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Mandatory minimum qualifications for specialist family violence practitioners

A new mandatory minimum qualification policy applies for people who enter the family violence sector as a specialist family violence practitioner from 1 July 2021.

Summary

Since the Royal Commission into Family Violence published its 227 recommendations in 2016, the family violence sector and the Victorian Government have worked together to drive remarkable change and create opportunity across many areas.

Over the next 5 years a new Mandatory minimum qualifications policy will apply to specialist family violence practitioners entering the workforce from 1 July 2021.

Key dates

From 1 July 2021, a 5-year transition period will begin. During that time, new specialist family violence practitioners employed in a Victorian Government-funded organisation must:

  • hold a Bachelor of Social Work or equivalent qualification, or
  • be working towards meeting the new mandatory minimum qualification policy requirement, via one of the available employment pathways

About the Mandatory minimum qualifications policy

The Royal Commission into Family Violence called for the introduction of mandatory minimum qualifications for specialist family violence response practitioners (Recommendation 209). The recommendation will strengthen the sector and equip Victoria’s specialist family violence practitioners to provide support and responses that are consistently high quality and culturally appropriate.

Five-year transition period

Recognising the scale of the change, as well as the specialised skills, deep knowledge and diverse experience of the current workforce, the Victorian Government outlined a 5-year transition period to a mandatory minimum qualification policy beginning July 2021.

The 5-year transition period will give people starting their careers as specialist family violence practitioners a number of options for meeting the new mandatory minimum qualification requirements while balancing work and life commitments.

Existing workforce

Practitioners who have already commenced in a specialist family violence role will have an ongoing exemption to the policy, which allows practitioners to change jobs, take caring or other breaks of up to 4 years.

Although the existing workforce will be exempt from the requirements, practitioners can choose to take advantage of new professional development pathways.

Cultural knowledge or lived experience

Achieving the mandatory minimum qualification requirement should not prevent people who bring cultural expertise or lived experience from entering the sector, particularly people who have faced barriers to education.

New practitioners who bring significant cultural knowledge or lived experience (for example: Aboriginal people, people with disability, migrant or refugee experience, lived experience of family violence) will have 10 years from the date of their employment as a specialist family violence practitioner to work towards a minimum or equivalent qualification, subject to agreement with their employer.

This will be an ongoing option, reflecting the crucial role people with significant cultural knowledge or lived experience play in the sector.

Support

Employers will be supported through the 5-year transition period with advice from Domestic Violence Victoria through the appointment of an 18-month Sector Development Advisor position, and a range of resources and information forums.

Whether recruiting new workers or upskilling existing staff, the implementation approach is fundamentally flexible, giving employers and practitioners different ways to meet the new mandatory minimum qualification requirements depending on their circumstances.

Implementation Update - September 2022

Since the introduction of the Mandatory Minimum Qualifications policy on 1 July 2021, there has been a strong commitment from the specialist family violence employers and workforce to shift to and uphold the Policy.

The COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing workforce shortages have created additional pressures across the sector and challenges to implementing the Policy for many organisations.

We recognise that these ongoing challenges mean that not all practitioners will be able to be hired in precise accordance with the Policy pathways at this early stage of implementation.

The transition period, running until 30 June 2026, is an opportunity to adjust to the new settings. We will continue to work with peak bodies, employers, unions and the tertiary education sector to monitor the impacts on the sector through the Transition Monitoring Advisory Group and to inform a review the Policy in 2024-25.

Expectations of adjustment

The Policy puts employers at the centre of determining if a candidate is the right fit for the role and meets an employment pathway under the Policy. Expectations of the shift to meeting the Policy are of progressive change and we want to avoid the Policy driving unintended consequences.

Intended Consequences

  • Employers review their policies and procedures to recruit people through the Policy pathways
  • Hiring managers understand and promote the pathways available
  • People with lived experience and cultural expertise are encouraged to and can apply for positions within the scope of the Policy
  • Employers are using the available resources to support growing and upskilling their workforces

Unintended Consequences

  • Employers are only recruiting Bachelor of Social Work-qualified staff
  • Employers are not recruiting people with lived experience or cultural expertise, relevant professional experience or related qualifications
  • Employers are concerned there will be consequences if they misinterpret the Policy and are leaving roles unfilled
  • People interested in becoming specialist family violence practitioners can’t see a place in the sector

Supporting transition

A range of supports are available that support the move to the Policy. We encourage employers to continue to engage with the transition supports over the transition period.

Employer Supports

  • $1.9 million Recommendation 209 alignment funding to specialist family violence services, including organisations in The Orange Door
  • Sector Development Advisor in Safe + Equal funded for 2 years to work directly with employers to support policy alignment and implementation
  • Employer resources such as the Organisational Toolkit, Qualifications Mapping, and web-based qualifications and pathways tools

Programs to support alignment and workforce supply

  • Family Violence and Sexual Assault Traineeships Program
  • Family Violence Sexual Assault Program
  • Mandatory Minimum Qualifications Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Practitioner Scholarships Program
  • Attraction and recruitment campaign and jobs portal

Frequently asked questions

Updated