Senior Practitioner – Brief Intervention

Safe Steps is the only 24/7, family violence response centre in Victoria, providing a “state-wide entry point” for victim-survivors of domestic and family violence. Services include information and referral, crisis response, specialist family violence risk assessment, safety planning, Webchat, and access to supported crisis accommodation.

Our vision is safety, support and respect for all victim-survivors of domestic and family violence.

Our practice is trauma-informed and guided by evidence. We provide services to all victim-survivors and recognise that most of our work is dedicated to the needs of women and children which reflects the gendered nature of domestic and family violence.

Primary Objectives

Within the parameters of our constitution, service philosophy and the policy framework established by the Board, the Senior Practitioner – Brief Intervention is responsible for provision of ‘in the moment’ supporting the Brief Intervention team by providing a consistent high level of support to staff, managing workflow priorities, and monitoring performance, health, safety and wellbeing. The Senior Practitioner – Brief Intervention plays a key role in the successful delivery of the Brief Intervention Program. This is a hands-on role that requires flexibility and adaptability to manage available resources to meet demand and fulfil duty of care responsibilities.

Organisational Context

The Brief Intervention program provides a brief, intensive case management response to victim survivors assessed as at serious and imminent risk of harm and accommodated by the service. The program is responsible for the provision of specialist family violence information, case management and referral including activating local face to face crisis responses, safety and exit planning, family violence advocacy and access to resources that promote safety.

Our research and advocacy is informed by our practice and promotes the voices and diverse experiences of victim-survivors. We advocate to create systemic change and effective pathways for victim survivors from crisis to safety and recovery. We are courageous, feminist, empowering, inclusive, respectful and reflective in all that we do. Safe Steps employs more than 100 full-time staff, part-time staff, volunteers and students.

The Senior Practitioner (Brief Intervention) is based at the Safe Steps’ head office in North Melbourne, however, working across all sites may be required. The Senior Practitioner (Brief Intervention) is expected to uphold organisation’s policies and procedures as well as the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing and Human Services Standards, which include the following obligations:

• To respect client confidentiality
• To obtain consent for the disclosure of information about a client
• To inform any client who wishes to make a complaint about the organisation of their right to do so, and to assist them to initiate a complaint

Safe Steps’ locations and unlisted telephone numbers may not be disclosed to any other person except in accordance with service procedures. The locations and unlisted telephone numbers of any high security refuges may not be disclosed to any other person other than in accordance with the instructions of each such service.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Service delivery

• Under the guidance of the Brief Intervention Team Leaders, oversee daily operations of the Brief Intervention program at Safe Steps
• Manage demand within resources with key focus on client centred practice and management of presenting family violence risk
• Monitor daily service ensuring consistent quality service within program scope and develop the capability of the team to work effectively with victim survivors
• Support the Brief Intervention Team Leaders to ensure key sector reforms and legislation is operationalised across the program (MARAM and FVISS and CISS)
• Work with Child Protection, Victorian Police and other specialist and generalist services, advocating for women and children through a family violence lens
• Work with Supported Accommodation and refuge providers to ensure the smooth journey of women and children through the family violence sector
• Work closely with the Intake & Assessment Team Leaders and Senior Practitioners to ensure the smooth journey of victim/survivors through the Safe Steps service from Intake to Brief Intervention

Professional development & continuous improvement

• Regularly attend and positively engage in professional supervision provided by Brief Intervention Team Leaders
• Regularly attend and positively contribute to team meetings and broader organisation meetings

Health and Safety

• Hold the space of the Brief Intervention Team, creating environmental safety and certainty critical in successful operation of a crisis program
• Abide by all organisational policies and procedures, including all workplace health and safety measures

Other

• Perform other duties consistent with the position where required and/or requested by management from time to time.
• Complete mandatory and other training as required.
• Adhere to all organisational policies and procedures, including all workplace health and safety measures

