Prison Support Officer

Department of Justice; Shire Of Kellerberrin; On-site; AUD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working arrangements

Career pathway opportunities

Learning and development programs

Health and wellbeing programs

Job summary

Department of Justice in Western Australia is seeking Prison Support Officers to contribute to suicide prevention and oversee the Peer Support program in custodial settings. You will support prisoners at risk and work closely with Aboriginal communities and partners to promote safety and well-being.

The role emphasizes culturally aware engagement, strategic collaboration, and a commitment to equity and safeguarding within the justice system. This is a permanent, full-time opportunity.

Qualifications

• Experience working with Indigenous communities, agencies or individuals in the prison context.
• Ability to understand decisions, plan with the team and identify risks.
• Track record of meeting performance expectations and adapting to change.

Responsibilities

• Provide ongoing support to prisoners at risk and contribute to suicide prevention.
• Manage and monitor the Peer Support program within custodial settings.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to support at-risk individuals and implement wellbeing initiatives.

Skills

Cultural capability

Strategic thinking

Results orientation

Relationship building

Communication

Job description

This is a permanent, full time vacancy.

Join a team that''s making a difference every day.

If you have experience leading a team and working alongside Aboriginal people and communities, we''d be excited to have you on board.

About The Role

Prison Support Officers (PSO) contribute to the overall suicide and self-harm prevention and intervention strategy in custodial settings by providing ongoing support to prisoners at risk. They are also responsible for the management and performance of the Peer Support program, which is a well-established suicide prevention strategy, aimed at the early identification and support of prisoners at risk.

When you join the Department of Justice, you become part of a people-focused organisation, working hard to make our community a fairer and safer place to live. You will have a chance to make a real difference to your local communities and to the lives of those you work with.

Suitability Requirements

• Cultural Capability: Demonstrated experience working with Indigenous communities, agencies, resources and individuals and/or other communities and individuals represented in the prison population.
• Shapes and Manages Strategy: The ability to understand the reasons for decisions and how they are related to their work; understand the work environment and identify issues that may impact own achievement and contributes to team planning; draw on information from a range of sources and to use common sense to analyse what information is important, anticipate issues that could impact on tasks and identify risks and uncertainties in procedures and tasks.
• Achieve Results: The ability to monitor progress against performance expectations to ensure deadlines are met; communicate outcomes to supervisor; apply and develop capabilities to meet performance expectations; demonstrate knowledge of new programs, products, or services relevant to the position; work to agreed priorities, outcomes and resources and be responsive to changes in requirements.
• Builds Productive Relationships: The capacity to build and maintain relationships with various stakeholders; share information with team members; seek input from others; contribute to team discussions and ensure that others are kept informed; maintain an awareness of personalities, motivations and diverse qualities; treat people with respect and courtesy and an ability to act on constructive feedback.
• Communicates and Influences Effectively: A demonstrated ability to structure messages clearly and succinctly both orally and in writing; focus on gaining a clear understanding of others comments by listening and questioning for clarity; check that your own views have been understood, listen to differing ideas to develop an understanding of the issues.

Eligibility

To be eligible for appointment to permanent positions in the Department of Justice you must be an Australian citizen or have permanent resident status in Australia.

Benefits And Opportunities

• Flexible working arrangements
• Career pathway opportunities
• Learning and development opportunity programs
• Health and wellbeing programs including Fitness passport providing a wide range of gym, pool, and fitness Centre discounts available for employees and their families.
• Check out the attached Applicant Information Pack to find out other benefits of working for Justice.

Subsequent Vacancies

Applicants found suitable but not recommended for this vacancy, may be considered for subsequent similar vacancies for a period of twelve (12) months, in accordance with section 7d of the Commissioner’s Instructions No.48 - Recruitment, Selection and Appointment to Permanent Vacancies, and section 9d of the Commissioner Instructions 49 - Recruitment, Selection and Appointment to Fixed Term Vacancies. Permanent, fixed term, full time and part time appointments may be offered at Bunbury during this period.

Equity and Diversity

The Department of Justice is committed to building a diverse, inclusive and accessible workplace that reflects the community we serve. We strongly encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants can access support by following this link.

Reasonable adjustments are available throughout the recruitment process. For a confidential discussion about support or adjustments, please contact the person listed above or email [e-mail].

For further job-related information, if you would like further information regarding the vacancy please contact Lisa Watene, Prison Support Service Manager on 9334 6078 for a confidential discussion.

The Department of Justice has introduced a smoke-free policy, which has been fully implemented across all women's prisons and the Academy, with all other prison sites to follow.