The Social Services Regulator (SSR) is an independent statutory authority that exists to safeguard the rights of children and young people as well as people who use social services in Victoria.
The SSR regulates the Social Services Standards, the Child Safe Standards (for organisations without a sector specific co-regulator as well as the social services sector), and also administers the Worker and Carer Exclusion Scheme (WCES), Reportable Conduct Scheme (RCS) and Working with Children Check (WWCC) scheme and NDIS Worker Screening Check.
The Social Services Regulator takes an integrated and intelligence driven approach to identifying, preventing and excluding unsafe people from working with children and young people, as well as ensuring organisations that work with children and young people keep children safe from abuse and harm by meeting the Child Safe Standards.
As a co-regulator of the Child Safe Standards, the Social Services Regulator works with other co-regulators of the Child Safe Standards including the Department of Health, Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA), Victorian Early Childhood Regulation Authority (VECRA), and Workforce Inspectorate Victoria to keep children safe from harm and abuse.
THE ROLE
The Legal Counsel supports the delivery of high-quality advice and litigation support in relation to the regulatory and operational requirements for the Social Services Regulator (SSR) arising under the Worker Screening Act 2020 (Vic), the Social Services Regulation Act 2021 (Vic) and the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005 (Vic).
The Legal Counsel will work as part of the SSR Legal team and prepare advice and litigation support on a range of operational, regulatory or administrative matters as required from time-to-time advice including litigation involving Working with Children Checks.
The work of the Legal Counsel will be dynamic and will require the Legal Counsel to be able to be flexible, balance competing priorities, meet deadlines and collaborate with other members of the legal team and also with teams across the SSR.
ACCOUNTABILITIES INCLUDE
Your responsibilities will include:
Support the SSR Legal team deliver high quality, stakeholder focused and cost-effective legal services in relation to highly complex and sensitive matters. This includes supporting matters in courts or tribunals particularly in relation to the Working with Children Check scheme.
Provide advice, under supervision, on social service regulation and laws, and legal issues related to the Regulator's functions, including assessments, complaints, notifications, investigations, prosecutions and a broad range of administrative law, legislative interpretation and corporate governance matters that relate to the operation of the Regulator.
Support and advise the SSR on litigated matters, including day to day carriage of matters, engaging counsel or external legal support (where appropriate) and support the provision of advice on prospects having regard to SSR's model litigant obligations.
Contribute to advice and management of freedom of information requests, information sharing and privacy matters, including by preparing advice, guidance and materials to ensure that the Regulator meets its obligations.
For more details, please open the position description.
HOW TO APPLY
Applicants are encouraged to apply online. Attachments can be uploaded in .doc, .docx, .pdf, .txt or .rtf formats.
Applicants are required to submit a CV and Cover Letter (max 2 pages) outlining their suitability to the role in line with the Key Selection Criteria.
Applicants must be an Australian Citizen, Permanent Resident or hold a valid work permit or visa. Work eligibility will be checked as part of the recruitment process.
Preferred candidates will be required to complete pre-employment screening, including a national police check and misconduct screening.
For more information on working with us and our recruitment process, please contact SSR HR at
[email protected].
Please apply to submit your interest in this position.
