Join Our Growing Team at Holstep Health!

Applications Close: 07/08/2026

• Position: Strengthening Families Practitioner
• Location: Coburg
• Work Type: Full - Time
• Employment Type: Fixed Term Full Time

Brief Description:

Join the Family Services Team at Holstep Health and be part of a supportive and values-driven organisation. This role is based in Coburg and offers a range of benefits, including salary packaging and the flexibility to work from home one day per week. The organisation is committed to fostering a positive and collaborative work culture, while also providing ongoing career progression and professional development opportunities.

YOUR NEW ROLE:

The Strengthening Families Practitioner coordinates the provision of in-home support to vulnerable children, young people, and their families, delivering a range of services including case management, counselling, community linkages, parenting skill development, and group work within the Strengthening Families platform. This work prioritises the best interests of the child or young person within the context of their family and community.

The Practitioner adopts a strengths-based and outcomes-focused approach, tailoring strategies and interventions to ensure they are culturally safe, inclusive, and respectful of diversity. Grounded in evidence-based practice, the role involves working collaboratively with children, young people, and families to deliver timely, responsive, and sustained interventions that strengthen family functioning and safety. This includes supporting families to address risk factors and build protective capacities.

Working in partnership with families through a child-centred framework, the Practitioner delivers comprehensive assessment, care team planning, and safety and risk management, alongside targeted parenting strategies that promote resilience, stability, and self-determination. Practice is relational, adaptable, and responsive to the evolving needs of families.

The Practitioner works closely with Child Protection, The Orange Door, Youth Justice, and partner agencies to ensure coordinated, culturally safe, and integrated service delivery.

In addition to the Strengthening Families program, the role may also support the delivery of Restoring Families response, providing intensive, wrap-around interventions to families with higher levels of risk, including those at risk of children entering or re-entering out-of-home care or requiring reunification support.

The Holstep Health Strengthening Families program is delivered in partnership with the Hume Merri-bek Child and Family Alliance, contributing to a collaborative and integrated service system response.

YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR:

Responsibilities Direct Service to Clients:

• Coordinate delivery of the Strengthening Families Program in accordance with the Strengthening Families Guidelines, applying sound professional judgement within a legislative framework.
• Provide assertive in-home outreach to engage children, young people, and families, using flexible and responsive approaches to support participation and sustained engagement.
• Undertake comprehensive child and family assessments, including MARAM-aligned family violence risk assessment and management, and develop, implement, monitor, and review case plans to support safety, stability, and wellbeing outcomes.
• Deliver and coordinate complex family casework, including goal setting, action planning, risk assessment, and review processes to support effective service responses.
• Establish, facilitate, and contribute to Care Teams to ensure coordinated, integrated service delivery across internal and external stakeholders.
• Monitor risk and wellbeing of children and young people, exercising appropriate escalation and liaison with the Team Leader and Child Protection as required.
• Provide counselling, mediation, and parenting support to strengthen family functioning, relationships, and capacity for change.
• Build parental capacity through coaching, modelling, and targeted skill development to support sustainable outcomes.
• Maintain effective collaboration with internal and external services to ensure culturally safe, inclusive, coordinated, and integrated service responses.

Community Development and Training

• Participate in appropriate Hume Merri-Bek Family Services Alliance activities as directed.
• Contribute to health promotion activities that promote family health and wellbeing.
• Contribute and advise on the program review initiatives to ensure it is meeting community needs.
• Contribute to the planning, delivery and evaluation of community education activities.

Quality, Reporting and Professional Practice

• Work collaboratively within an integrated Family Services model partnering with colleagues and external services to ensure coordinated, holistic support for children and families.
• Maintain accurate, timely and professional documentation including reports, case notes, service records and data collection in accordance with organisational and legislative requirements.
• Undertake professional development and supervision in accordance with annual work plan developed in consultation with team leader.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of sector developments and best practice.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant legislation, funding guidelines, service standards and contractual obligations.
• Practice complies with professional registration, and delegated scope of practice.
• Undertake fortnightly supervision.
• Contribute to the planning, delivery and evaluation of group work programs.

Other Duties

• Participate in annual staff and program reviews.
• Work within the Restoring Families platform as required, delivering intensive, evidence-based interventions.
• Undertake any reasonable additional tasks as directed by Holstep Health.

WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED:

Essential

• Tertiary qualification in Social Work, Psychology, or equivalent as determined by Holstep Health.
• Two or three years' experience in Child Protection and/or Family Services, with demonstrated experience supporting families with complex needs.
• Demonstrated experience in counselling, casework, and case management with vulnerable children, young people, and families.
• Demonstrated ability to assess, analyse, and respond appropriately to risk for children and young people.
• Advanced knowledge and application of the Best Interests Case Practice Model and the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 and associated amendments.
• Knowledge of child development, trauma-informed practice, and attachment theory.
• Knowledge and application of strengths-based approaches when working with vulnerable children and families.
• Knowledge and understanding of the MARAM Framework and practice guidelines.
• Working knowledge of the Child Protection system, relevant legislation, and service pathways.
• Highly developed interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated understanding of the needs, experiences, and cultural considerations of people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Desirable

• Experience in developing, facilitating and evaluating group Programs
• Specialist professional development or post -Graduate training in a relevant field e.g. family therapy, infant mental health.
• A second relevant community language.
• Experience working in the Northern Metropolitan Region.

WHAT WE OFFER:

At Holstep Health, we foster an inclusive and flexible workplace where you can grow and develop. We offer:

• Generous salary packaging
• Flexible work arrangements
• Opportunities for additional leave

HOW TO APPLY:
Please submit the following:

• A cover letter
• Your resume, including two recent referees
• A response to the key selection criteria outlined in the position description.

You can submit your application via the platform or email your CV and cover letter to jobs@holstephealth.org.au.

Important Recruitment Notice:
Holstep Health will only contact candidates via an official email address ending in @holstephealth.org.au. Any requests for personal information will only occur at the appropriate stage of the recruitment and onboarding process and will be issued via secure systems.

At Holstep Health, we celebrate diversity and inclusion and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, religions, sexual orientations, ages and genders. We value the unique perspectives each individual brings to our team.