Family Violence Practice Lead – Victims Assistance Program

About The Sexual Assault & Family Violence Centre

We are one of the largest specialist family violence and sexual assault providers in Victoria, 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, family violence case management, therapeutic counselling, early intervention, professional education and training, and primary prevention, we continue to grow and develop our offerings.

About the Victims Assistance Program 

The Victims Assistance Program (VAP) is a critical part of the state-wide response to all victims of reported and unreported crimes against the person in Victoria, including related victims of homicide, aggravated burglary and assaults.

VAP provides assistance to victims across all genders and cultural backgrounds within Victoria and is victim-led and trauma informed, holistic, equitable, coordinated, timely, specialised, accountable, and culturally safe and inclusive.

 About The Role

This is an exciting opportunity to provide practice leadership and expert advice on best practice service. The Family Violence Practice Lead (FVPL) – VAP primary function is to build family violence capability across the VAP workforce to facilitate best practice support to victims of family violence. This role will create recognition of the importance of having family violence specialists within VAP services to provide best practice support for victims of family violence, as well as enabling secondary consultation for non-specialist family violence workers  to further support their work with victims. This position is full time  fixed term for 2 years.

 About You

With degree qualifications in social work, psychology or similar discipline, you will be able to demonstrate experience in the delivery of specialist family violence and sexual assault interventions, case management and risk assessment. With a comprehensive understanding of the issues relating to prevalence, forms and settings of family and sexual violence experienced by people with disability and the systemic barriers to identification, reporting and accessing support.

You will be a values driven person, motivated to make a difference and hold the client at the centre of everything you do. You thrive working autonomously and also collaboratively within a dynamic, team environment.

If you share our vision for a community free from family violence and sexual assault and are motivated to make a difference, we would like to hear from you.  We pride ourselves on being a great place to work. You care for our clients and we care for you, including by investing in your development and wellbeing. You will have access to leading specialists and training and development that supports you in your role and in your longer term career journey. We offer a variety of career pathway options, leading salary packaging benefits and flexible working arrangements that help you manage your work and your life.

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 celebrate diversity and inclusion in all we do. We have a high level of employee engagement and satisfaction and provide a number of complementary benefits to our staff, some of our benefits include:

• Career pathways
• Generous above award Enterprise Agreement entitlements
• Flexible working arrangements
• Professional development opportunities
• 10 weeks Paid parental leave
• Salary packaging
• Health and Wellbeing initiatives
• Flu vaccinations
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Social initiatives
• Positive workplace culture

The SAFV Centre acknowledges and respects the traditional Aboriginal custodians of the land.

Applications close 5:00pm Sunday 11 June 2023.

We will be reviewing applications as they come in  so please apply straight away.

To apply, please send your resume and response to the key selection criteria to [email protected]. All applications must address the key selection criteria outlined in the PD. 

For a confidential discussion, please contact Chantale Recruitment and Student Program Coordinator on 0487 546 939.

The SAFV Centre is a registered Child Safe Organisation; committed to safeguarding children and young people. The successful candidate will be required to maintain a current Working With Children’s check and National Police Check.

The SAFV Centre requires all employees and students to be fully vaccinated (two doses) against COVID-19, unless they are an Excepted Person as defined by the COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination (Workers) Directions. All applicants and students must therefore be able to comply with this requirement.

Key Selection Criteria

• Essential Qualifications and Experience
  • Degree qualification in social work or similar discipline.
  • A sound knowledge and understanding of the dynamics, causes and impacts of family violence and the victims of crime service sector
• Essential Skills and Knowledge

  Desirable

  • Significant experience in the provision of services to victims of crime or other related fields.
  • Experience in a practice leadership role or demonstrated ability to provide exceptional knowledge, information and support in relation to the dynamics of family violence.
  • Experience working in a multi-disciplinary context or in collaborative partnership approaches.

   Essential Skills and Knowledge

  • Ability to provide leadership in practice advice and direction regarding complex or trauma based crime matters including, client centred and outcome focussed interventions, advocacy across systems and supporting stakeholder relationships.
  • The ability to articulate and apply a practice framework focused on engagement and assessment, including extensive knowledge of MARAM, FVISS and CISS.
  • Experience in the sector with an understanding of the causes and impacts of violence against women and children and the impact of trauma.
  • Demonstrated ability to analyse and understand structural supports and barriers and to work effectively to improve practice and promote collaboration.
  • Ability to work collaboratively, leverage existing networks and build productive partner relationships to lead practice change.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Proven resilience and the ability to prioritise competing demands.
  • Commitment to a learning culture and continuous quality improvement.
  • Ensure work practices are ethical and comply with The SAFV Centre Policy and Procedure and the code of the professional association of which the employee may be a member.
• Other
  • Commitment to the vision, philosophy, aims and objectives The SAFV Centre.
  • Commitment to continuous quality improvement and cultural equity in service delivery.
  • Current Victorian Driver’s Licence.
• Referees

  Applicants must provide the name and current contact details of three professional referees including the most recent or current supervisor.

• Period of Appointment

  This position is Full Time – 2 years fixed term

• Hours of Work
  • The hours of work will be between the hours of 9:00am – 5:06pm.
  • Flexibility in working hours will be required from time to time as the need arises.
• Salary and Conditions
  • Annual salary range is $101,250.24
    (SCHADS 6.3) pro-rata plus superannuation. Industrial Instrument: The Sexual Assault & Family Violence Centre Enterprise Agreement 2018.
  • Salary in this band will be commensurate with previous experience and skills.
  • Industrial Instrument: The Sexual Assault & Family Violence Centre Enterprise Agreement 2018.
  • Salary Packaging: Provided via Maxxia. PBI status with other expenses available to package above this cap. The Sexual Assault & Family Violence Centre is a Public Benevolent Institution.
  • Superannuation: The employer will also make superannuation payments on your behalf in accordance with the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992.
  • Probationary Period – 6 months with a review conducted during this time
• Employee Responsibility – Mandatory prior to commencement

  Employee expense:

  • Valid Working with Children Check
  • National Police Records Check – renewed every 3 years of employment at employee expense