Family Services Practitioner - Home in Focus Program

Building connection, safety and wellbeing. Together. 

• Work locally in the Bayside Area and make a difference within our community


• Enjoy flexible work options and a great team culture


• 12 months Fixed Term contract (Parental Leave cover)


• Full-time position, 38-hours per week


• Level 5 SCHADS AWARD $105,577.68 FTE + Generous Salary Packaging + Super

Family Life is a recognised Employer of Choice. Work with us and be part of our supportive, people-focused culture.

The Opportunity

The Family Services Practitioner – Home in Focus Program will manage a caseload of children and young people, applying a strength-based, trauma-informed, and child-focused intervention to support their safety and well-being. A key focus of this role is to promote healing from family violence, strengthen healthy family functioning, and foster secure attachments. This role will work strongly alongside each family’s allocated Women’s Practitioner and Men’s Practitioner. Additionally, the Family Services Practitioner will support the repair of parent-child relationships affected by trauma, creating pathways for stability and connection within the family. The Family Services Practitioner’s role is aimed at ensuring children are meeting their developmental milestones, and that their needs are being met through direct work with them and their parents. 

Based at our Frankston, Sandringham and Hampton East sites (Bunurong Land), the Family Practitioner will also have the opportunity to work from home, as agreed on.

Key Responsibility Areas

The key responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Providing intake, assessment, individual and whole of family therapeutic intervention and case coordination of children and young people within the Home in Focus Program.


• Work after school hours may be required to ensure we can meet the needs of the children and young people.


• Providing person centred, trauma-informed interventions as per the Home in Focus manualised program for, this role will have a primary focus children and young people.


• Working with families by applying a range of service modalities including but not limited to; intake and assessment, a care team approach, group work, outreach case management and developing strong working relationships with key agencies such as Child Protection, schools and Maternal and Child Health Services.


• Increasing capacity of parents to meet their child’s health, safety and developmental needs, and to build self-resilience through linkages to community support, education, and training and employment opportunities.


• Promoting safety and stability through strong assessment, case plans and application of appropriate risk assessment frameworks.


• Conducting on-going risk assessments and developing safety plans to mitigate risk and ensure safety.


• Ensuring that the needs, risks and safety of children and young people always take priority.


• Sharing risk relevant information as per MARAM responsibilities, including internal Family Safety Advocate workers, other services providers and key stakeholders.


• Delivering services to quality standards, complying with relevant legislation and contractual requirements.


• Maintaining professional documentation and administrative systems according to program, stakeholder, organisational and legislative requirements, including planning and documentation of group and education programs


• Ensuring data is captured in a timely manner on relevant databases and reflective of Family Life’s data integrity standards.


• Attending and contributing to regular individual supervision and monthly reflective practice groups.

Our Ideal Candidate at Family Life

We are looking for a degree qualified (Social Work, Psychology, or similar Human Services qualification) and skilled individual who embodies the Family Life Way principles to deliver trauma informed support to our clients to achieve positive outcomes. Passionate about supporting at-risk families, you will ideally have experience working with infants, children and adolescents and their families, particularly those with various vulnerabilities such as family violence, trauma, mental health, and AOD. With a high level written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills, you also have working knowledge of the Child Youth and Families Act 2005.

Who we are

Family Life is a specialist family services provider that has worked with children, families and communities for more than 50 years. At Family Life, we believe every child deserves to thrive in a safe and healthy family environment. Our vision is to work with clients and partners to create capable communities, strong families and thriving children. 

Family Life is known for its innovation, impact and whole-of-community approach. Our teams are committed to transforming the lives of our clients and communities to build resilience and healthy relationships. 

Working at Family Life - more than just a job!

It’s the feeling of knowing that your work is contributing to making the community in which you live a better place and working with others who feel the same way.

Additionally, you will have access to:

• Flexible work options and a great team culture


• Salary packaging (receive up to an extra $18,500 in tax-free pay per year)


• Paid Wellbeing Leave


• Paid Study Leave


• Additional Paid Leave for End of Year Closedown


• Purchased Annual Leave Scheme


• Rostered Day Off Scheme for Eligible Employees


• Employee Assistance Program, a free and confidential counselling service for employees

How to Apply

A full position description is available on our careers page: Family Life Careers.

Please submit your confidential application including a CV and cover letter addressing the key selection criteria. 

For further information regarding the position please contact Caroline Stephens (Family Services Team Leader) on (03) 8599 5433.

Applications close: Tuesday 18th August

*We will be reviewing applications as they are received, therefore this role may close sooner if we find the right candidate.  Please apply now to ensure you do not miss out!

All offers of employment are subject to the Family Life Safety Screening process, including a Working with Children Check and Police Records Check.  Any person issued with a negative notice on their Working with Children Check will not be eligible for employment with Family Life.

Family Life values diversity and welcomes applicants who meet the position criteria, irrespective of race and ethnicity, colour, age, gender, gender identity, disability, religion and sexual orientation.

Family Life is a trauma informed organisation and recognises the unique skills, contributions and insights that come from lived experience.

Family Life is a 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. Family Life supports children to meet their potential and thrive. We do not tolerate neglect, mistreatment or abuse of any kind.