About the Office of the Guardian for Children and Young People

The Office of the Guardian for Children and Young People (OGCYP) is an independent body that promotes and advocates for the rights and best interests of children and young people who are:

• under the guardianship of the Chief Executive of the Department for Child Protection; and/or
• sentenced or remanded to detention in the Adelaide Youth Training Centre (AYTC).

We provide advocacy on individual and systemic issues, as well as monitoring safety and wellbeing for children and young people in care or detention.

In everything we do, we are committed to ensuring the voices of children and young people are heard, and their rights are upheld.

The OGCYP provides support for the Guardian for Children and Young People, who is an independent statutory officer appointed under the Children and Young People (Oversight and Advocacy Bodies Act. The Guardian also holds the roles of Training Centre Visitor, Child and Young Person’s Visitor and Youth Treatment Orders Visitor.

More information about each of these roles and the work of the OGCYP is available on the Guardian’s website here.

About the role

The Senior Policy Advisor is an important team member who will lead and deliver complex policy analysis and provide expert advice to promote the rights and best interests of children and young people in care and/or youth detention.

The role is also pivotal in building, maintaining and partnering with the OGCYP’s diverse stakeholder networks – across government and non-government organisations, community groups, higher education institutions, other independent statutory bodies and children and young people with experience of care and/or youth detention.

The Senior Policy Advisor works within a small team providing policy, communications and engagement support to the Guardian. In addition to delivering policy and stakeholder engagement outcomes, the team is centred on promoting the views of children and young people with experience of out-of-home care and youth detention in systems and policy reform.

In accordance with legislative responsibilities, the OGCYP pays particular attention in our work to the needs and circumstances of:

• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and young people,
• those who have a physical, psychological or intellectual disability and/or
• those who have or are alleged to have experienced sexual abuse.

In addition, we are committed to promoting the rights of culturally and linguistically diverse children and young people, and those who identify as LGBTIQA+.

Qualifications

Essential: Tertiary qualification in an appropriate discipline (e.g., public policy and administration, law, psychology, social sciences) or equivalent relevant, high-level experience.

Desirable: Nil

Special conditions

• The successful applicant is required to gain a Department for Human Services (DHS) child-related employment screening prior to being employed, which is required to be renewed every five years before expiry.
• The incumbent will be required to undertake Safe Environments for Children and Young People ‘Through their eyes’ training course and update as necessary.
• A flexible approach to the taking of leave is required.
• Out of hours work may be required.
• Inter and Intra-state travel may be required.
• The incumbent will be required to achieve mutually agreed performance targets.

Enquiries

Enquiries can be directed to Lauren Macaulay, Principal Strategic Advisor, via tel: (08) 8226 8570 or email: [email protected] using the subject line: Senior Policy Advisor enquiry via EthicalJobs.

Application instructions

Applications should be made through the IWorkForSA website.

Applicants are required to submit a CV, the Application Cover Sheet, Employment Declaration, and a cover letter of no more than two pages addressing the key competencies in the attached position description.

People of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent and/or those who have a disability are strongly encouraged to apply.

Additional note

This is a full-time contract role (1.0 FTE), initial 12-month term contract.

A position description is attached.

Please view the How to Apply PS Act guidelines here and the Application Cover Sheet - PS Act here.

Flexibility Statement

The South Australian public sector promotes diversity and flexible ways of working including part-time. Applicants are encouraged to discuss the flexible working arrangements for this role.