Victorian families need people like you!

Victorian families need people like you. We need people who are looking for a career change to join the child and family services sector and make a difference in the lives of young Victorians.

Rolling lockdowns, job uncertainty, and the threat of Covid to health and wellbeing put enormous pressure on children and their families. During lockdowns family issues were intensified. Alcohol consumption jumped significantly, and Victoria Police reported an increase in family violence incidents during 2020 and 2021, especially during peak lockdown periods in June and October 2020.

In the following years, support services have experienced unrelenting demand for help, and there are growing calls to increase early intervention services as the flow-on from Covid starts to play out in early education and schools.

NAPLAN shows one in 10 students need extra support to catch up, and the Australian Early Development Census shows a small but significant increase in the percentage of developmentally vulnerable children starting school.

We know early intervention is key to getting these children back on track. We can also use early education settings to reach out to families with support before we need bigger family crisis interventions.

But our Community Service Organisations are struggling to recruit experienced practitioners, and we need new graduates with real-world experience.

The Centre has worked with the sector and Government to design and trial a new Master of Social Work (Child and Family Services) program with a focus on child and family welfare. It includes intensive on-the-job experience and delivers a graduating class of frontline workers who hit the ground running.

Covid gave many people time to reassess their careers, with many of us looking for values-driven work that makes a difference. The sector is reaching out to people who are looking for a career change and can bring life experience and diversity to the sector. But a big barrier to changing careers is the loss of income while you study.

The Victorian Government is investing $13.7 million to give participants a full fee scholarship and a minimum wage bursary during their first year. In their second-year students will receive an industry standard salary. The program is also providing funding support for sector employer partners, by supporting paid internships. The sector is committing $3.7 million through this employment program.

This is a massive investment in the child and family services workforce and shows a commitment to a graduate class that has on the job experience and is ready to influence and lead the sector in the future.

The Centre will provide a concierge service for Switch to Social Work participants to ensure they get the support, career advice and networking opportunities to build long and successful careers.

There’s no doubt that working with children and families who are struggling brings its challenges, but it is immensely rewarding. The care and resilience of this workforce is immeasurable, and the work they do has a significant and lasting impact on the lives of children, young people, and their families.

There is no end to heartwarming stories of success, of love and connection in our sector, and we look forward to sharing the successes of these Switch to Social Work graduates in the years to come.

Applications for the Switch to Social Work program close on 31 October. For more information, visit www.switchtosocialwork.com.au .