At the Department of Justice and Community Safety, we’re 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 young people and recognises that young peoples’ rights need to be respected, their views welcomed and valued, and their concerns taken seriously and acted upon.

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.

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

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

• Full time ongoing opportunity available at the Parkville or Malmsbury Youth Justice Precinct
• Salary range $73,842 – $84,917 plus superannuation
• Work with Aboriginal children and young people in custody providing cultural support and programs to the children, young people, family and community
  
  

This is an Aboriginal Designated Position, classified under 'special measures' of section 12 of the Equal Opportunity Act 2010. Only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are eligible to apply.

About us

The Department of Justice and Community Safety's Youth Justice Division is responsible for the supervision of children and young people in the criminal justice system and for providing strategic advice and delivering strategic outcomes to address youth crime and reduce offending.

Youth Justice Custodial Services is responsible for managing the two Youth Justice Custodial Precincts in Victoria, located in Parkville and Malmsbury. 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.

Aboriginal Youth Justice is responsible for ensuring all Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and young people in custody are managed in a culturally safe manner and that cultural support is provided. They are also responsible for community programs, policy development and implementation in relation to Youth Justice Community Services.

About the role

As an Aboriginal Liaison Officer, you will engage and work with Aboriginal children and young people in custody, providing culturally specific support and programs to these children and young people, their families and communities.

You will advocate for Aboriginal children and young people in custody, involve family members and the community in cultural support and transition planning and develop and maintain Cultural Support Plans. You will also provide input into care teams and to custodial staff to ensure that Aboriginal cultural rights are upheld.

This position can be based at either the Parkville or Malmsbury Youth Justice Precincts, though regular travel between precincts may be required.

To be successful in this role you will:

• Have knowledge and understanding of the Victorian Aboriginal Community, both society and culture and the issues impacting on it.
• The ability to communicate sensitively and effectively with members of the Victorian Aboriginal community.
• Provide individualised cultural and practical support for Aboriginal children and young people in custody through identifying their strengths, aspirations and obtainable goals for returning to a non-offending lifestyle in their community.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with a range of relevant Elders, community and professional groups to maximize their input to service development.
• Provide secondary consultation to staff to assist them to appropriately respond to the needs of Aboriginal children and young people.
• The Aboriginal Liaison Officer role requires participation on a weekly rotating standby/on-call roster.

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

For more information on the accountabilities and key selection criteria for the role, please refer to the attached 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 – ongoing 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 Brooke Nam at Brooke.Nam@justice.vic.gov.au or Monica Tulloch at Monica.Tulloch@justice.vic.gov.au

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.

The Department of Justice and Community Safety is continually working towards increasing our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Aboriginal) workforce. The Aboriginal Workforce Unit aims to attract, recruit and retain Aboriginal staff across all our roles. This support includes a culturally appropriate attraction and recruitment process. To learn more, email aboriginalworkforce@justice.vic.gov.au

We have various staff support networks in place including a state-wide Aboriginal Staff Network, Aboriginal Youth Network and regional Aboriginal Staff Networks. These networks assist in developing and retaining Aboriginal staff through peer support, professional and personal development, establishing connections and providing valuable cultural peer support from other Aboriginal staff members.

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 9 April 2023.

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.

For Designated Positions:

This is an Aboriginal Designated Position, classified under 'special measures' of section 12 of the Equal Opportunity Act 2010. Only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are eligible to apply. 

FOR INTERNAL VPS EMPLOYEES:

• For this particular vacancy, priority consideration applies to Victorian Public Service (VPS) and select employees of the Victorian Public Sector who apply through the Jobs Skills Exchange (JSE) jobs board platform.
• For all VPS employees, due to the new Jobs Skills Exchange (JSE) policy, please apply through the JSE to be eligible to be considered for this position in the first round.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: