Program Support Officer - Court Dog Program

at  Department of Justice and Community Safety

• Utilise your Community Services expertise to provide support and advice to the Victim Services Support and Reform branch
• A Fixed-Term, Full-Time opportunity to work with a high-performing and passionate team in the Victorian Public Service for 24 months
• VPS Grade 4: $92,332 - $104,762 plus superannuation.

QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS:

• Qualification or demonstrated experience in handling a dog is required
• Experience in a court environment working with children or working with children in a social work or similar context would be highly regarded
• A current Driver’s license and Working with Children Check is required.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

The primary purpose of the role of Program Support Officer - Court Dog Program is to provide access to Court Dog services for vulnerable witnesses who need additional support during the Criminal Justice process. The Court Dog Handler will be the primary staff member who provides care and support for the Court Dog during the working day and handling them in accordance with set procedures when the Court Dog is working.
The role requires skill in handling the Court Dog but will also require experience of interacting with children, young people, their families and other professionals involved in the Criminal Justice system.

SOME OF YOUR DUTIES WILL INCLUDE:

• Being responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Court Dog Program during business hours, including:
• collecting and returning the dog to the Guardian at the beginning and end of each day
• escorting the dog to all court events, and accompanying them in the court event or remaining in the vicinity of the hearing, mediation or interview, as appropriate
• accommodating the needs of the court dog balanced with the needs of clients
• ensuring appropriate breaks, including welfare breaks, toilet breaks and park breaks, each day
• minding the dog during down time, whilst other work is undertaken, until the end of the day
• being responsible for the dog’s safety and wellbeing at all times, including during breaks
• working with the Team Manager to ensure the Court Dog’s workload is manageable and breaks and leave are accommodated.
• Maintaining the booking system for the Court Dog, and, with the assistance of the Team Manager, determining which requested events are most appropriate for the dog to attend
• Liaising with the Office of Public Prosecutions regarding obtaining approval for the dog to attend hearings as per existing processes.
  The Program Support Officer will be primarily office based and will be responsible for providing primary oversight of the CYWS email in-box and managing the office phone. The in-box and phone line are the main ways in which referrals to the CYWS are made.
  To learn more about this role before applying, please read the attached position description.

About You:As our ideal candidate, you will possess:

• Experience as a dog handler, either having background experience of dog handling or sound, demonstrated experience in caring for dogs or a willingness to learn the handling techniques required for this role
• Well-developed interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate effectively and build and maintain productive working relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including child witnesses
• Demonstrated organisational skills, including excellent time-management skills, the ability to set and manage competing priorities, and apply planning and problem-solving skills