Family Life
Team Leader
Infant and Family
Position Description
May 2017
Vision
Capable communities, strong families, thriving children
Mission
Through effective services, support and connections, enable children, young people and
families to thrive in caring communities.
Values
Respect: We acknowledge and value the human and legal right of all individuals
Inclusion: We maximise the opportunities for individuals and families to participate in local
and broader communities
Community: We understand Family Life exists as part of a network of relationships and
interactions
Empowerment: We encourage and strengthen individuals, families and communities
Preamble
Family Life is an independent, entrepreneurial community service organisation, offering a
range of services, support and community building services. Family Life’s work is
acknowledged at all government levels for our innovation, impact and whole of community
approach. Priority is given to vulnerable families, children and young people. Since its
foundation in 1970 volunteers and community supporters have played a crucial role in the
organisation.
Family Life is a youth and child safe organisation. We value, respect, and listen to children
and young people. We are committed to the safety of all children and young people including
the cultural safety of Aboriginal children and young people, culturally and/or linguistically
diverse children and young people, gender and sexually diverse children and young people
and children and young people with a disability.
Family Life supports children to meet their potential and thrive. We do not tolerate neglect,
mistreatment or abuse of any kind.
The Team Leader Child & Family will be based at Cheltenham. From time to time the
incumbent may be requested to work from, or be based at, other Family Life sites.
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Key Objectives
1. To lead the infant programs through practice development, program development,
evaluation and acquittal.
2. To advocate for the needs of vulnerable children across all service activities and ensuring
best practice in responding to children in families with complex needs and child protection
concerns.
3. To ensure delegated service responsibilities are delivered to quality standards, comply
with relevant legislation and achieve contract requirements.
4. To promote the work of Family Life in delegated forums to enhance the organisation’s
capacity to respond to needs and promote wellbeing.
Accountability
The Team Leader- Child and Family Team is accountable to the CEO through the allocated
line manager.
Performance Review
All staff are required to participate in Performance Plan and Review meetings and
development of an Individual Development Plan (IDP).
Key Responsibilities
1. Team leadership
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To lead the infant and family team at Family Life. This currently includes the IFS team,
Community Bubs and the Cradle to Kinder program.
Delegate strategies, activities and targets to team members for collective and individual
implementation.
Supervision of team members, students and volunteers to deliver allocated service
responsibilities.
Document knowledge and information developed by the team for continuous improvement
and transfer across the organisation.
Ensure delegated service responsibilities are delivered to the quality and accountability
requirements of the organisation.
Manage team member’s performance to promote individual attitude and competency to
achieve the team outputs.
Enable practitioners to deliver community centred, strengths based, systems theory,
attachment and trauma informed model of integrated services.
Lead quality assurance processes and develop responses to best practice guidelines
including innovation of current processes to better respond to agency requirements and
community need.
Conduct annual position reviews and performance appraisals as required.
Provide progress reports to line manager against the Work Plan in line with agreed Key
Performance Indicators (KPIs).
2. Service Coordination and Delivery
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Maintain professional conduct as per relevant professional and organisational codes of
ethics.
Supervise a team of employed staff, students and volunteers to deliver case management,
community development, group work and service delivery practices
Participate and support staff in the responsibilities of Duty, Intake and Case Allocation
system to required performance and outcome criteria.
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Ensure delivery of allocated program responsibilities for infant and family service and
wider IFS teams.
Monitor practitioner caseloads.
Monitor client data entry and reporting to required standards.
Oversee case planning, monitoring and review with children, families and practitioners.
Coordinate supervision and professional development for team members.
Participate in the delivery of the organisation’s individual, family and group services
programs.
Work closely with VACCA and other relevant stakeholders to ensure integrated practice
and cultural competence of programs
3. Service Development
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Review client feedback and community information to identify emerging community needs.
Encourage innovation in program development in response to community needs.
Ensure and support staff to achieve best practice and work within an evidence base model
of support.
Assist with the promotion of the program.
4. Service Evaluation and improvement
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Supervise implementation of the outcomes of organisational service evaluations and
performance reviews.
Participate in service audits and quality reviews.
