Guiding organisations, people and communities to better alleviate disadvantage

James Toomey is Chief Executive Officer at Social Ventures Australia, most recently he was a Deputy Secretary in NSW Department of Communities and Justice and prior to that CEO of Mission Australia. He is motivated by the possibility that human service systems can create the conditions for people to change their lives, which aligns well with SVA’s systems change agenda. James’ experience is that maladapted systems can trap people and communities in dependency, and he seeks to challenge the complacency that leads to that. Read on for our interview with James!

Describe your career trajectory and how you got to your current position. 

My career trajectory only really makes sense in reverse and even then, isn’t entirely logical. 

It has evolved out of a desire to see better outcomes at an individual level. That has been the common thread.  

Whether I’ve been working in executive or management roles, as a public servant, a team leader, social worker or – many years ago – a police officer, I’ve kept asking the question: ‘what does this service mean to the recipient?’ What is their experience? Has it improved as a result of the time, energy, consultation, passion and processes put in place?  

Sometimes, the answer is a complicated version of ‘no’. I’ve spent enough time as a practitioner to know this is often a very real scenario. So, we need to be rigorous. We need to do the work to ensure that people will benefit, even if that means the work is exponentially more difficult to deliver.  

As we say at SVA: ‘too hard’ is no excuse.  

What does this role mean to you? 

Throughout my career I’ve sometimes stumbled (or landed) upon interesting opportunities as they’re presented. But this position at SVA is one I knew with certainty was a very natural and meaningful next step for me.  

It’s an organisation I’ve worked alongside and followed with keen interest over the years. 

I’m now six months into my role as CEO, and it’s been an incredible time of learning. While in previous roles, service delivery has been the mission, at SVA we’re working with the organisations, governments, businesses delivering the service and supporting them to do it with better outcomes. It’s innovative and collaborative, also measured and grounded in evidence. 

One in four people in Australia live in disadvantage. We need to do things differently.  

This role at SVA gives me great confidence that we can.  

If you could go back in time, what piece of advice would you give yourself as you first embarked on your career?  

Aside from “Dad’s probably right, you’re not cut out for acting”, I don’t think I’d have any specific advice for myself at a young age. 

At 18, I had joined the police force. I’d broken up too many brawls at the football and arrested too many lonely, disaffected teenagers causing trouble in the local area by the time I was 20. I realised it wasn’t the job for me, but that was a lesson worth learning. 

It started me on an important journey; one where I realised the system wasn’t giving people the time and care they needed to break the cycle of crime or disadvantage.  

I’ve had plenty of set-backs and sidings throughout my career, but those all build knowledge and capability. Everything, as I used to say to my social work students on placement is ‘a good learning experience’. Even, or especially, the things we don’t like or would rather not do. 

So to my younger self, I’d say “don’t expect any tips from me.”  

I’d probably have ignored myself anyway.  

How do you stay motivated to work in this field? 

I enjoy the work and I believe in the possibility of change for the better. It really is as simple as that. I’m not done yet. 

What was the last thing you: Watched, Read and Listened to? 

The last film I watched was The Father with Olivia Colman and Anthony Hopkins, it was on a flight, and I found it so compelling I missed the drinks trolly.  

The most recent books I have read include Between The World And Me (Ta-Nehisi Coates) and Four Thousand Weeks (Oliver Burkeman). Both lead to some deep thinking and personal reflections, but in very different ways.  

For listening I use Shazam in shops and cafes to find out what’s playing when I’m not familiar with it, and then follow that up with more listening. This approach has led me recently to Tropidelic, Tune-Yards and Herbie Hancock.