Practice Lead

**Department of Human Services**
**Job reference**: 627362
**Location**: 5000 - ADELAIDE
**Job status**: Short Term Contract
**Eligibility**: Open to Everyone

**Role Highlights**
- Flexible working arrangements available
- Provide a range of services to promote wellbeing of young people
- Access excellent learning and development opportunities

**About the Business**

Our Safer Family Services team delivers a range of services, including intensive family support and multi-agency responses, to help children stay safely at home with their families and avoid the need for out-of-home care. They also help families with parenting support, workshops and connection to community events and initiatives to improve child safety and wellbeing.

**Role Details**

The SA Government has committed to reforming the child protection system in South Australia. The Department of Human Services (DHS) has lead responsibility for implementing the Child and Family Support System reform, in which Safer Family Services (SFS) plays a key part.
Safer Family Services (SFS) provides help and support to children and their families at risk of harm, neglect and family violence, by deliberately and strongly intervening to disrupt the patterns of intergenerational trauma and increase the number of children able to be cared for safely in their homes, connected to culture and community. This is particularly relevant for children and families with multiple and complex needs.

The Practice Lead is a role within SFS and is accountable to the General Manager for:

- Providing practice leadership across SFS, sharing expert practice knowledge to drive practice excellence and improve outcomes for infants, children, young people, and their families.
- Working closely with Regional Managers and Supervisors to monitor practice quality, identify practice issues and develop and implement quality improvement strategies.
- Providing clinical consultation on cases, and clinical direction and escalation to leadership on sensitive and/or high-risk matters.
- Providing clinical supervision to AHP3 Supervisors with a focus on reflective practice and educative support to lead a culture of continuous improvement to deliver effective responses to complex and high-risk child safety matters.

Key outcomes and accountabilities:
1. Provide practice leadership and drive practice excellence through consultation, mentoring, educating and modelling best-practice standards.
2. Identify skill and knowledge gaps in staff and lead strategic projects to build practice capability within regions and across SFS.
3. Provide a high level of clinical knowledge, expertise and advice related to working with children and families with child protection concerns in the development of policy and programs within SFS and DHS.
4. Lead service improvement including the development, implementation, monitoring and review of professional practice standards and service models across SFS.
6. Provide leadership in discipline-specific and multi-professional research, service development, innovative practices and initiatives, through research data analysis, evaluation of services and development of recommendations to assist management decision making.
7. Participate as part of a collaborative and collegiate team of Practice Leaders across SFS who work together to drive practice excellence across the organisation.
Note: Any other responsibilities in line with the classification level of the role as assigned by Line Manager and/or the Department. The responsibilities as specified above may be altered in accordance with the changing requirements of the role.

**Special Conditions**

National Police Check required.
Employment-related Screening Check required.
Some out of hours work may be required.
Some interstate and intrastate travel may be required.
Must hold a current Australian issued driver’s licence (equivalent to minimum class C).
Must comply with any order, direction, policy or procedure of the Chief Executive or delegate to receive vaccinations.

**Essential Qualifications**:
An appropriate degree or equivalent which gives eligibility for full membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers.

**Role Status**: Term up to 18/07/2025

**Salary Range**: $114,314-$124,449 (AHP4)

**Location**: Adelaide Metropolitan Area including northern regions

**Diversity and Inclusion**

DHS is committed to making our services and workplaces safe and inclusive for all people and ensuring the full diversity of the communities we serve are represented in our workforce, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability and/or neurodivergence, young people, older people, culturally and linguistically diverse people, LGBTIQA+ and gender diverse people.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are encouraged to apply. We also celebrate the many strengths and skills people with disability and/or neurodivergent people bring to our workplace and acknowledge our role in ensur