Practice Lead

• Join Victoria's Youth Justice Precinct at Parkville.
• Lead a team of Behaviour Support Specialists supporting the rehabilitation of young people in custody
• Contribute to improving the outcomes of young people's futures.

The Department of Justice and Community Safety is responsible for the statutory supervision of young people in the criminal justice system in Victoria focussing on prevention, diversion, and early intervention as the most effective and fiscally responsible ways of reducing youth crime.

Youth Justice Custodial Centres accommodate young people aged 10-18 years who have been remanded or sentenced by the Criminal Division of the Children's Court, and some 18-21 year olds sentenced by Adult Courts to a Youth Justice Custodial Centre.

Rehabilitation Services is a specialist program area at the Parkville Youth Justice Precinct and Cherry Creek Youth Justice Precinct that provides young people in custody with offence-specific, offence-related and psychosocial intervention services to support their rehabilitation, manage complex behaviours in custody and support their reintegration into the community.

The opportunity

• Fixed-Term, full-time position till 30/09/2027 based in Parkville Melbourne (initially based at Melbourne CBD).
• VPS 5 role: $113,022 - $136,747 per year plus super.
• Lead a multi-disciplinary team of staff delivering psychosocial programs and individual interventions to support the management of a young person's behaviour in custody and reintegration into the community.
• Provide high quality supervision and access to professional development, developing and maintaining a culture that supports best practice.
• Lead the capacity building of unit staff through developing their skills and confidence to manage and intervene with positive behaviour strategies to manage young people in custody with highly complex behaviours
• Oversee the development of individualised strategies, interventions and plans that are person centred, responsive to the young people's needs, and assist in reducing the occurrence and impact of behaviours of concern.

To be successful in this role you will have

• Experience in leading a multi-disciplinary team to deliver interventions and services to complex client groups
• Specialist expertise in working directly with young people presenting with multiple and complex needs, including offending behaviour, trauma, substance use and mental health issues.
• Competence in delivering practice supervision

You will be required to obtain a Working with Children Check (WWCC) to be maintained by the employee for the period of employment.

To learn more about the type of skills you will need to thrive in this role, please read the position description.

What's in it for you?

You will be working for the Department of Justice and Community Safety, which is one arm of the Victorian State Government, a recognised top employer of choice nationally. All our staff work to the vision of a safe, just, innovative and thriving Victoria.

There are many advantages in working for the department, including:

• Job stability - position as a member of the Victorian Public Service (VPS).
• A fair salary- enjoy great work conditions and salary sacrificing options.
• Transparent performance framework- approach your work with confidence in how you're tracking, working to professional development plans agreed on by you and your manager.
• Generous leave entitlements- provisions for many forms of leave; including personal, parental, carers, study, cultural, compassionate, and sick leave.
• Employee Assistance Program support - you are encouraged to use this short-term, confidential counselling service if you're experiencing emotional stress, relationship problems, conflict with others or personal issues. It is also available for financial counselling and retirement planning.

If you have any queries, please contact Elise Robinson on or

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applicants are welcome to utilise support from the Aboriginal Recruitment Team throughout the recruitment process. Aboriginal candidates are encouraged to contact if they would like cultural support and guidance through the application process.

For Aboriginal Designated and Prioritised positions, a Certificate of Aboriginality (CoA) will be required prior to an offer of employment being made

We want to make sure all Victorians feel represented by the department's work. One of the ways we do this is by recruiting a diverse workforce - we welcome people of any gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability and cultural background. We are also committed to the Victorian Government's promise to increase the number of veterans working in the public sector.

We're proud of our individual differences. We're proud of the many languages we speak and the stories we can share with each other. We hope you will share your story too.

If this sounds like a compelling job that you believe your skills would be a great match for, please APPLY NOW. Applications close 11.59pm, Wednesday 24 September 2025.

How to apply

Please click the Apply button on this advertisement. Applications should include a resume and covering letter. Attachments can be uploaded in .doc, .docx, .pdf, .txt or .rtf formats.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo pre-employment checks which may include national police checks and misconduct screening.

If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process, or require an alternative format to any of the application material, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the contact person listed on this ad.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

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.