Child Protection Specialist

Make a lasting impact where it matters most.
Join Goodstart as a Child Protection Specialist and help safeguard and support children across Australia. This is your opportunity to lead complex case management, build capability in early learning centres, and champion child safety in line with national standards.

Work with purpose in a values-driven organisation dedicated to giving every child the best start in life.

Location: Murarrie, QLD (Turrbal & Yuggera peoples) (with flexible work options available by arrangements) We're also open to considering remote or alternative locations across Australia for the right candidate.

We're Goodstart

At Goodstart, we're all about laying the foundation for better lives through amazing early learning experiences, and we know that we can't do that without great people

Centre directors, educators, and centre support teams all we work together to make a real difference for children in the first five years.

We make a personal commitment at Goodstart to ensure children feel safe and are safe. Safety, health and wellbeing are more than just words to us, they are a promise we make to our children, our families and each other every day.

Goodstart is a national not-for-profit early childhood education and care provider with a vision for all of Australia's children to have the best possible start in life.

We are deeply committed to Reconciliation and creating an environment where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People feel connected and a strong sense of belonging. By weaving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives through all that we do, we aim to build knowledge and a deeper understanding of our First Nations People and culture for all in our team.

Supporting our people and protecting our children

At Goodstart we amplify and promote the voice and rights of children to ensure that all children can feel safe and be safe, and are safeguarded from child abuse, neglect and harm.

Safety is our number one priority.

At Goodstart we have an exciting and rewarding opportunity for a Child Protection Specialist to join our team. This role will provide highly skilled, strengths-based, case management and specialist support, ensuring children continue to access early childhood education and care. As the Child Protection Specialist, you will actively reinforce Goodstart's safeguarding approach with centre teams and support the implementation of the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

This opportunity is for you if you want to:

• Join a skilled and experienced national team focused on safeguarding and protecting children who may have experienced, abuse, neglect or harm.
• Have the opportunity to improve outcomes and make a difference for more than 70,000 children.
• Working with front line educators, teachers and Centre Directors in every state and territory to support and improve outcomes and experiences for children that have been the subject of a child abuse, neglect and harm notification.
• Contribute to the evidence base about what works best to support children at risk
• Work for an organisation that has an aspiration to be globally recognised for early years practice and high-quality early learning outcomes for children.
• Access unique opportunities for professional growth and development.
• Be a part of Goodstart's wider safety team.

Other benefits of joining our team include:

• Clinical supervision with an experienced supervisor is provided as part of this role to help establish effective self-care practices, continuing professional development and improved resilience
• Flexible work arrangements can be negotiated giving you choice about when and how work will be done in order to better manage your work and non-work needs
• Salary Packaging benefits which reduces your taxable income to increase take home pay
• Fitness Passport - access to gyms and pools for you and your family at a heavily discounted price
• Discounted health care and access to employee wellbeing program with BUPA
• Exclusive discounts on travel, gym memberships, Apple and Dell products, and more
• Free annual flu shot (optional)
• Option to purchase extra leave for even greater work life balance
• First Nations Support and Cultural Leave
• Gain significant investment in your growth and development with support, tools, training and experiences that will truly enhance the progress and outcomes for children in their earliest years

About you:

As an experienced child protection case worker, counsellor or social worker, you will have:

• A relevant degree/tertiary qualification
• Current Working with Children Check in your current state or territory
• Experience identifying and addressing child protection concerns and providing case management and specialist support.
• Ability to build rapport, communicate and work effectively with people from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
• Ability to work with front line staff (Centre Directors, educators and teachers) that have existing strong relationships with children to build their competency in supporting children and families that have been the subject of a child protection notification.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation in each state and territory across Australia, or deep experience in one state and the ability to rapidly acquire this knowledge
• Knowledge of the Child Safe Standards (state-based) and the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations
• High level written and verbal communication skills

How to apply

Click 'Apply Now' and submit your application.

We review applications as they are submitted. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible for your best chance to progress to the next stage of the process.

We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for all positions

Have a question? Contact our Talent Acquisition Team via email ***********

As a Child Safe Organisation, all of our candidates must have or obtain a valid working with children check.