Child Protection Conferencing Convenors are Nationally Accredited Mediators who chair court ordered child protection conferences in accordance with the Child Protection Act 1999 and Dispute Resolution Centres Act 1990.

These conferences involve parents and professional stakeholders coming together to discuss the future care of children assessed to be at risk of harm. The role has a high level of autonomy and is performed primarily at Courthouses or by telephone from home.

This is a casual role and quantity of work is dependent on court referrals.

Job details

The Dispute Resolution Branch provides services which assist people to resolve their disputes or train them to resolve disputes themselves. The four service streams include civil mediation, adult restorative justice conferencing, child protection conferencing and training. The Branch provides services across Queensland via six dispute resolution centres and comprises approximately 40 staff and a pool of casual mediators.

Your key responsibilities:

- Conduct conferences referred to the Child Protection Conferencing Unit in accordance with the provisions of the Child Protection Act 1999 (Qld) and DRB policy and procedures
- Facilitate constructive discussions between parties and assist parties to negotiate mutually acceptable settlement of their dispute in accordance with evidence based mediation practice and the facilitative model of mediation
- Neutrally assist parties to carefully consider their options through thorough reality testing
- Maintain impartiality and respect towards all participants regardless of personal views or feelings to any information revealed in the brief or conference
- Debrief with CPCU Coordinator or Manager as required
- Accurately complete court report and DRB reporting paperwork within established time frames
- Assist the Dispute Resolution Branch to achieve its key performance indicators
- Participate in performance review and convener professional development and keep a currency of mediation practice
- Support the CPCU manager in the implementation of change management through being open and adaptive to change and other business improvements

Qualifications and conditions:

The following are statutory requirements of the role (r107, Childrens Court Rules 2016 (Qld)):

- An ability to communicate effectively with a broad range of people including children and young people and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
- Knowledge and understanding of the issues and processes for the protection of children under the Child Protection Act 1999 (Qld). If considered the most suitable person for the role, the DRB will provide support regarding this requirement however existing knowledge and understanding will be highly regarded.
- Accreditation as a mediator under the National Mediation Accreditation Standards.

If considered the most suitable person for the role, the DRB will provide support regarding this requirement, however National Mediator accreditation and mediation experience will be highly regarded.

The role requires travel to various Courthouse locations and the ability to conduct conferences via telephone as well as completing conference documentation digitally. The successful applicant will require an open drivers licence, their own insured vehicle for travel to conference locations, mobile telephone and laptop.

We encourage and welcome applications from people with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with a disability, people who identify as part of the LGBTIQ+ community, women, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We are a workplace underpinned by the values of equity, diversity, respect and inclusion, and understand the importance of flexible working arrangements to better support the balance between work and life responsibilities.

This is a continuous applicant pool which will be used to recruit to our panel of Child Protection Conferencing convenors when the need to appoint new convenors is identified.

Please ensure you download all documents below and follow the instructions about how to apply.

Applications to remain current for 12 months.

Further information

We are committed to building inclusive cultures in the Queensland public sector that respect and promote human rights and diversity.

Please ensure you download all attachments and follow the instructions on how to apply.

**6 month continuous applicant pool**

Documents

Before applying for this vacancy please ensure you read the documents below.

• 630858 25 - Role Description (Word, 380KB)
  
  
  630858 25 - Applicant-Information-Package (Word, 359KB)