Practice Director – Social Work

Practice Director Social Work

Womens Legal Service QLD (WLSQ) provides high quality legal and social support services to women specialising in the areas of family law domestic violence child protection financial abuse legal protection and sexual assault though our counselling notes protect program. The Service is committed to the creation of a society in which every woman:

• Is safe from violence;
• Is able to tell her story have it heard and respected; and
• Receives a fair and just outcome from legal and social welfare systems.

The Practice Director Social Work is responsible for portfolio practice management with specific responsibility for social work and support services by providing strong leadership professional supervision and mentoring to a dedicated team.

The incumbent works closely with Legal Services Practice Directors to ensure a comprehensive approach to clients circumstances and needs through an integrated legal/social work practice framework.

The Social Work service adopts a trauma informed practice framework to provide a range of activities including:

• Specialist domestic violence risk assessment and safety planning
• Short-term counselling practical support and referral services. For example accommodation Centrelink payments and services financial assistance and health services.
• Time-limited case management support.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Portfolio Practice Management

• Prepare an annual work plan for the Practice Area in line with WLSQ planning requirements (e.g. strategic operational service planning).
• Within the Practice Area scope ensure the provision of timely social work and support services in line with:

i. Professional regulatory and Community Legal Centre standards.

ii. WLSQ operating procedures.

iii. a trauma informed (care) approach.

iv. accessibility and inclusiveness for vulnerable clients.

• Provide team leadership professional supervision and mentorship to staff.
• Working closely with Legal Services Practice Directors:

i. monitor trends and undertake targeted research to advance womens safety and status through key partnerships/sectors (legal domestic and family violence).

ii. identify/develop strategies to change harmful attitudes towards women promote equality and encourage respectful relationships.

• Co-ordinate workflows and workloads to ensure the smooth running of the team including resource allocation/staff utilisation.
• Manage a small case load including complex and difficult cases.
• Ensure the Practice Area operates within WLSQs risk management framework: risk assessment and safety considerations (client staff) are comprehensively considered and managed in the provision of information and services.
• Ensure quality assurance of work including file reviews debriefing training team performance.
• Contribute to the development implementation and evaluation of best practice policies processes and systems to deliver high quality services to women.
• Report on key KPI metrics (e.g. SLAs) and manage within allocated budget parameters for your Practice Area.
• Participate in professional and practice development activities for enhanced service provision/impact.
• Prepare monthly reports (e.g. client impact governance) and present at Board level as required.
• Assist with tender submissions as required.
• Adopt and implement a respectful and multi-disciplinary approach to practice and work collaboratively with all staff including Legal Services team for a holistic service and assistance to clients.
• Engage with key stakeholders and agencies to advance our Mission and support funding access for greater client impact.

2. People & Team Leadership

• Foster a positive workplace environment of empowerment collaboration and wellbeing.
• Attract and retain highly skilled staff.
• Ensure staff have access to ongoing professional and skill development opportunities and build individual and team capability.
• Provide open and transparent communication.
• Recognise and value diverse skills and thinking culture and backgrounds of people in the workplace.
• Ensure employees are behaviourally aligned with organisational values.
• Maintain health safety and wellbeing standards and practices; ensuring staff are appropriately supported in their line of work.

3. Service Sector Engagement

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with other specialist DFV services and key stakeholders to facilitate an integrated response to clients.
• Represent WLSQ through participation in relevant DFV sector networks.
• Contribute to the development and delivery of CLE and law reform activities.

4. As part of the Leadership Team & Collaboration

• Review the ongoing needs of the community in planning service requirements and capacity building.
• Review client service activities to ensure service pathways are simple accessible targeted transparent and tailored.
• Embed a trauma informed (care) approach in our practices and service delivery channels.
• Provide a comprehensive approach to clients circumstances and needs through an integrated legal/social worker practice framework.
• Work closely with client-referring organisations and other support providers/agencies to support client outcomes.
• Evaluate the impact of our services and continuously improve.
• Use flexible responsive and innovative techniques to deliver better client outcomes.
• Contribute to WLSQs organisational capability development and embed a whole of service ethos.

KEY EXPECTED OUTCOMES:

• For the Practice Area: high quality social work and support services in line with Mission and strategic goals.
• Practice area management activity and reporting complies with key professional and industry standards (e.g. Qld Human Services Quality Framework DFV Services Regulatory Framework and National Association of Community Legal Centres).
• Strong contribution to a comprehensive approach to clients circumstances and needs through an integrated legal/social work practice framework.
• Strong collegiate partnerships and active contributor to whole of Service betterment
• Effective leadership who takes people along for the journey.
• Positive client feedback and impact.
• Effective stakeholder engagement to support/enhance the profile of the Service.
• Sound unit performance across key metrics (clients financial funding SLAs etc).
• Staff wellbeing engagement and a unified team.

SELECTION CRITERIA / SKILLS AND CAPABILITIES:

• Demonstrated understanding and commitment to WLSQ Mission values feminist principles.
• Accomplished Social Worker Lead with experience in domestic and family violence/child protection.
• Demonstrated experience in social work practice management including the delivery of high quality social work (e.g. crisis intervention counselling and support services.
• Demonstrable leadership and staff management skills working with vulnerable and disadvantaged clients.
• Sound knowledge and understanding of legal and social issues affecting women particularly the gendered nature of domestic violence.
• Demonstrated experience in facilitating change and continous improvement.
• A credible engaging communicator (verbal and written).
• Strong empathy interpersonal sensitivity and coaching leadership style.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management.
• Recognised individual contributor and collaborator.
• Effective decision making professional judgement and ethical behaviour.
• Commitment to fostering a culture that does not tolerate or encourage discrimination harassment or workplace bullying.
• Being a woman is a genuine occupational requirement for this position (section 25 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld)).

MANDATORY REQUIREMENT:

• This role requires the incumbent to have a clear National Police Check and to obtain a blue card
• This role requires the incumbent to be eligible for AASW membership.

APPLY NOW!

To apply for this position click on apply and upload a copy of your cover letter and CV.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are encouraged to apply for this position.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Should you have any questions or would like a copy of the Position Description for the role please feel free to contact the People and Culture team by phone onor email at