- Drive consistency in trauma-informed and culturally safe practice
- Senior leadership role reporting to the CYF General Manager
- Competitive salary, flexibility and genuine career scope within a growing org
Therapeutic Practice Manager — Children, Youth & Family Services | Kanda
Somewhere in Queensland's out-of-home care system, a child is experiencing their placement as either safe or unsafe, predictable or chaotic, healing or harmful. The difference often comes down to the quality of therapeutic practice holding that placement together.
This role exists to make that practice consistently good across every program, every team, every interaction.
As Therapeutic Practice Manager, you'll provide the strategic leadership and clinical governance that ensures Kanda's CYF services are genuinely trauma-informed, culturally responsive and outcomes-focused. You'll lead the Practice Leads and Cultural Advisor, drive the embedding of the Sanctuary Model and TCI, and work alongside operational leaders to strengthen the care children and young people actually experience on the ground.
It's a role that sits at the intersection of clinical depth and organisational influence. If that's where you do your best work, keep reading.
What you'll be doing
- Providing strategic leadership and oversight of therapeutic practice across Kanda's CYF services - ensuring evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches are consistently implemented and continuously improved
- Leading, supervising and developing the Practice Leads and CYF Cultural Advisor, building a culture of reflective practice, accountability and genuine professional growth
- Driving workforce capability through embedded therapeutic models of care, including the Sanctuary Model and Therapeutic Crisis Intervention
- Overseeing clinical governance, practice quality and compliance - ensuring alignment with legislative requirements, Child Safe Standards, HSQF and the evolving Queensland out-of-home care sector
- Partnering with the Cultural Advisor and organisational leaders to ensure practice is culturally safe and responsive, and to progress Kanda's Reconciliation Action Plan
- Working with the Learning & Development team to ensure induction and training programs genuinely reflect therapeutic principles - not just tick the box
- Providing specialist advice on risk, safety planning and complex needs, and identifying systemic practice issues before they become entrenched
You're the right person if...
- You have demonstrated experience in a senior therapeutic, clinical or practice leadership role - in child protection, out-of-home care, youth services, mental health or a related human services environment
- You bring deep expertise in trauma-informed, therapeutic and culturally responsive practice, and you've led the implementation of frameworks like the Sanctuary Model or TCI in practice - not just in policy
- You've led multidisciplinary teams, provided professional supervision, and know the difference between managing people and genuinely developing them
- You can hold the complexity of a senior leadership role - influencing at executive level one moment, sitting with a Practice Lead in supervision the next — without losing your grounding
- You hold a tertiary qualification in Social Work, Psychology, Human Services, Behavioural Science, Counselling or a related discipline
- You hold a current Queensland Driver's Licence, Working with Children Blue Card and NDIS Worker Screening Check
Why Kanda
Kanda's Children, Youth and Family Services team is doing serious work in Queensland's out-of-home care sector and we're looking for a leader who takes that seriously too. This is a role where your clinical depth and your leadership capability will both be stretched and supported.
You'll report to the CYF General Manager and have genuine organisational influence - not just over your team, but over the standards and culture of an entire service division. The decisions you make in this role will be felt by the children and young people we support every day.
We're committed to reflective practice, continuous improvement and cultural safety and we're looking for someone who lives those commitments rather than just endorsing them.
- Monthly RDO for full-time employees - an extra 12 days of leave per year
- Office-based with genuine hybrid options available for the right person (offices located in Bundaberg or Hervey Bay)
- Wellness initiatives plus 24/7 access to the Sonder wellbeing app
- Access to an employee rewards hub providing savings and cashback across everyday purchases
- Employee recognition initiatives, including gift vouchers for Employee of the Month and service anniversaries
- Enjoy free Orbit World Travel Club membership - $100 travel voucher, exclusive offers, and dedicated support
- Genuine long-term career opportunities as Kanda continues to grow
Want to chat about this role?
Reach out to Maddi – Talent Acquisition Specialist
Email:
[email protected] Phone:
(07) 4111 1889
Kanda is committed to creating and maintaining a child safe organisation.
We’re dedicated to building an inclusive environment where everyone feels safe, respected, and comfortable to be themselves. At Kanda, every voice matters, every culture is valued, and we believe that diverse perspectives aren’t just welcome — they’re essential to who we are and what we do.