Family Life - Transforming lives for stronger communities

• Work locally in the Bayside Area and make a difference within our Community
• Enjoy flexible work options and a great team culture
• Full-time or Part-time (0.8FTE), fixed-term opportunity, until 14th March 2025
• Level 5 SCHADS Award $97,377.28 FTE + 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

The Community Bubs Practitioner role is a fixed term position within the Family Services Program, based out of our Frankston and Sandringham site (Bunurong land). The Community Bubs Program provides child-centred case management support to vulnerable families in their final stages of pregnancy, and in the early stages following their child’s birth.

Community Bubs works on a capacity and skills building model with a focus on attachment and community connection to increase parenting confidence. The service is focused on strengthening the capacity of families to provide a safe, nurturing, and stable environment for their children.

Key Responsibility Areas

The key responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Managing a caseload of families and infants 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 support, care team approach, group work, outreach case management, and developing strong working relationships with key agencies such as Child Protection, and Maternal and Child Health Services.
• Increasing capacity of parents/caregivers 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, LGBTQIA+ people and people with a disability.
• Carrying specialist portfolios such as group work to promote interventions designed to strengthen family capacity, provide psychoeducation, and reduce family violence in the community.
• Delivering services to quality standards, complying with relevant legislation and contractual requirements.
• Engaging in regular supervision and critical reflection with the Team Leader, and group reflective practice with the Practice and Program Development Advisors.
• Participating in appropriate training sessions, network meetings and team meetings as directed by the Team Leader.
• Collecting, recording and maintaining all required documentation to evidence impact and effectiveness of service delivery in a complete, accurate, and timely manner, as requested by the organisation’s standards and program contracts.

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 to 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.

Key Selection Criteria:

1. Bachelor level qualification in Social Work, Psychology, Social Sciences or equivalent.
2. Ability to manage a high-risk caseload, with complex needs, using trauma informed approaches to practice.
3. Experience in the delivery of case management based on the ‘Best Interest Principles’ as defined under the Child Youth and Families Act 2005 and other relevant frameworks.
4. Ability to work effectively with families experiencing a range of complexities including mental health, alcohol and other drug (AOD) misuse, family violence, adolescent violence, sexual abuse and trauma.
5. Working knowledge of universal, secondary, and tertiary service systems, including DFFH Child Protection.
6. Experience working with infants and their families using Strengths-Based, Trauma Informed, Systems Based, Family Inclusive, Feminist Framework and Community Based Approaches.
7. Ability to articulate and reflect upon personal and professional values, work effectively under pressure, and respond appropriately to crises.
8. Ability to promote safety and stability through ongoing application of risk assessment.
9. Commitment to meeting the needs of at-risk families, infants, children and young people guided by the organisation’s whole of family approach and community-based model of service delivery.
10. High level of verbal and written communication skills to conduct effective risk assessment, case noting and sound administration. In combination with this experience, the ability to utilise these within the organisation’s computer-based software.
11. Information technology skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, Google suite, video conferencing platforms and client management systems.

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 great team culture
• 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 careers page: Family Life Careers.

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 Sam Amos (she/her), Family Services Team Leader, on (03) 8599 5433.

*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.