Family Life – Transforming lives for stronger communities

• Work locally in the Bayside Area and make a difference within our Community
• Enjoy the benefits of flexible work through our Hybrid Working Model
• Full-Time, Fixed Term Contract Opportunity until 30th September 2024
• Level 5 SCHADS Award $93,860 per annum + Generous Salary Packaging + Super 

Family Life is a recognised Employer of Choice. Work with us and be part of our supportive, people-focused culture.

The Opportunity

We have an exciting opportunity to join our Family Services team on a fixed-term basis until 30th September 2024, in line with our funding. The Family Practitioner will work with a range of clients including where there are complex needs and issues of risk and safety, to provide short and medium-term case management and support to vulnerable children aged 0-17 and their families. The Family Practitioner will support families to build their parenting capacity and assist parents to be responsive to their child’s developmental needs, including their understanding of child development and building healthy and positive attachments. 

Based at our Sandringham/Frankston sites (Bunurong Land), the Family Practitioner will also have the opportunity to work from home up to 2 days per week.

Key Responsibility Areas

The key responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Managing a high-risk caseload, with complex needs, using trauma informed approaches to practice.
• Working with families by applying a range of service modalities including but not limited to; intake and assessment, brief intervention, care team approach, group work, outreach case management and developing strong working relationships with key agencies such as Child Protection, Schools and Maternal and Child Health Services. 
• Increasing capacity of parents to meet their child’s health, safety and developmental needs, and to build self-resilience through linkages to community support, education, and training and employment opportunities. 
• Promoting safety and stability through strong assessment, case plans and application of appropriate risk assessment frameworks. 
• Providing a collaborative response to Family Violence, including the provision of brief and medium term interventions.
• Working effectively with parents from a range of backgrounds including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from CALD backgrounds, people who are LGBTQIA+, people with a disability and young people with a history in out of home care 
• Carrying specialist portfolios such as group work to promote interventions designed to reduce family violence in the community, strengthen family capacity and provide psychoeducation.

Our Ideal Candidate

We are looking for a degree qualified (Social Work, Psychology, or similar Human Services qualification) and skilled individual who embodies the Family Life Way principles to deliver trauma informed support to our clients to achieve positive outcomes. Passionate about supporting at-risk families, you will ideally have experience working with infants, children and adolescents and their families, particularly those with various vulnerabilities such as family violence, trauma, mental health and AOD. With high level written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills, you also have working knowledge of the Child Youth and Families Act 2005.

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 is 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 Culture through our Hybrid Working Model
• Salary packaging (receive up to an extra $18,500 in tax-free pay per year)
• Paid Wellbeing Leave
• Paid Study Leave
• Additional Paid Leave for End of Year Closedown
• Purchased Annual Leave Scheme
• Rostered Day Off Scheme for Eligible Employees
• Employee Assistance Program, a free and confidential counselling service for employees

How to Apply

A full position description is available on our career page: Family Life Careers page.

Please submit your confidential application including a CV and cover letter addressing the key selection criteria via our Application Portal. 

For further information regarding the position please contact Bec Duggan or Roxanne Ramsay (Family Services Team Leaders) on  (03) 8599 5433. 

Applications close: 5pm, 13 October 2023*

We will be reviewing applications as they are received, therefore this role may close sooner if we find the right candidate.  Please apply now to ensure you do not miss out!

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.