• Reports to: Crisis Accommodation Service Manager
• Renumeration: Level 5.1 (SCHADS Industry Award 2010), Generous package including 6 weeks annual leave and salary sacrifice

Womens Safety Services of Central Australia (WoSSCA) is a not-for-profit, non-government organisation that operates on a feminist framework and is committed to assisting and enabling women and children experiencing domestic and family violence. WoSSCA provides several services which include: 24-hour Crisis Accommodation, Urban and Remote Outreach services, Court Support, Men’s Behaviour Change Partner Support worker and Community Development and Training.

Function:

This is a new role for WoSSCA. The Children’s Advocate will be responsible for providing specialist case management advice, including towards risk assessment and safety planning to children between the ages of 0 - 12 years accessing our crisis accommodation service with their primary care giver.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support and mentor employees providing a safe and positive working environment.
• Ensure all case and position specific project work is completed in a timely manner and to a high standard in accordance with WoSSCA values, policies and procedures and NT child protection requirements.
• Assess and respond to referrals in a timely manner with a focus on immediate client safety.
• Provide support and information about Domestic, Family and Sexual violence, with an emphasis on the impact on children accessing our service.
• Provide support to staff in developing safety and support plans to address children’s immediate & longer-term support needs from a strength based, trauma informed perspective, with a focus on therapeutic responses and developmental theory.
• Work collaboratively with government and non-government agencies such as NT Police, Department of Health and Territory Families as well as key NGO services to achieve best outcomes for WoSSCA clients.
• Work closely and collaboratively with WoSSCA staff and management to achieve best outcomes for all WoSSCA clients.
• Work with the Children’s Support Worker to facilitate children’s activities and/or groups, with a weekly schedule to be developed in consultation with child residents.
• Maintain accurate and thorough written records including case notes, risk assessments, safety plans, meeting and supervision notes and interagency communications.
• Collect, process and maintain precise statistical client data.
• Participate in staff meetings, skills development and training opportunities and performance appraisal activities as directed by the CAS Manager.
• Contribute to policy development, including review of relevant MOU’s between WoSSCA and children’s focused services.
• Prepare for and participate in regular internal supervision and actively seek supervisory support.
• Adhere to all WoSSCA policy and procedure including all WHS processes and participate in professional development activities and training.
• Provide supervision to the Children’s Support Worker
• Perform other reasonable duties as directed by the Outreach Manager or CEO.

Selection Criteria:

1. A tertiary qualification in Social Work, Psychology, community services or a related discipline and/or demonstrated extensive experience within the community services sector especially in the area of domestic and family violence.
2. Demonstrated experience in mentoring and/or supervision of staff and students.
3. Excellent verbal and written communication skills including experience in report writing and ability to contribute to policy and procedure development.
4. Experience in working with children in crisis and understanding of crisis intervention and crisis decision making and ability to create relationships and networks with local, relevant, service providers.
5. Sound understanding of theories and practice in areas of Gendered Violence, Strength Based approaches, Trauma Informed practice and children’s development and attachment.
6. A working understanding of client confidentiality and privacy.
7. Demonstrated experience in working cross-culturally, with an understanding of cultural safety and its application in service delivery.
8. Demonstrated ability to work under pressure, organise and plan to effectively manage a complex working environment.
9. Ability to perform a range of support duties and exercise initiative while using discretion and sound judgment to enable clients to explore and identify their needs.
10. Excellent interpersonal skills including positive communication, conflict resolution and ability to work collaboratively within the WoSSCA as well as other agencies.
11. High level computer literacy.
12. Experience in advocacy and inter-service liaison and a broad knowledge of local services and resources.
13. Ability to adhere to all WoSSCA policy and procedures as well as working in accordance to the ethics, mission and vision of the organisation.

Mandatory requirements:

• A National Police Criminal History check (less than 3 months Old) with acceptable outcome.
• Northern Territory Working with Children Clearance (Ochre Card).
• Current NT Driver’s Licence.
• Current First Aid Certificate or willingness to obtain one.

Compliance/Policies/Procedures:

This position will work under the policies and procedures of WoSSCA and in accordance with the ethics, mission statement and vision of our organisation as the employer. It will also meet the relevant policy and legislative requirements of the funding body and the government.

WoSSCA programs are largely funded through government grants and a close relationship exists between the organisation and relevant government departments. Therefore, an appreciation and understanding of relevant government policies, initiatives and their applications is necessary to the success of the organisation.

Approved by: Larissa Ellis, WoSSCA CEO December 2023