The Child Protection Liaison Officer (CPLO) position is a leadership role that promotes and supports professional advice, mentorship and education regarding Child Protection issues to ensure positive client outcomes. This is contingent on the provision of high-quality services that facilitate effective communication, liaison and negotiation between Canberra Health Services, including North Canberra Hospital (NCH) and Canberra Hospital (CH), Women, Youth & Children Community Health Program and the Office for Children, Youth and Family (CYF) in the Community Services Directorate (CSD).

The successful applicant will have leadership and liaison skills, high level interpersonal and representation skills and experience clinical systems. They will work with relative autonomy, to facilitate cross directorate collaboration and communication pathways which improve child safety. Due to their position within CHS and CYF, this role holds a position of influence to support children, families and staff in this arena.

The applicant must be skilled in understanding the developmental and psychosocial needs of children who have experienced abuse and neglect, and the systems which support them. They will be comfortable in delivering training on the subject of child protection within a health context and providing professional practice with advanced level decision making skills in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team. This is a rewarding and exciting position that will require someone with the ability to be flexible and responsive.

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following.

• Provide specialized expertise in child safety and safeguarding, leadership and guidance to CHS staff across a range of clinical areas.
• Contribute to reports and strategic advice based on Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) as they pertain to matters of child safety, including CHS policy and risk management of vulnerable children.
• Participate as a member of a multi-disciplinary team in the Enhanced Child Health Services including supporting service, policy, and clinical standards development.
• Benchmark, review and analyse data and undertake Quality Improvement and/or research activities that support a child-safe culture.
• Lead the implementation of child safe, child friendly and child aware policy, teaching, training and promotional activities to enhance the health response to child protection matters.
• Contribute to a positive workplace culture by building collegial professional relationships and demonstrating a commitment to proactively seeking solutions when issues arise.
• Support clinical supervision with a strong focus on staff support and wellbeing within Paediatrics.
• Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification which contribute to the operation of the organisation.

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following.

• Advanced level of autonomous clinical and professional practice.
• Demonstrated experience and capability in developing and maintaining strong, positive working relationships within Canberra Health Services and externally.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver strong clinical, communication and leadership skills, and an ability to work independently and within a team environment.
• Adaptability and flexibility to accommodate change and provide responsive services to meet clients’ needs.
• Enact strategies that support a work-based culture that promotes and supports education, learning, research and workforce development and decision making.
• Applies operational leadership and principles of clinical governance.

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following.

Essential

• Be registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) as a Registered Nurse.

Desirable

• Have an understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) indicators align with this role.

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following.

Essential

• A minimum of 5 years’ experience working professionally in a relevant field such as Maternal and Child Health, Paediatrics or Child Protection.

Desirable

• Prior experience in the area of child protection is an advantage
• Fulfil the responsibilities of this role in alignment to the CHS Exceptional Care Framework and all other related frameworks.

Appointment to this position is conditional on being granted and retaining appropriate clearances.

• Pre-employment National Police Check.
• Comply with Canberra Health Services Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination policy.

All employees are required to:

• adhere to the Canberra Health Services Values and the ACT Public Service Code of Conduct
• act in accordance and comply with all relevant Safety and Quality policies and procedures.
• Comply with all relevant clinical and/or competency standards.

CHS is leading the drive to digitally transform health service delivery in Australia through the implementation of a territory wide Digital Health Record. Computer literacy skills are required which are relevant to this role as you will be responsible for completing required documentation and becoming a proficient user of the Digital Health Record and/or other Information Technology systems; once proficient, you will need to remain current with changes, updates, and contingencies.

These are the key selection criteria for how you will be assessed in conjunction with your resumé and experience.

1. Extensive experience working with families experiencing vulnerability; including demonstrated understanding of trauma informed practice, child abuse and neglect, and social determinants of health.
2. Good knowledge of, and ability to provide specialist consultation and strategic advice regarding, the relevant legislative, regulatory, policy and procedural frameworks for professionals across CHS in respect of child protection reporting and safeguarding. This includes analysis and reporting against agreed KPI’s.
3. Demonstrated high level communication skills, both written and verbal and the ability to establish effective internal and external partnerships.
4. Demonstrate an excellent knowledge of CHS child protection policy and procedure, alongside awareness of the role played by CYF in responding to reports of child harm and abuse.
5. Demonstrates understanding of, and adherence to, safety and quality standards, Work Health and Safety and the positive patient experience. Displays behaviour consistent with CHS’s values of reliable, progressive, respectful, and kind.

The following work environment description outlines the inherent requirements of the role and indicates how frequently each of these requirements would need to be performed. Please note that the ACT Public Service is committed to providing reasonable adjustments and ensuring all individuals have equal opportunities in the workplace.

Administrative	Frequency		Travel	Frequency
Telephone use	Frequently		Frequent travel – multiple work sites	Frequently
General computer use	Frequently		Frequent travel – driving	Frequently
Extensive keying/data entry	Frequently
Graphical/analytical based	Frequently		Physical demands	Frequency
Sitting at a desk	Frequently		Distance walking (large buildings or inter-building transit)	Frequently
Standing for long periods	Occasionally		Working outdoors	Occasionally

Psychosocial demands	Frequency
Distressed People e.g. Emergency or grief situations	Frequently
Aggressive & Uncooperative People e.g. drug / alcohol, dementia, mental illness	Frequently
Unpredictable People e.g. Dementia, mental illness, head injuries	Frequently
Restraining e.g. involvement in physical containment of clients/consumers	Never
Exposure to Distressing Situations e.g. Child abuse, viewing dead / mutilated bodies; verbal abuse; domestic violence; suicide	Frequently

Specific hazards	Frequency
Working at heights	Never
Exposure to extreme temperatures	Never
Operation of heavy machinery e.g. forklift	Never
Confined spaces	Never
Excessive noise	Never
Low lighting	Never
Handling of dangerous goods/equipment e.g. gases; liquids; biological.	Never
Slippery or uneven surfaces	Never

Manual handling	Frequency
Lifting 0 – 9kg	Occasionally
Lifting 10 – 15kg	Never
Lifting 16kg+	Never
Climbing	Never
Running	Never
Reaching	Never
Kneeling	Occasionally
Foot and leg movement	Never
Hand, arm and grasping movements	Never
Bending/squatting	Occasionally
Bend/Lean Forward from Waist/Trunk twisting	Never
Push/pull	Never
Sequential repetitive movements in a short amount of time	Never