Practice Leader - Nugel

Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 122,000 - 129,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

5 weeks annual leave

Salary packaging available

Fitness Passport

Agency vehicles

Paid parental leave after 12 months

Employee wellbeing programs

Job summary

The Nugel Practice Leader at VACCA provides expert cultural advice and mentoring to the Nugel team, ensuring Aboriginal cultural practices underpin all aspects of practice. You will collaborate with families, government and sector partners to improve outcomes for Aboriginal children and reduce over-representation in the child protection system.

Lead supervision and professional development, support staff and students, and apply CYFA 2005 and the Child Wellbeing Act 2005 in daily practice while

Qualifications

• Recognised Social Work degree or similar welfare/behavioural degree with focus on child development and trauma.
• Or recognised Diploma of Community Services with supervised fieldwork placements and case management units.
• Requirements: Valid Police Check, Victorian Working with Children’s Check (or willingness), Victorian Driver Licence, current COVID-19 vaccination (strongly recommended).

Responsibilities

• Provide expert cultural advice to staff and managers and mentor Nugel team.
• Deliver professional development to build cultural capability across the program.
• Work with Aboriginal children, families and sector partners to improve outcomes.
• Support supervision of staff and students using strengths-based approaches.
• Apply CYFA 2005 and Child Wellbeing Act 2005 in decision-making and risk management.

Skills

Cultural awareness

Mentoring

Risk assessment

Case management

Communication

Decision-making

Education

Social Work degree

Diploma of Community Services

Job description

• Position : Full time, 12 months Fixed term opportunity (maternity leave coverage role)
• Location : Werribee
• Salary :$122,458.11 - $129,227.23, plus super and salary packaging is available

The Organisation

The Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency (VACCA) is an Aboriginal Community-Controlled organisation that supports and advocates for the Aboriginal Community and is the largest organisation of its kind in Australia. The VACCA team is committed to the organisation’s visions and values, passionately providing support, service and advocacy for our children and other vulnerable members of the community.

Our strength lies with our people.

About the role

The Nugel Practice Leader takes a leadership role providing expert cultural advice to staff and managers in the Nugel team including, mentoring and delivering professional development so that Aboriginal cultural practices underpin all aspects of practice approach.

The Practice Leader also works with Aboriginal children and families, government and sector partners to reduce the over representation of Aboriginal children involved with Child Protection, achieve better outcomes for children, and to build capacity in families so that children can remain at, or be, transitioned home.

About You

• Displays an awareness and appreciation of Aboriginal societies and cultures, with a commitment to continually build knowledge and maintain a high level of awareness of the key issues impacting Aboriginal communities.
• Utilises this knowledge to guide direct practice with Aboriginal children, families, and carers
• Highly developed skills and ability to provide advice on risk assessment, safety planning,case management, and decision-making based on cultural principles and the Children, Youth and Families Act (CYFA) 2005.
• Sound knowledge of, and ability to, administer the CYFA 2005 and the Child Wellbeing Act 2005 in the best interests of Aboriginal children and families
• Mentors, provides secondary consultation, and delivers professional development to Nugel staff and managers to build and maintain a strong cultural focus across the program.
• Works closely with, and supports, the Nugel Team Leader to deliver supervision to staff and students utilising a strengths and solution-focused approach

Education/Qualifications

• A recognised Social Work degree or a similar welfare or behavioural related degree which includes:
  • a. a primary focus on child development, human behaviour, family dynamics and/or impacts of trauma and preferably
  • b. a practical component such as counselling or case work practice.
• Or,
  • A recognised Diploma of Community Services work or similar qualification, which is studied over a minimum of two academic years of full-time study (or part-time equivalent) and includes:
  • c. a primary focus on child development, human behaviour, family dynamics and/or impacts
  • of trauma
  • d. supervised fieldwork placements (ideally completed within the child and family welfare sector) and at least one unit in case management, case work practice or counselling.
• Requirements: Valid Police Check, a Victorian Working with Children’s Check for a paid employee (or willingness to obtain) and aVictorian Driver Licence.Current COVID-19 vaccination(Strongly Recommended).

What we can offer you

• 5 weeks annual leave
• Access to child protection and VACCA training programs
• Extensive support and training from VACCA’s in house legal service
• A supportive environment that includes comprehensive induction and regular internal supervision
• Professional development and training opportunities
• Attractive salary packaging to increase your take home pay
• Fitness Passport - allowing you (and your family) access to any of the facilities available on this program
• 17.5% loading on annual leave
• Access to agency vehicles for all work-related travel
• Access to Employee support and wellbeing programs
• Paid parental leave after 12 months of ongoing employment
• Opportunity to work and build connection with the Aboriginal Community and culture

We strongly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people to apply

Application closes by October 18, 2026

We are committed to Aboriginal self-determination and supporting strong, safe, thriving Aboriginal communities and aim to ensure every individual is treated with dignity, honouring all cultural backgrounds, abilities, ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender identities and spiritual beliefs.

VACCA is a child-safe organisation and is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children and young people with zero tolerance for child abuse. All successful applicants will be required to undertake a National Police Record Check and Working with Children Check prior to commencement of employment and periodically following commencement.

VACCA is an equal opportunity employer and has a smoke-free workplace policy.