Senior Family Law Associate | Lead, Hybrid & Development

Hooker And Heijden - Insurance And Underwriting Recruitment; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing is seeking a Team Leader for the Family Law Program in Victoria. You will lead, manage and supervise a team of Family Law Advisers, ensuring high-quality written responses to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.

The role requires travel to various Victoria locations, a current Victorian driver's licence and a Working with Children Check, and involves strategic policy advice and cross‑agency collaboration.

Qualifications

• Experience leading teams in family law or child protection settings.
• Ability to provide strategic policy advice and ensure information sharing.
• Strong written communication for formal responses to courts.

Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise Family Law Program staff to provide authoritative guidance to FCFCoA.
• Ensure risk management aligns with departmental goals and values.
• Coach team members and manage information sharing with court processes.

Skills

Team leadership

Policy advice

Stakeholder engagement

Written communication

Job description

The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) works hard to create equal opportunities for all Victorians to live a safe, respected and valued life.

Our areas of focus are child protection, housing, disability, the prevention of family violence, multicultural affairs, LGBTIQA+ equality, veterans, women and youth. The work we do benefits thousands of Victorians, particularly those who are disadvantaged and vulnerable.

We work in a variety of community-based settings, including people's homes, residential facilities and secure settings across metropolitan, rural and regional Victoria.

We are committed to developing and supporting a workforce that is well equipped and highly motivated. All jobs can be worked flexibly, and we encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people from diverse backgrounds and abilities.

If you're having any trouble viewing this ad and would like it or any attachments in an accessible format (such as large print), please don't hesitate to get in touch with the contact person listed on the ad.

For more information on working with us and our recruitment process, please visit Department of Families, Fairness and Housing Victoria | Jobs

THE ROLE

Responding effectively to family violence and risk of harm allegations for children is a responsibility shared by the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments.

The primary objective of the department's Family Law Program is to enhance the identification and management of risk and prioritise the safety and well-being of children and families interacting with state and commonwealth systems. The objectives of the Victorian model are achieved by:

• Fostering collaborative relationships and practices with family law personnel and other key stakeholders.
• Facilitating the provision of timely and quality information to improve decision making in the best interests of children subject to family law proceedings.
• Capacity building in both the child protection and family law systems.

To support information exchange between the child protection, family violence and family law systems, the Commonwealth Government has developed The National Strategic Framework for Family Violence Information Sharing Between the Family Law and Family Violence and Child Protection Systems (the National Framework).

The primary objective of the National Framework is to promote the safety and wellbeing of adults and children affected by family violence and child abuse. It is also to support informed and appropriate decision making when there is, or may be, a risk of family violence or child abuse. Legislative amendments to the Family Law Act 1975 will support the objective of the National Framework.

Reporting to the Manager, Family Law Program, the Team Leader will lead, manage and supervise a team or teams of Family Law Advisers. The role of the Team Leader is to manage the day‑to‑day work of the team/s to ensure the appropriate exchange of sensitive Child Protection information with the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCoA). This work is required to be done in a professional and consistent manner through the provision of high quality written responses from the DFFH Family Law Program to the FCFCoA.

The Team Leader will also provide strategic advice regarding the department's operational policy, practice and agreements on the sharing of sensitive client information between Child Protection and the FCFCoA.

The role may occasionally require travel to various office/court locations across Victoria and requires both a current Victorian driver's licence and a current Working with Children Check.

ACCOUNTABILITIES INCLUDE

• Lead and supervise a team/s of Family Law Program staff to ensure the provision of authoritative and expert advice to the FCFCoA regarding child protection matters
• Ensure recommendations made to the FCFCoA and risk management practises align with DFFH organisational goals and values
• Coach, guide, and share knowledge with team members to encourage their learning and reflection regarding FCFCoA matters regarding children who are subject to family law proceedings and the Court has concerns for their welfare

ABSTRACT

This role requires a Working with Children Check.

Further advice on obtaining this check can be found here