations for the future and to then support the in addressing any barriers or blockages. We believe this approach gives better outcomes than those that prioritise and identification of problems and deficits.
Strengths based, solution focused approaches enhance the capacities of individuals, groups, families, neighbourhoods and communities to deal with their own challenges. Empowerment results from being treated with respect and having strengths acknowledged and enhanced.
St Luke's is a value-based organisation.
Our 12 guiding principles are:
Relationships underpin all of our work. Relationships are formed with individuals, families, communities and other organisation's.
Strength Based Solution Focused approaches to our work will result in stronger relationships and better outcomes than those that identify problems and deficits.
Effective Partnerships with consumers, carers, mentors, community groups, agencies and government, inform and direct our activities.
A “Whole of Life” Approach will guide our assessments and practices.
Our Practice Will Have Economic, Community and Environmental Outcomes in Mind. This attention to the “triple bottom line” reflects the decision by St Luke's to influence outcomes at the structural levels of society.
St Luke's Will Adopt Social Action as a legitimate activity to better the circumstances of our clients and those we seek to assist and represent.
Consumer Participation and Feedback will guide both the development of our services and their evaluation.
The Highest Standards are strived for in personal and organisational practice.
Respecting and Working Within Diverse Cultures and Groups, Particularly Indigenous Cultures. St Luke's works amongst various diverse communities of interest, culture, background, location, status and ability and is committed to providing as a right, equitable access to services that are respectful of background and culture, gender and age.
Learning From Practice. St Luke's is a learning organisation and practice at individual staff and organisational levels will reflect and encourage this.
A Sense of Place encourages the formation of the aspirations we work towards with our clients, the work we do and the way we structure our organisation.
Our Staff Are Our Greatest Asset, to be valued and developed.
Please contact us if you require addition information on 5440 1100 or email info@stlukes.org.au