About the Organisation

Make a real difference in the lives of vulnerable Australians with this unique opportunity to provide both corporate expertise and community support. With a focus on people, not profit, Life Without Barriers’ corporate services team partners with our direct support staff, clients, and their families to ensure we continue our mission to change lives for the better.  If a truly inclusive, collaborative, and fast-paced work environment sounds like your next career move, this is an opening not to be missed.

Life Without Barriers is a leading social purpose organisation of 8,000 employees working in more than 500 communities across Australia. We support children, young people and families, people with disability, older people, and people with mental illness. We work with people who are homeless and refugees and asylum seekers.  Join a community of people dedicated to breaking down barriers.

We want to employ people who reflect the diversity of our clients to ensure we can support each client's individual needs and wants. We encourage people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background and people with disability to apply.

About the role

This is a new role reporting to the Manager National Reporting and Assurance. You will play a key role in the restrictive practice authorisation scheme and will be LWB’s delegate for the authorisation of restrictive practices in the relevant jurisdictions.

Adhering to national and state requirements and ensuring that restrictive practices are only authorised where appropriate behaviour assessment, support and interventions have been demonstrated, and the restrictive practice is included in a Behaviour Support Plan.

This is a permanent full-time role, preferred location is South Australia, however applicants in other locations will be considered. 

 Key Responsibilities

• Perform the relevant Authorised Program Officer (APO) legislative requirements and authorise regulated restrictive practice in accordance with the legislative requirements
• Ensure behaviour support plans detail the least restrictive practice option with an aim to reduce and eliminate restrictive practice where possible
• Meet any training and reporting requirements for APO’s
• Develop, implement and support processes to ensure compliance with relevant legislation, policy, directions and data systems when reviewing and authorising regulated restrictive practices
• Undertake thematic analysis of behaviour support plans and restrictive practices, identifying trends and patterns to support improving client outcomes
• Establish and provide data and reports
• Work collaboratively with behaviour support practitioners to ensure quality behaviour support plans are provided that LWB is able to implement to provide great outcomes for our clients

Skills & Experience

• Tertiary qualification relevant to allied health, nursing, education, or a disability-specific or behaviour-specific discipline
• Extensive experience and understanding of restrictive practices, legislation, the NDIS Practice Standards and positive behaviour support planning.
• Extensive experience and knowledge in the planning, development, implementation, evaluation, and monitoring of behaviour interventions and supports.
• Comprehensive working knowledge of relevant legislation including the NDIS (Restrictive Practices and Behaviour Support) Rules 2018, the National Framework for Reducing and Eliminating the use of Restrictive Practices in the Disability Service Sector (2014) and local jurisdictional legislation regarding restrictive practice authorisation.
• Knowledge of or experience in the assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of restrictive practices in the context of positive behaviour support plans with a commitment to human rights, person centred thinking principles and continuous improvement.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Familiar with trauma-informed practices, client-centred approaches and the impact of colonisation and systemic racism for Aboriginal people.
• Sound understanding of child development and developmental trauma

Successful candidates will be required to clear probity checks including National Criminal History Record Check and Working with Children Check (where relevant to the role).

Benefits

• Join one of Australia’s largest social purpose organisations
• Permanent full time – location preferred SA however can be located NSW, QLD or VIC
• Monthly rostered days off and salary packaging benefits

How to Apply

Include your resume and covering letter in one document, click ‘Apply’ and follow the prompts.

For any enquiries including persons with disability that require adjustments, contact Debra Neil at [email protected] using the subject line: Authorised Program Officer - Restrictive Practices enquiry via EthicalJobs.

To be considered for and appointed to a position at Life Without Barriers, you must be vaccinated against COVID-19 or hold a valid medical exemption certificate.  You will be required to provide evidence of your vaccination status during the recruitment process.

We are dedicated to playing our part to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and bring continuity of care and support to our clients. With this in mind, if you are successful, we will discuss with you an alternative to a face to face interview.

Life Without Barriers supports the Royal Commission into violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability. We believe people with disability need to be heard and for these experiences to influence how support services like ours are delivered. View our statement here https://bit.ly/2GzZGWA