psychologist

child protection specialist

client services

case worker

project officer

Department of Communities and Justice

Though training would be provided, it's about learning on the job. Working with offenders could be sometimes easy but usually challenging as they are mostly full of negativity and abusive behavior. Being empathetic but assertive is the key and identifying inmate's risks is pivotal. Huge workloads due to high crimes and existing staff are burnt out, so they need more staff but not many would prefer to work in this stressful job. Work-life balance is another issue which many would be disappointed after getting into the job. Still many enjoy this job, especially women. Change in policies and protocols are constant, hence it's constant learning. Having a supportive Unit Leader and Manager is luck. Writing reports is another big challenge. Recommended for those who have a strong attitude to withstand any negativity and determination to clear the assessments while managing a huge caseload. First-year assessments in the job will be grueling and too hard on many people. Self-care very important. 

Community Corrections has two types - either work in a suburb office where offenders report or in prison working with inmates. Always deal with crimes and the negative attitude of offenders. Not recommended for people who want to stay positive and balance their family life effectively. It will affect mental health pretty quickly, hence self-care is very important, or else leave the job. Managing a difficult caseload and completing assessments (Cert IV) with quality is impossible. Time management and organizational skills are crucial, but it's too hard to be on top of everything. Some managers and team members were supportive and it's about learning on the job. Initially would feel proud about keeping the community safe but soon that would vanish when you come across many challenging offenders' behaviors who are self-entitled and knows many loopholes. 

I went through my interview back in 2019. & my experience of working with the department was a very toxic environment. If you have good values and integrity and honesty it's certainly not a place that encourages growth and recognition if you have real morals and values.  They will only recognise those who are bent and corrupt like themselves...
I would never go back there after experiences how they operate

What is the best part of working at the company?
Some of the people are truly wonderful, supportive and knowledgeable of the work that is done. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The culture is dog eat dog and most managers are in it for themselves. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Flexible working is great, culturally it needs an overhaul of the dead wood employees that make the culture negative. The union is brought into so many  unnessacary meetings and most managers stab you in the back 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Stressful, work that needs to be done 5 months ago and always needed immediately

A typical day at work is to expect the unexpected. An employee can have their day mapped out and at any time throughout the day, there is a distraction that takes away from the plan and throws the day into chaos.
Through this I have gained excellent time management skills, and have come to the conclusion that I am only human and can only do so much in one day.
The hardest part of the job is when you pull out all the stops to get a task completed as a matter of urgency and it is deemed no longer required.
The most enjoyable part of the job is seeing a great outcome for the clients come into fruition.

I knew child protection would be hard, but I didn’t expect the politics, poor management, and bad work culture to make it so much harder. You get pushed and pushed until you burn out. You ask for support and you’re told that they need to speak to your GP to see if you have mental health issues. There is a complete lack of accountability by senior leadership and a complete disregard for caseworker wellbeing. Staff burnout is extreme and it’s rare for caseworkers to stay more than one year. I haven’t given the review one star because the flex days were good, and they help everyone get through another week without quitting. 

Limited to no job training, most employees are thrown in head first.
No consistency or schedule to training requirements.
Victimization and bullying of many employees.
Workplace culture is poor, no team environment, workplace is divided (very clicky).
Management is poor, dismissive, displaying inconsistency and genuine lack of support to some employees.
Unethical behavior displayed by senior members of staff.
Limited chance of career progression.

A highly stressful job. Many staff off with PTSD from accumulated vicarious stress.  Highly politicised work environment. Very difficult to gain permanent promotion. Good workplace colleagues in teams, but senior managers out-of touch, pushy and arrogant. 

Working at the housing contact centre can repeat itself at times. Overall it is a good environment and when busy really interesting. Sometimes there a huge wait times between calls but it gives you a breather. I prefer processing applications

I enjoyed the time I spent there and felt I made a valuable contribution. I especially enjoyed getting to know my colleagues there and getting a well-rounded picture of government services.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Psychologist 5 salaries reported	$111,000 per year
Child protection specialist 21 salaries reported	$103,452 per year
Client services 7 salaries reported	$71,143 per year
Case worker 9 salaries reported	$98,062 per year
Project officer 1 salary reported	$105,105 per year

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