Specialist Family Violence Child Protection Practitioner

About The Sexual Assault & Family Violence Centre 

We are a leading organisation offering a comprehensive suite of services to clients and the community across the Barwon, West Melbourne and Wimmera Regions. Providing specialist sexual assault and family violence programs and services, including 24 hour crisis care support, case management, therapeutic counselling, early intervention and professional education and training, we continue to grow and develop our offerings.

About the Role

The Specialist Family Violence Practitioner is a senior practitioner with extensive knowledge of family violence and/or child protection. The role is co-located in the Footscray office of DHHS with a portfolio focusing on Western Melbourne. The role is also co-located one day per week back in our home agency in Geelong. The position forms part of a team in partnership with Co Health who have a similar role for the Brimbank Melton area also located in the Footscray office. The SAFV Centre also employ the Barwon area FVCP co-located position, forming a practice network of three staff provided with regular group supervision and individual by the employer organisation.

The position is responsible for providing operational and strategic advice to Child Protection practitioners and their managers who undertake investigations of families where a child is or may bein need of protection due to family violence. As a senior practitioner, the position is designed to influence and build the capacity of the Child Protection and family violence services responses, understanding and relationships. The position assists Child Protection in the planning and conduct of investigations and supports the development of plans that aim to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. The Specialist Family Violence Practitioner works collaboratively with the Child Protection senior managers and practitioners to provide effective service delivery and support. Through co-location at the Child Protection office, the position aims to strengthen and improve
responses to families subject to a Child Protection investigation. 

About You

You will be a values driven person, motivated to make a difference and you hold the client at the centre of everything you do. A highly qualified and experienced family violence specialist, you will have qualifications in social work or a related community services field and have a minimum of three years experience working in the family violence service system as a senior practitioner with leadership an supervisory experience.  You can demonstrate your ability to build collaborative partnerships with professionals and your strategic approach to strengthening pathways for better outcomes. You thrive working both autonomously and collaboratively within a dynamic, team environment.  The successful candidate will be required to maintain a current Working With Children’s check and National Police Check at their own expense.

Why work for The Sexual Assault & Family Violence Centre?

The Sexual Assault & Family Violence Centre takes pride in being an employer of choice; we are passionate about the wellbeing of our team members and we provide a number of complementary benefits to our staff, some of our benefits include:

Generous above award Enterprise Agreement entitlements

• Flexible and part time working arrangements
• Professional development opportunities
• 10 weeks Paid parental leave
• Salary packaging

Health and Wellbeing initiatives

• Flu vaccinations
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Weekly delivery of fruit
• Pet friendly environment
• Internal book exchange program
• Social initiatives
• Positive workplace culture

During COVID 19, The Sexual Assault and Family Violence is providing numerous engagement opportunities for staff to ensure they feel supported whilst working from home, These engagement opportunities include:

• Regular communications such as a weekly staff newsletter and fortnightly CEO update
• Organisation wellness channel; virtual afternoon teas, walking meetings, care packages and social initiatives