Child Protection Adviser – Family Accompaniment, STA – PLF At Palladium International

Job Description:

Child Protection Adviser – Family Accompaniment, STA – PLF

About Palladium:
Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with governments, businesses, and investors to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. With a team of more than 3,000 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of over 35,000 experts, we help improve economies, societies and, most importantly, people’s lives.

Project Overview:
The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme allows eligible Australian businesses to hire workers from 9 Pacific islands and Timor-Leste when there are not enough local workers available. Through the PALM scheme, eligible businesses can recruit workers for seasonal jobs for up to 9 months or for longer-term roles for be tween one and 4 years in unskilled, low-skilled and semi-skilled positions. This helps to fill labour gaps in rural and regional Australia and allows workers to develop skills and send income to support their families and communities.

The PALM scheme is administered by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) in partnership with the Pacific Labour Facility (PLF). DFAT and DEWR retain responsibility for key program aspects requiring government oversight, including program integrity and assurance, while working closely with responsible government agencies including the Department of Home Affairs, Australian Border Force, Attorney General’s Department and the Fair Work Ombudsman.

The Pacific Labour Facility works with DFAT and DEWR to support the administration of the PALM scheme and facilitate opportunities for Australian employers to connect with workers from the P acific and Timor-Leste. The PLF is managed by Palladium and has been established as a trusted intermediary in supporting Australia-Pacific circular labour mobility.

Role Overview:
The Child Protection Adviser – Family Accompaniment will be responsible for supporting the development and implementation of a new initiative to enable long term PALM scheme workers to bring their families to Australia. This will be delivered by the Pacific Labour Facility (PLF) in consultation with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR).

The initiative follows an announcement by the Australian Government in the October 2022 Federal Budget to enable an initial 200 PALM scheme workers’ families to arrive in the second half of 2023, to test settings and ensure appropriate supports are in place so that families have a positive experience while in Australia. Partners wi ll be permitted to work in Australia and children will be able to attend school.

The Child Protection Adviser – Family Accompaniment will develop a Child Protection Plan for the PALM scheme and identify procedures and supports for the Family Accompaniment initiative that meet Commonwealth legal and policy requirements and best practice in relation to Child Protection.

Responsibilities:

• Develop the PALM scheme Child Protection Plan as part of the implementation framework of the Family accompaniment initiative, as well as other required child protection procedural documentation, tools and related documents in line with the National Child Safe Standards and National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.
• Advise DFAT, DEWR, PLF staff and subcontractors on relevant policy and legislation relating to child exploitation and abuse, and obligations.
• Monitor ongoing legislative and policy changes by the Commonwealth, Australian states and territories and offshore jurisdictions that apply to the PALM scheme and revise documentation and training as required.
• Ensure child protection training and induction programs for relevant staff and subcontractors are in accordance with Australian Government requirements. This includes ensuring all program staff are aware of relevant child protection legislative and policy frameworks, Palladium’s Child Protection Policy and Code of Conduct.
• Assist in the communication of all Child Protection issues and procedural changes to external partners including Approved Employers and Partner Governments to ensure awareness, understanding and consistency of application of the policy.
• Monitor and assess child protection risks across the program and contribute to the development of risk management strategies where appropriate (this may require international and/or domestic travel).

Requirements:

• A Masters Degree in Social Sciences or equivalent qualification in relevant field.
• 10-15 years relevant work experience at a similar level in Child Protection field.
• Knowledge of strategic planning processes and theories of Child Protection.
• Understanding of Australian legislation and policy in relation to Child Protection.
• Experience in the Pacific and Timor-Leste and/or a demonstrated understanding of Pacific and Timorese cultures.
• Excellent research, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills
• Ability to work independently and demonstrate sound judgement.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion, particularly in a cross-cultural context.

The Child Protection Adviser – Family Accompaniment position is a short-term assignment requiring 90 days of input up until December 2023.

You must have valid Australian work rights to be considered for this position – visa sponsorship is not available.

Applications close on 20 April 2023 and will be assessed on a rolling basis.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion – We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity, religion, ethnicity, sexual ori entation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.

Safeguarding – We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.