Manager, Operational Policy And Practice

Social Services Regulator; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

The Social Services Regulator in Victoria seeks a highly experienced Manager, Operational Policy and Practice to lead a small team and drive regulatory practice for the WWC Check and NDIS Check schemes. The role ensures policies and procedures are designed, implemented, and continuously improved in line with legislation and policy intent.

You will work closely with SSR policy, operational and legal teams to achieve organisational alignment, strengthen scheme design, and deliver practical

Qualifications

• Experience leading policy/operational teams in a regulatory context.
• Ability to design and implement policy frameworks and operating procedures.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills with senior leaders.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team delivering continuous improvement of WWC and NDIS Check policies and procedures.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen scheme design and processes using data, feedback, intelligence and lessons learned.
• Provide specialist advice to operational leaders through problem solving, reviews and implementation support.
• Collaborate with SSR policy and legal functions to ensure alignment with priorities and strategy.

Skills

Policy leadership

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

Manager, Operational Policy and Practice

The Social Services Regulator (SSR) is an independent statutory authority that exists to safeguard the rights of children and young people as well as people who use social services in Victoria.

The SSR regulates the Social Services Standards, the Child Safe Standards (for organisations without a sector specific co-regulator as well as the social services sector), and also administers the Worker and Carer Exclusion Scheme (WCES), Reportable Conduct Scheme (RCS) and Working with Children Clearance (WWC Clearance) scheme and NDIS Worker Screening Check.

The Social Services Regulator takes an integrated and intelligence driven approach to identifying, preventing and excluding unsafe people from working with children and young people, as well as ensuring organisations that work with children and young people keep children safe from abuse and harm by meeting the Child Safe Standards.

As a co-regulator of the Child Safe Standards, the Social Services Regulator works with other co-regulators of the Child Safe Standards including the Department of Health, Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA), Victorian Early Childhood Regulation Authority (VECRA), and Workforce Inspectorate Victoria to keep children safe from harm and abuse.

THE ROLE

The Manager, Operational Policy and Practice reports to the Executive Director, Worker Screening and Child Safety Reform and leads a team that supports effective regulatory practice in the Working with Children (WWC) Check and National Disability Insurance Scheme Check (NDIS Check) schemes, including through design and continuous improvement of operational policy and practice frameworks and operating procedures.

The role leads a small team to provide advice and practical guidance and ensure these schemes operate consistently, effectively and in line with legislation, policy intent and regulatory requirements, working closely with other SSR policy, operational and legal functions to ensure organisational alignment.

ACCOUNTABILITIES INCLUDE

• Manage a team to lead divisional projects and initiatives to deliver continuous improvement of regulatory practice within the WWC Check scheme and NDIS Check scheme, including operational policies, practice frameworks, standard operating procedures and supporting tools and resources.
• Work with senior stakeholders to identify opportunities to strengthen scheme design, practice and operational processes, using evidence including data, feedback, intelligence and lessons learned to drive ongoing improvement and reform.
• Provide specialist advice and support to operational leaders and teams, particularly Worker Screening Operations and Worker Screening Intelligence and Compliance, through facilitating complex problem solving, operational reviews and helping to resolve implementation challenges.
• Work across the SSR and with the central regulatory policy function to ensure regulatory schemes are aligned to priorities, regulatory posture and risk settings, and provide input to SSR-wide policy and strategy and development.