KEY SELECTION CRITERIA

Essential

• Bachelor of Social Work or an equivalent qualification, or a willingness to work towards an equivalent qualification
• Tertiary qualifications in social work, behavioural science, counselling, psychology or related field
• Extensive experience within the specialist family violence sector or working with those who have been impacted by domestic, family and sexual violence (telephone counselling advantageous)
• Understanding of the specialist family violence sector in Victoria and of state-based legislation as it pertains to family violence, privacy and child protection legislation relevant to service delivery
• Completion of the Multi Agency Risk Assessment (MARAM) Framework training and a demonstrated understanding of its application in the context of Crisis Services or the willingness to undergo training at employment start
• Understanding of feminist theory and contemporary family violence practice including the gendered nature of violence, social justice principles, crisis intervention and working with trauma
• Demonstrated experience in leading practice within complex service delivery contexts, in particular multi-disciplinary and multiagency approaches to the provision of services to vulnerable children, families and diverse communities
• Demonstrated experience in providing reflective supervision within a family violence or other social service setting

• Proven experience in driving cultural and practice change that fosters reflective and culturally safe practice
• An understanding of intersectionality as it relates to diverse and marginalised populations experience and commitment to working with same
• Demonstrated ability to work in a challenging and demanding environment, managing competing demands, and maintaining composure in times of stress – employing effective engagement strategies with staff and with clients in crisis
• Willingness to commit to the living expression of Safe Steps values; courageous, feminist, empowering, ethical respectful, collaborative, reflective
• A current Victorian Drivers Licence
• A current Working with Children Check
• Willingness to undergo a National Police Check
• Completed Covid 19 vaccinations

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• This role is exempt from the provision of the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 which would otherwise require the appointment to this position to be on a non-gender specific basis. Applications for this position will be considered from people who identify as women (Exemption H135/2022).

• Safe Steps is a child safe organisation and is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all children, at all times. All Safe Steps services, programs and practices are in compliance with Victoria’s Child Safe Standards.

• Safe Steps recognises that risk management, and the sound and effective implementation of a risk management strategy with associated tools and plans, is a key process in a best practice framework at all levels of the organisation. We are committed to the implementation and maintenance of a formal risk management system in order to provide a sound quality and governance framework that aligns with the Australian Standard for Risk Management (AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018) and ensures there are linkages between risk management and decision making, there is clearly articulated accountability, and there is mandate and commitment from all key staff in the organisation.

• Safe Steps is committed to the principles of continuous quality improvement (CQI) in all aspects of its operations, service delivery and governance. We place the highest priority on the safety and wellbeing of those we support and provide services to.

• All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory background checks including a National Police Check (including an international police check if resided continuously in an overseas country for 12 months or more in the last ten years), Working with Children Check, disclosure of previous or current disciplinary action, referee checks, proof of eligibility to work in Australia and qualification checks.

• Where background checks are not to the satisfaction of Safe Steps in its absolute discretion, the offer of employment may be retracted or terminated.

• If you are offered employment with Safe Steps and are not currently an existing employee, you will be required to disclose full details of any pre-existing injuries or illness that may be affected by the work and/or undergo a health assessment. The disclosure/health assessment is conducted to ensure you have the health and mental capacity to meet the requirements of the position and to identify any adjustments that may need to be made in the workplace. Failing to notify or hiding a pre-existing injury or illness which might be affected by the nature of the proposed employment, could result in that injury or illness being ineligible for future compensation claims.

CHILD SAFETY

Safe Steps is a child safe organisation and is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all children, at all times. All Safe Steps services, programs and practices are in compliance with Victoria’s Child Safe Standards.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

We are committed to ensuring diversity, inclusion and equity are embedded throughout our organisation for the benefit of all our clients and our staff. We believe our people are our greatest asset and by supporting and incorporating their diverse talents, knowledge, perspectives and experiences, we can strengthen our relationships with the communities we work with.

Our focus is on eliminating discrimination in the services we deliver and the workplace we provide. Being a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports and enables equity, goes to the heart of our work and supports our strategic intent – “Building an organisation and culture that is supportive, responsive and sustainable”.

INTERESTED? APPLY TODAY!

If this sounds like the role for you then click on the ‘Apply Now’ button below.

Please ensure that you:

• Submit your resume and cover letter.
• Complete all application questions.