Practice Lead

Kanda; Mackay Regional; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Monthly RDO

Wellness app access

Rewards hub

Employee recognition programs

Orbit World Travel Club membership

Long-term career opportunities

Job summary

Kanda in Australia seeks a Practice Lead for its Children, Youth & Family Services to guide best practices, shape service delivery, and ensure vulnerable children, young people and families receive outcomes they deserve. This strategic yet hands-on role drives change across programs and aligns with regulatory requirements.

The role demands strong leadership, sector knowledge, and the ability to influence policy while managing complex cases and risk.

Qualifications

• You hold a tertiary qualification in Human Services or a related field, or bring equivalent experience in a similar senior role
• You have a comprehensive understanding of the Human Services sector, particularly contemporary child protection and family issues
• You have extensive knowledge of quality assurance and risk management in children's services
• You collaborate effectively with stakeholders, agencies, specialists, families and community members
• You have strong research and analytical skills and can provide evidence-based recommendations and solutions
• You present, negotiate and mediate with confidence across complex and sensitive situations
• You hold a drivers licence, Licensed Care Approval (LCS2), valid Working with Children Blue Card and NDIS Worker Screening

Responsibilities

• Guiding the CYF leadership team and fostering a positive, collaborative culture across staff and service users
• Ensuring all programs comply with legislative, funding and regulatory requirements while upholding best practice
• Advocating for clients and influencing federal and state government agendas on Child Protection matters
• Developing and implementing supervision and communication strategies that support teams through change, accountability and complex casework
• Overseeing critical incident management and reporting breaches of care standards to appropriate managers
• Creating, monitoring and reviewing individual safety and crisis management plans for children and young people
• Identifying opportunities to enhance services, policies and systems and driving effective change strategies to deliver them

Skills

Human services knowledge

Child protection knowledge

Quality assurance & risk management

Stakeholder collaboration

Research & analytical skills

Negotiation & mediation

Drivers licence

Licensed Care Approval (LCS2)

Working with Children Blue Card

NDIS Worker Screening

Education

Tertiary qualification in Human Services or related field

Job description

The children and young people in our programs need more than a service. They need consistency, safety and someone at the helm who holds the whole thing together. That's this role.

As Practice Lead with Kanda's Children, Youth & Family Services team, you'll drive best practice across CYF programs — guiding the leadership team, shaping how services are delivered, and making sure the most vulnerable children, young people and families get the outcomes they deserve. It's strategic, it's hands-on, and the decisions you make ripple out into real lives every day.

What you'll be doing

• Guiding the CYF leadership team and fostering a positive, collaborative culture across staff and service users
• Ensuring all programs comply with legislative, funding and regulatory requirements while upholding best practice
• Advocating for clients and influencing federal and state government agendas on Child Protection matters
• Developing and implementing supervision and communication strategies that support teams through change, accountability and complex casework
• Overseeing critical incident management and reporting breaches of care standards to appropriate managers
• Creating, monitoring and reviewing individual safety and crisis management plans for children and young people
• Identifying opportunities to enhance services, policies and systems and driving effective change strategies to deliver them

You're the right person if...

• You hold a tertiary qualification in Human Services or a related field, or bring equivalent experience in a similar senior role
• You have a comprehensive understanding of the Human Services sector, particularly contemporary child protection and family issues
• You have extensive knowledge of quality assurance and risk management in children's services
• You collaborate effectively with stakeholders, agencies, specialists, families and community members
• You have strong research and analytical skills and can provide evidence-based recommendations and solutions
• You present, negotiate and mediate with confidence across complex and sensitive situations
• You hold a drivers licence, Licensed Care Approval (LCS2), valid Working with Children Blue Card and NDIS Worker Screening

Why Kanda

We believe the people who care for others deserve to be genuinely looked after too. Here's what that looks like in practice:

• Monthly RDO - an extra 12 days of leave per year
• Wellness initiatives plus24/7 access to the Sonder wellbeing app
• Access to an employee rewards hub providing savings and cashback across everyday purchases
• Employee recognition initiatives, including gift vouchers for Employee of the Month and service anniversaries
• Enjoy free Orbit World Travel Club membership - $100 travel voucher, exclusive offers, and dedicated support
• Genuine long-term career opportunities as Kanda continues to grow

Kandais committed to creating and maintaining a child safe organisationWe’re dedicated to building an inclusive environment where everyone feels safe, respected, and comfortable to be themselves. At Kanda, every voice matters, every culture is valued, and we believe that diverse perspectives aren’t just welcome — they’re essential to who we are and what we do.