Job Description:

Open Support DFV Child and Family Advocate

Time Type: Full Time

Award & Classification: SCHADS Award – SACS Level 5

Location: Liverpool Area

About Open Support

Open Support is a community service organisation committed to providing assistance to families in need across New South Wales. Open Support offers services that are professional, flexible and responsive to emerging community needs.  

As one of our key service areas, we provide crisis accommodation, transitional accommodation support, case management and child specific case support to CALD and migrant women and children who have experienced and are escaping family violence. In addition to our crisis facility, support is also offered to clients who are transitioning or have transitioned from crisis accommodation to longer-term housing and in an outreach capacity. 

The Open Support DFV Program aims to ensure that women and children are supported in ways that leave them empowered to make choices that prioritise their own safety & wellbeing and that lead them to experience and increased sense of control and hope for their futures.

St Vincent’s Private Hospital Sydney provides the payroll and human resources services for St Vincent’s Clinic and as such your legal employment entity is St Vincent’s Private Hospital Sydney

The Role

An exciting opportunity exists for a motivated early childhood professional to lead the development and implementation of a child and family support framework for Open Support Domestic & Family Violence Service. Your knowledge and experience in working with children and families who have experienced trauma will help to guide service delivery and drive the provision of high-quality, child centered, trauma informed, support.

This role will allow you to utilise both your practical skills in working directly with children and families as well as your program and project management skills, to ensure that best practice is established and embedded into the service delivery framework at Open Support. Your experience in developing and delivering individual and group interventions will be crucial to your success in this role.

You will also have a sound working knowledge of relevant standards and guidelines in relation to child protection, including the application of and compliance with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

Essential Criteria

• Minimum Tertiary qualification in Early Childhood Education, Social Work, Psychology, Occupational Therapy or similar qualification in related discipline
• Experience supporting children and/or families affected by DFV to realise positive change, using a flexible, child centred and trauma informed approaches to service delivery.
• Demonstrated understanding of early childhood development and experience in developing and applying play based approaches within a family violence (or related) setting.
• Knowledge of specific issues facing children who have experience trauma and its impact on child development, attachment and behaviour.
• Demonstrate ability to create, implement and evaluate evidence based programs of support
• Ability to identify and effectively manage risk as it relates to children and families in a DFV setting
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and network with multiple service providers to ensure client’s needs are met.
• Strong interpersonal, active listening and negotiation skills and experience in effectively managing difficult situations.
• Demonstrated skills in working both autonomously and within a small team context
• Knowledge of some of the specific issues facing migrants and people from CALD backgrounds who experience DFV.
• Completion of ECAV training or other approved child protections qualification, or willingness to work toward same.
• Current NSW Drivers Licence, Working With Children Check and NSW Police Check clearance
• Current First Aid Certificate & Mental Health First Aid Certificate or willingness to work toward same.
• Willingness to participate in an on call roster 1 week every 5

Desirable Criteria

• Ability to speak a second language (other than English).
• Experience in facilitating groups with children and families
• Experience in using web-based client management systems

Equal opportunity

We celebrate diversity & inclusion and are committed to equal employment opportunity for everyone.

As part of our commitment to reconciliation, we encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to apply and join us in delivering care that heals body, mind, spirit and community.

How to apply

The closing date for applications is insert closing date. Shortlisting for this position will commence immediately. We encourage you to apply promptly as the advertisement may close early should a suitable applicant be sourced.

Please direct any enquiries to Karen Devins, DFV Program Manager, Open Support [email protected]

Closing Date:

Reconciliation Action Plan:

At St Vincent's we acknowledge the importance of creating a work environment that is welcoming, safe, equitable and inclusive for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Employees. As part of our Commitment to Reconciliation and Closing the Gap in employment related outcomes, we encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

For further information, visit https://www.svha.org.au/about-us/reconciliation or get in contact at [email protected]

View Reconciliation Action Plan

Code of Conduct:

View Code of Conduct