Field Officer

**Casual position working across Melbourne's South East region**:

- **Enjoy a variety of field work and office-based work**:

- **Help keep your community safe and contribute to offender rehabilitation.**
- Do you have great communication skills and want to be a role model to people hoping for a second chance? If you want to make time to help people get their lives back on track, read on._

**Who are we?**

**Community Work and Partnerships** We are responsible for the development of mutually beneficial partnerships with government agencies and non-government organisations so that offenders can undertake unpaid work as part of their community-based sentence imposed by the Courts of Victoria. Community work serves as a valuable way for people who've offended to pay back the community while also reconnecting and reintegrating into the community. We ensure they make genuine efforts to undergo rehabilitation, and we keep low risk offenders out of prison and help them contribute to the community.

**What does a Field Officer do?**

Your primary responsibility as a Field Officer will be to supervise a team of clients at community work sites and other community work programs. A field officer carries out many duties and functions, mainly the supervision of offenders completing community work tasks. Other responsibilities include performing site inspections, assess hazards, providing informed workplace health and safety advice, guidance and instruction; maintaining tools and equipment resister and ensuring repairs are undertaken.

Transporting offenders is also a key part of the role and Field Officers will be required to drive a 12-seater bus with trailer. A full and current drivers' licence is essential for this position.

**A day in the life of a Field Officer...**
- Your shift starts at a Justice Service Centre location where you collect a bus/ trailer with equipment. You then drive to a site to collect a group of offenders, where you will induct, instruct and transport them to a partner not-for-profit organisation in the community. Tasks for the day may involve graffiti removal, painting, litter collection, mowing and weeding. Your responsibility is to instruct the offenders to safely perform each task and monitor the work performed for the partner site before returning them to the drop off point and returning to your depot._

**We are looking for individuals with various backgrounds and experience. Some desirable skills include**:

- You'll need to be able to communicate and demonstrate a range of tasks and ensure a safe environment for offender work teams.
- Quickly build rapport in order to understand the motivations of others, identify issues and suggest courses of action appropriate to their needs.
- Have demonstrated ability to manage conflict and strong problem-solving skills.
- Model appropriate behaviours and attitudes to assist offenders to develop new skills and work practices.
- Carpentry or handyman skills
- Gardening landscaping or painting skills

Field Officers carry out a mixture of field work and office-based work, so it's important that you are able to demonstrate computer skills and written communication skills.

For more information about the role please contact **Danka Tsardakis - A/Manager, Community Work and Partnerships on 0408 403 760.**

**How to apply**

The assessment process will entail the following:

- An interview
- Reference checks
- Pre-employment security checks
- Health Assessment (medical history review and physical fitness test)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply._

**CHILD SAFE STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT**:
The Department of Justice and Community Safety is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. We seek to prevent harm of any kind impacting children and young people and have zero tolerance for racism, child abuse and inequality. Children and young people's rights, relationships, identity, and culture must be recognised and respected, their voices heard, and their concerns acted upon. We aim to foster a culturally safe, child safe and child friendly environment for all children and young people we have contact with, deliver services to, or are impacted by our work.