Assist team members to meet identified service improvements.
Be proactive in relation to own professional development and supervision.
Participate in an annual performance review.
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Compliance with the organisation’s Program Planning and Evaluation Framework
Meeting KPI’s for research and evaluation data and surveys
5. Community Relationship building
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Represent the organisation in appropriate service networking and service development
forums as required.
Participate in appropriate community development activities.
Be proactive in stakeholder relationship development.
6. Organisational development
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Contribute to the planning activities of Family Life.
Attend appropriate internal and external meetings.
Contribute to and grow the organisation’s leadership team.
Other
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Perform other duties consistent with the position as required by the organisation and
consistent with meeting the contractual and compliance obligations of the organsiation as
these may vary over time.
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Key Selection Criteria
Essential
Qualifications
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Degree in Social Work or Psychology or equivalent tertiary human services qualification.
Eligibility for membership of A.A.S.W., M.A.P.S. or equivalent professional body preferred.
Experience
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Demonstrated leadership experience leading a team to maintain a high level of
performance and innovation.
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Experience in providing professional supervision, training and performance management
for practitioners trained in social work, psychology, family therapy and community
development.
Experience in working with families where there are risk and protective concerns and
complex needs.
Direct experience in risk assessment and management of risk due to family violence.
Experience in working alongside universal services to develop case plans for families with
infants and children.
Work with infants, children and their families using a family inclusive and community
based approach.
Delivering successful goal oriented services with families subject to statutory Child
Protection intervention.
Involvement in evidence based practice development, social innovation and continuous
learning.
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Experience in delivery of related services.
Skills
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Skills in risk assessment and strengths based service delivery.
Capacity to apply systems theory, attachment theory, trauma informed practice and
strengths based practice.
Ability to deliver a range of prevention and intervention services to a high professional
standard.
Ability to work collaboratively across programs, organisations and systems.
Highly effective interpersonal communication and conflict resolution skills.
Ability to prepare written reports and maintain records to a high standard.
Ability to manage time effectively and efficiently.
Ability to embrace new technology to enhance productivity and effectiveness
Capacity to work independently and as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
Computer skills (intermediate level, or above), including word processing, data collection
and entry, internet and email.
Ability to embrace new technology to enhance productivity and effectiveness
Knowledge
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Knowledge of current child protection, family violence and family law systems.
Knowledge of integrated and holistic approaches in the current literature.
Knowledge of research in relation to improving outcomes with at risk children and families.
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Knowledge of infant development and support strategies for families in the peri and postnatal period.
Knowledge of infant mental health and the ability to transfer this into practice
Systems, family, and child protection theories and research.
Attachment theory, trauma informed practice and strengths based practice.
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Working knowledge of universal, secondary and tertiary service systems.
Attributes
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Commitment to innovation, best practice development and community development.
Employs an ethical and professional approach to practice.
Ability to articulate and reflect upon personal and professional values.
Ability to motivate and build a high performing team work environment.
Commitment to meeting the needs of at-risk families, children and youth, guided by the
organisation’s whole of family approach and community based model of service delivery.
Commitment to social innovation and learning organisation disciplines.
 Commitment to team work and working with volunteers
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Capacity to work with ambiguity and uncertainty in the context of ongoing environmental
change and complex problems for vulnerable members of the community.
Appetite to embrace personal reflection and coaching to enable effective leadership
development.
Desirable
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Experience in working with clients who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
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Experience in working with clients from CALD backgrounds
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Fluency in a second language, other than English.
Additional Information
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Must have current driver’s license valid in Victoria.
Family Life is a youth and child safe organisation. We value, respect, and listen to
children and young people.
Any offer of employment is subject to a satisfactory Police Records check and
Employment Working with Children check.
Family Life is committed to providing a safe, healthy and friendly working environment
free of discrimination.
We expect all staff and volunteers to understand and behave in accordance with our
mission, values and code of conduct.
We pride ourselves on being flexible and family-friendly wherever possible, and
operate a Time in Lieu system for the mutual benefit of staff and the organisation.
Family Life encourages and provides for personal and professional development
appropriate to the position.
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