A role in child protection can be life changing for you and for the children and families we work with. It requires a combination of specialist child welfare knowledge obtained through qualifications and experience, the right attitude and ability to make decisions and exercise legal delegations when necessary. It is paramount that staff are well prepared and able to practice in this dynamic and challenging environment.
What are the requirements?
To work in child protection, candidates need to:
- complete a National Crime Check
- hold or obtain Victorian Employee Working with Children Check (WWCC)
- hold a valid driver’s licence
- hold the minimum relevant diploma level qualifications.
Whether you need a qualification and experience to work in child protection depends on the level of the role you are applying for. Roles in child protection are classified by the Child Protection Practitioner (CPP) grading system. The below list outlines the requirements at each CPP grade.
Grade and entry requirements
- CPP2 - no experience or qualifications required
- CPP3 - qualification required
- CPP4 - qualification required and minimum 2 years’ work experience
- CPP5 - qualification required and more than 4+ years’ experience
- CPP6 - qualification required and extensive experience.
To be eligible to work as a child protection practitioner, staff must the relevant mandatory qualification. However, there are also pathways for those who bring significant cultural or lived experience.
Qualifications eligibility
If you have social work, welfare, psychology related qualification and/or relevant experience, you may be eligible for a CPP3 role and above.
Stream 1 – Accredited qualifications or memberships
Qualifications accredited or full membership with any of the following:
- Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW)
- Community Work Australia
- Australian Psychologist Accreditation Council (APAC).
Stream 2 – Combination of relevant qualifications and work experience
- Must have studied units on child development (comprising physical, genetic, cognitive, social, cultural and emotional development stages, and other topics including attachment theory, language acquisition and moral understanding).
- Must have studied units on human behaviour (that is, how behaviour is shaped by biology, learned experiences, cognitive, cultural, social and emotional development).
- Must have studied or have 12 months’ work in depth experience in family dynamics, impacts of trauma, relevant case work and counselling, alcohol and other drugs, abuse and family/domestic violence, risk theories and assessments, community services sector experience, working with Aboriginal children, families and communities.
Candidates with significant demonstrated Aboriginal cultural and community-based lived experience or learnings or should expand on this in their cover letter.
Assessing your qualifications and/or experience
Upon submission of your online application, the Child Protection Recruitment team will assess your qualification, transcript and experience as part of the recruitment process.
Please note:
- Studies must include successful completion of both child development and human behaviour subjects which meet the department’s framework.
- Only qualifications/units of study at a minimum of diploma level will be assessed.
- Partly completed accredited qualifications will not be assessed; candidates are required to apply when they have graduated and can provide their Official Academic Transcript or Unique Student Identifier Statement (for Diplomas awarded post 2015).
- Course completion letters from training providers are not accepted.
Still studying?
While you need to have completed and hold accredited or relevant qualifications to apply for a position as a CPP3 Child Protection Practitioner or above, if you don’t have the required qualifications you may want to consider applying for a CPP2 Child Protection Practice Support role.
If you are currently completing your final year of study, you may wish to read more about our employment pathways for students through our student placements and employment programs.
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