Lead Family Violence Support Practitioner
Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service
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Job summary
Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) is recruiting a Lead Family Violence Support Practitioner in Preston, VIC. The role blends senior social work oversight with culturally safe, trauma-informed support within a legal advocacy framework.
You will mentor practitioners, oversee complex cases, and collaborate with legal staff across court environments to protect client safety and wellbeing while aligning services with ACCO partnerships.
Qualifications
- Tertiary qualification in Social Work or equivalent and eligibility for AASW membership.
- Demonstrated experience in family violence, trauma-informed and culturally responsive practice.
- Ability to provide leadership, supervision and guidance within a multidisciplinary team.
Responsibilities
- Coordinate, lead and deliver high-quality social work support within VALS Family Violence Service.
- Provide guidance and mentorship to Practitioners and ACE workers for integrated and safe practice.
- Work across court environments and with external partners to support client safety and access to culturally appropriate services.
- Prepare reports and contribute to service development, governance and multidisciplinary collaboration.
Skills
Education
Job description
Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service – Preston VIC
- Full Time | 12-Months Fixed Term (strong potential for renewal)
- Preston office + hybrid (2-day WFH)
- Salary: $112,352 + Super + Salary Packaging
- Full Time | 12-Months Fixed Term (strong potential for renewal)
- Preston office + hybrid (2-day WFH)
- Salary: $112,352 + Super + Salary Packaging
About VALS
The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) and the state\'s only specialist legal and support service dedicated to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Established in 1973, VALS provides culturally safe legal advice and representation across criminal, family, civil and human rights law, youth justice and specialist litigation. Our broader services include a 24/7 Custody Notification Service, family violence programs, transitional housing support, client services and community legal education.
Our work is grounded in self-determination, cultural safety and creating better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
About the role
The Lead Family Violence Support Practitioner is responsible for the coordination, leadership and delivery of high quality, culturally grounded social work support within the Family Violence Service at VALS.
The role provides senior guidance to Family Violence Support Practitioners and ACE workers, ensuring integrated case management and trauma informed practice for clients affected by family violence, including those who may have been misidentified as primary aggressors.
The role operates within court environments and across regional locations, working closely with legal staff and external partners to support client safety, wellbeing and access to culturally appropriate services.
The Lead Family Violence Support Practitioner provides assessment, intervention, advocacy and coordinated support for people accessing the service. This includes working with clients in crisis, providing information and support with preparing for court, navigating systems, assisting clients to understand information regarding their rights and responsibilities, and connecting to culturally safe community supports.
They also contribute to service development, non-legal practice governance, staff training, strategic initiatives and strengthening multidisciplinary integration.
In this role, you will:
- Ensure the Family Violence Service provides high quality, culturally safe and trauma informed social work support for clients affected by family violence.
- Oversee day to day support work practice, including complex non-legal case management, safety planning, risk assessment and culturally responsive decision making.
- Provide guidance, supervision and mentorship to Family Violence Support Practitioners and ACE workers to ensure consistent, integrated and safe practice.
- Provide non legal advocacy and support for clients attending court, including those appearing at the Federal Circuit and Family Court and other state-based court locations.
- Work closely with legal staff to develop coordinated responses that integrate legal and non-legal support. Engage with lawyers, paralegals and the Principal Managing Lawyer on risk assessments and ongoing risk evaluation.
- Liaise with court registry staff, security, duty lawyers, community organisations and specialist services to support the safety and wellbeing of clients, including the implementation of safety plans at court.
- Maximise referral opportunities by working closely with the intake team and broader Family Violence Service partners, providing warm referrals to culturally safe services and specialist family violence providers.
- Prepare reports for management regarding client needs, service delivery outcomes, emerging themes and opportunities for improvement.
- Participate in community engagement, law reform activities, community education and ACCO partnership work to strengthen sector understanding of misidentification and support best practice responses.
- Support the development of culturally safe practice frameworks, policies and service guidelines that strengthen the multidisciplinary model.
- Provide guidance, feedback and supervision to social work and ACE staff to support professional development, wellbeing and practice growth.
- Foster a culturally safe, inclusive and supportive team environment.
- Ensure clear communication, regular team engagement, case discussions and reflective practice opportunities.
- Support recruitment, induction and training of social work and ACE staff.
- Identify challenges, address risk and support problem solving across the team.
- Contribute to service planning, workflow organisation and multidisciplinary collaboration.
About you
This is an exciting opportunity for practitioners who are looking to be part of a holistic service, undertaking complex and impactful matters, while being deeply connected to community.
The work is considered, fast moving and requires sound judgement, strong collaboration and a commitment to delivering culturally safe legal services where they are most needed.
Applicants from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, LGBTISBQ communities, and diverse cultures are strongly encouraged to apply. We welcome requests for adjustments throughout recruitment and employment to ensure accessibility and support.
You will have:
- Tertiary qualification in Social Work or equivalent and eligibility for membership with the AASW.
- Demonstrated experience in the family violence sector or a closely related field, with strong capability in trauma informed and culturally responsive practice.
- Experience providing crisis intervention, case management, risk assessment, safety planning and integrated social work support.
- Understanding of the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in relation to family violence, misidentification, intergenerational trauma and systemic disadvantage.
- Ability to provide leadership, supervision and guidance to social work and ACE staff within a multidisciplinary team.
- Capacity to work across court environments and navigate complex legal, social and family violence systems.
- Strong interpersonal, communication and relationship building skills, including the ability to work with clients experiencing distress and stakeholders across courts, ACCOs and community services.
- Ability to travel regularly to court locations across Victoria.
Why Join VALS?
Joining VALS means using your expertise to support an organisation with a meaningful purpose.
We offer:
- A flexible 0.8 EFT opportunity
- Hybrid working arrangements, including work from home following training
- A 35-hour working week
- 5 additional days of leave per year on top of the standard 20 days
- Generous salary packaging up to $15,900 to maximise your take-home pay
- 17.5% Leave Loading
- Professional development: access professional supervision, cultural supervision, reflective practice and ongoing learning and training opportunities
- A holistic 24/7 Employee Assistance Program (EAP) via Sonder
- Meaningful work supporting an organisation committed to justice and community impact
- A supportive, inclusive, and culturally safe workplace environment
Mandatory Requirements
To be successful, you will need:
- A current Employee Working with Children Check card
- A valid Victorian Driver\'s License
- A National Criminal History Check
- Proof of work rights in Australia, i.e. an Australian passport, birth certificate, or valid visa documentation
- Copies of relevant qualifications
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