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.

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, 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 Team Leader Intake and Assessment will lead a team dedicated to providing immediate crisis support, intervention, and referral to individuals and families affected by family violence.

This position requires strong leadership skills, exceptional crisis management abilities, and a deep understanding of family violence. Your primary responsibility will be to oversee the daily operations of the crisis response team collectively, ensuring effective task allocation and workflow coordination are in place to provide the highest standards of care for all victim-survivors of family violence.

Leadership and Team Management

• Inspire, motivate, and align Senior Practitioner and crisis response teams, strengthen relationships and promote a positive view of Safe Steps to stakeholders
• Provide specialist practice knowledge and guidance to Senior Practitioners, FASS Court Practitioners and crisis response staff as required
• Ensure Senior Practitioners, FV crisis specialists and FASS Practitioners are familiar with Safe Steps practice guidelines, policies, and procedures
• Assist with quality reports and audits of client files which includes SHIP and status updates
• Provide complex client case consultations, related task direction and support as required

Supervision, Training, and Professional Development

• Lead, support and supervise Senior Practitioners and FVCS with the assistance of the Clinical Governance Team, adhering to the Supervision Framework and Case Management Program Requirements
• Build capability of Senior Practitioners and FV crisis specialists to deliver crisis response services. This includes mentoring and developing staff in case practice with a child safe, intersectional, and evidence-based approach to all victim-survivors of family violence regardless of ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, and ability
• Provide frontline staff with day-to-day support and supervision as required
• Track, monitor and report against supervision targets monthly
• Drive training and professional development within Client Services, in consultation and partnership with the Clinical Governance team
• Ensure development plans are in place for all Client Services staff
• Develop and implement student internships and placements as required.

Crisis Response, Intake and Assessment

• Oversee the day-to-day operations in the 24/7 crisis response service, in line with operational guidelines, sector reforms, funding and service specifications and relevant risk assessment tools, frameworks, policies and legislation
• In collaboration, coordinate the movement of clients through the internal Safe Steps and broader FV systems, to ensure caseloads, allocations and workflows remain achievable and responsive
• Ensure supervision is provided to all frontline staff (24/7 roster) across Safe Steps alongside the supervision framework and Clinical Governance team
• Monitor risk, operational performance and manage data and client record system collection, daily

Quality and Service Improvement

• Ensure organisation wide policies and procedures are followed and embedded into our culture
• Ensure that all practitioners comply with key operational and clinical models and frameworks, including processes associated with supporting high risk clients, mandatory MARAM, and intervention processes
• Contribute to keeping practice models, training guides and frameworks relevant and up-to-date
• Support the roll out of mandatory annual training for all crisis response staff
• Participate in investigations of incidents and complaints as required, including Complex Case Panel presentations
• Provide expert advice regarding safety planning, risk and needs assessments.

Occupational Health & Safety

• Meet Occupational Health & Safety obligations in line with Safe Steps’ Policy and Procedures as well as relevant legislation.

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.

Desired Skills and Experience

KEY SELECTION CRITERIA - Essential

• Bachelor’s degree in social work or equivalent
• Extensive experience working in crisis response and intervention, preferably family violence
• Proven leadership abilities, with experience managing a team and coordinating services
• Experience maintaining a high performing team and managing to performance targets
• Experience in staff support and supervision
• Demonstrated advanced knowledge of, and experience in, family violence issues, crisis interventions, mental health, relationship, and child abuse issues
• Demonstrated understanding of the Victorian Government family violence sector reforms and legislation
• Demonstrated experience providing operational and clinical guidance to staff using frameworks and guidelines to inform crisis response decision-making
• Highly developed problem-solving skills and critical thinking skills, including experience identifying and implementing continuous improvement initiatives
• Proactive and self-starting, seizes opportunities and acts upon them, takes responsibility for own actions

KEY SELECTION CRITERIA - Other

• Willingness to commit to the living expression of Safe Steps values; Integrity, Diversity and Empowerment.
• A current Working with Children Check
• Willingness to undergo a National Police Check

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).
• This position is designated under the Multiagency Risk Assessment and Management framework (MARAM) Comprehensive (Tier 1) level which requires mandated MARAM Family Violence Comprehensive training and MARAM Comprehensive responsibilities. FV Specialist Practitioners
• 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, 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. Non-disclosure of 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.

INTERESTED? APPLY TODAY!

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

Please note:

• Your application will not be considered unless you provide a cover letter responding to the key selection criteria (maximum 2 pages of text) and a brief Resume.
• Applications will be assessed as they are received. We reserve the right to close the application period early if a suitable candidate is found.
• Applications must be submitted through the Safes Steps Jobs Portal unless another accessible method has been discussed.