Practice Lead

Location: Melbourne | Western Metropolitan

Job type: Full time

Organisation: Department of Justice and Community Safety

**Salary**: $103,920 - $125,735

Occupation: Prison and Corrective Services

Reference: DOJ/CCPRCLEAD

At the Department of Justice and Community Safety, we are looking for people who want to make a difference. People who take pride in their work. People who get things done. People who are committed to making Victoria a safer place.

We embrace diversity and strive to have a workforce that reflects the community we serve. We’re all about recruiting the best people, regardless of gender, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation or cultural background. If you think you can do the job and would be a good fit for our department, we’d love to hear from you.

The department is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and recognises that children’s rights need to be respected, their views welcomed and valued, and their concerns taken seriously and acted upon.

For more information on working with us and our recruitment process, please visit justice.vic.gov.au/careers

We are proud of the important work we do across Victoria. Want to be part of it?

**Practice Lead, Cherry Creek Youth Justice Precinct**
- Join Victoria's new ground-breaking youth justice centre near Werribee.
- Work within a multi-disciplinary team to achieve sustained behaviour change.
- Support the rehabilitation of young people in custody.

**Make our community safer by helping children and young people build better futures for themselves at Cherry Creek Youth Justice Precinct.**

**Create Change from the Inside Out**

The young people we work with can make remarkable changes in their lives. For many, those changes will begin at the new state-of-the-art Cherry Creek Youth Justice Precinct (Cherry Creek).

The facility will offer innovative services aimed at reducing reoffending and giving young people the skills to make the most of their lives when they return to the community.

Doing this work well will make our state a safer place to live.

Be part of the change you want to see, join the workforce at Cherry Creek.

**The opportunity**
- VPS Grade 5 role, earning $103,920 - $125,735 - two positions available
- Lead a team of Behaviour Support Specialists.
- Develop strategies, interventions and plans that are responsive to the individual needs of young people.

The Practice Lead reports directly to the Clinical Manager, Rehabilitation and Behaviour Support and will provide leadership and direction to a team of Behaviour Support Specialists at Cherry Creek. The position will oversee a range of interventions and behaviour management strategies, and the delivery of evidence-based psychosocial programs to support a young person's rehabilitation.

The position will work within a multi-disciplinary team to achieve sustained change in a young person's behaviour through individual interactions with young people in the units as well as structured programs. The Practice Lead will identify emerging issues and trends and provide authoritative advice to the Clinical Manager and relevant stakeholders.

Employees working in the initial stage of operations will contribute to the establishment of the new facility by assisting in the development of key operational documents, including operating manuals. You will also participate in the recruitment, selection and training of the Behaviour Support Specialists, leading the team through the operational readiness phase and into ongoing facility operations.

**To be successful in the role, you will be able to engage with and manage a diverse group of stakeholders, display strong leadership skills and have the ability to problem solve.**

A relevant qualification in psychology, social work, youth work, or related discipline with applied/practical content, is desirable.

For more information on the skills and experience that we are looking for in our new team members, please read the job description document attached.

**Cherry Creek: Building better futures**

Cherry Creek reimagines what a custodial facility can be.

Set in a picturesque part of Victoria, Cherry Creek is a safe and secure place where young people can work on getting their lives back on track. Their efforts are supported by programs and services backed by world-leading research on rehabilitation.

We want young people to return home with the confidence that they can thrive in their own communities, so the facility is designed to represent a familiar, real-world environment. Instead of larger dormitory-style accommodation, young people at Cherry Creek sleep in smaller four-bed and eight-bed units across different neighbourhoods.

**Some of Cherry Creek's other design features include**:

- Enhanced health, mental health and drug and alcohol support, including a dedicated health centre and two mental health units for young people.
- Purpose-built buildings to deliver programs and education, a recreational centre,