Description:
Senior Practitioners are responsible for providing specialist advice, guidance and oversight to ensure that child protection services including assessment, intervention, casework and case management are delivered by the service centre to a high standard and in accordance with legislation and practice guidelines.
The Senior Practitioner provides practice supervision individually and in groups to Child Safety Officers and Senior Child Safety Officers
In this role you will be a member of a multi-disciplinary team and report to the Manager at the Cairns Child Safety Service Centre and you will work closely with service delivery staff.
The Senior Practitioner supervises the following staff:
- 2 x Cultural Practice Advisors
- 2 x Paralegals
Key duties and responsibilities
The Senior Practitioner key responsibilities are:
• Ensuring that specialist accountable, collaborative and integrated child protection services that respect the culture and context of each child, young person, family and community is delivered in accordance with departmental policies, procedures, statutory responsibilities and the Framework for Practice by the Service Centre.
• Developing and implementing systems, processes and strategies linked to legislative, policy and practice standards, optimizing the quality of child protection service delivery, including contributing to continuous quality improvement strategies.
• Providing practice supervision as required for Child Safety Officers and Senior Child Safety Officers to support a ‘quality practice' and a continuous improvement service delivery ethos.
• Establishing and maintaining relationships with Senior Team Leaders, Child Safety Officers and Senior Child Safety Officers to build capability, skills and knowledge in child protection service delivery particularly investigation and assessment, risk assessment in decision-making and complex case management.
• Facilitating group practice development and supervision sessions to build child protection capability within the Child Safety Service Centre.
• Supporting staff across the region in relation to complex matters within your area of specialist knowledge.
• Actively participating as a member of the Child Safety Service Centre Management Team and in quality assurance reviews of the service centre.
• Providing authoritative advice, guidance and oversight of decisions on complex casework matters, child protection policy, legislation and practice to relevant service centre staff.
• Providing accurate advice to senior managers on professional child protection practice issues, client needs and service delivery responses within the Service Centre.
• Enhancing the local regional community by actively practicing and promoting excellence in service delivery and public administration and identifying opportunities for improving regional client service.
Delegations
Senior Practitioners has specific delegations under relevant legislation (Child Protection Act 1999, Adoption of Children Act 1964, Children's Court Act 1992, Family Services Act 1987).
Is this role for you? Consider the Leadership competencies for the role. The Queensland Public Service Leadership competencies for Queensland (LCQ) applies to all role profiles within the department. This role profile is aligned to the team leader profile of the LCQ and outlines the relevant competencies from the team leader profile that are the basis of assessment of your suitability for the role.
To be successful in this role you will be required to demonstrate capability in the following areas:
VISION
• Leads strategically: Thinks critically and acts on the broader purpose of the system.
• Makes insightful decisions: Makes considered, ethical and courageous decisions based on insight into the broader context.
RESULTS
• Builds enduring relationships: Builds and sustains relationships to enable the collaborative delivery of customer-focused outcomes.
• Drives accountability and outcomes: Demonstrates accountability for the execution and quality of results through professionalism, persistence and
transparency.
ACCOUNTABILITY
• Pursues continuous growth: Pursues opportunities for growth through agile learning, and development of self-awareness.
• Demonstrates sound governance: Maintains a high standard of practice through governance and risk management.