Family Life - Building connection, safety and wellbeing. Together.
* Make a meaningful impact in your local community – right here in Bayside
* Enjoy flexible working options and build your career in an ongoing full‐time role (38 hours per week).
* Level 6 SCHADS Award $110,102.72 + Generous Salary Packaging + Superannuation
Join a values‐driven organisation recognised as an Employer of Choice that supports a collaborative work culture.
The Opportunity
The Restoring Families Practitioner is a Full‐Time, Permanent role based out of the Family Life Sandringham and Frankston offices and provides an enhanced response to families with significant needs and who have children under the age of 18 years old. Support is focused on strengthening the capacity of families to provide a safe, nurturing, and stable environment for their children. Support is also provided to vulnerable families and their children who are often involved with or at risk of entering the statutory Child Protection system.
Restoring Families is a statewide, evidence informed approach, working with eligible families referred by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, Child Protection. Restoring Families provides relational, evidence informed and targeted support to children and families to prevent children entering Out of Home Care, or to support families where children are returning to reside in parental care. Restoring Families offers an initial phase of rapid, intensive and flexible approach to support, followed by sustained support and transitions to other services where necessary.
Restoring Families utilises a collaborative and coordinated partnership between Restoring Families Practitioners and Child Protection. Restoring Families seeks to reduce the number of children entering care and remaining in care and acknowledges the over‐representation of Aboriginal children placed out of parental care.
Key Responsibility Areas
* Manage a high‐risk, complex caseload using trauma‐capable and evidence‐based approaches.
* Increase safety for children and young people through continuous risk assessment, safety planning and implementation.
* Provide intensive, in‐home support to families referred by Child Protection to ensure child safety and wellbeing and to improve positive parent‐child interactions and family functioning.
* Build parents' capacity to meet children's health, safety, and developmental needs.
* Support families to develop resilience, independence, and connections to community services, education, and employment.
* Conduct strengths and needs assessments, safety planning, and family‐led goal setting using evidence‐informed tools.
* Work collaboratively with the care team to provide continuity of care and integration which focuses on the individual needs of children, young people and families.
* Approach support from a strengths based, attachment focused lens utilising systems and feminist theory to promote empowerment, independence and sustainable change.
* Strengthen cultural identity and cultural connection of Aboriginal children, young people and families.
* Work with parents from a range of backgrounds including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, CALD, LGBTQIA+, disability, and young people with a history in out of home care.
* Participate in supervision, training, team collaboration, and contribute to community‐based (place‐based) service delivery approaches.
* Providing support whilst drawing from several evidence informed tools to strengths and needs assessment, safety plans, and family lead goal setting. As the family progresses through the response, they will be supported by the Restoring Families Practitioner to step down to support within the community to maintain their independence.
Our Ideal Candidate at Family Life
Growth Mindset - You pride yourself for your commitment to resilience and continuous improvement. You see growth opportunities as opposed to failures, and you are always on the lookout for an improved workflow or process. You think creatively, value input and feedback from peers, and adapt to changing or unforeseen circumstances.
Curiosity - You naturally seek out learning opportunities and further information without being prompted by your manager. You clarify the Why and like to investigate and explore further information.
Proactivity - You are a positive influence on your colleagues, you opt‐in to support organisational projects, and always lend a hand to support others.
Our ideal candidate will hold a relevant Bachelor level qualification (Social Work, Psychology, Social Sciences or equivalent) and an ability to manage a high‐risk caseload using trauma informed approaches integrated within the Restoring Families model. An excellent knowledge of infant and child development and mental health along with a sound understanding of the service system, including DFFH Child Protection is also required.
Who we are
At Family Life, we believe every child deserves to thrive in a safe and healthy family environment. Family Life is a specialist family services provider that has worked with children, families and communities for more than 50 years. Our vision is to work with clients and partners to create capable communities, strong families and thriving children.
We are known for our innovation and whole‐of‐community collective impact approach. Our teams are committed to transforming the lives of our clients and communities to build resilience and healthy relationships. We are proudly purpose‐driven, independent and not for profit.
We support our community through our specialist family services, community strengthening programs, a network of op shops, a vibrant engaged volunteer community and passionate skilled staff.
Working at Family Life - more than just a job!
It's the feeling of knowing that your work is contributing to making the community in which you live a better place and working with others who feel the same way.
Additionally, you will have access to:
* Flexible work options and a supportive team culture
* Salary packaging (up to $18,500 tax‐free)
* Paid wellbeing and study leave
* Portable long service leave
* End‐of‐year shutdown leave
* Purchased leave options and RDOs (where applicable)
* Employee Assistance Program
All offers of employment are subject to the Family Life Safety Screening process, including a Working with Children Check and Police Records Check. Any person issued with a negative notice on their Working with Children Check will not be eligible for employment with Family Life.
Family Life values diversity and welcomes applicants who meet the position criteria, irrespective of race and ethnicity, colour, age, gender, gender identity, disability, religion and sexual orientation.
Family Life is a trauma informed organisation and recognises the unique skills, contributions and insights that come from lived experience.
Family Life is a child safe organisation. We value, respect and listen to children and young people. We are committed to the safety of all children and young people. Family Life supports children to meet their potential and thrive. We do not tolerate neglect, mistreatment or abuse of any kind.
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