About the branch

People Branch is responsible for providing a broad range of human resources advice and services to the clients of the PWSS - Parliamentarians and Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 (MoPS Act) employees. This includes development of policies and advice on human resource matters during the employment life cycle, and advice and services related to work health and safety, and wellbeing in the workplace. The Branch is also responsible for the 24-hour independent and confidential support services provided to Commonwealth parliamentary workplace (CPW) participants.

About the team The PWSS Wellbeing Support team is a multi-disciplinary team of mental health practitioners (including counsellors, psychologists and social workers) working collaboratively in a highly political, complex and fast-paced environment, with other PWSS functions to provide trauma-informed support and promote cultural change in CPWs.

About the role The Wellbeing Support team provides confidential 24-hour support service, including coaching, counselling, early intervention, local resolution, debriefing sessions, conflict resolution and referrals to specialist services for all CPW participants who have been impacted by workplace conflict (including serious incidents or misconduct). The team may also undertake workplace culture reviews, research and lead policy and program development.

- Providing confidential, trauma-aware coaching, counselling and psychoeducation to clients, including developing and implementing support plans using evidence-based interventions, identifying and managing work health and safety risks (including psychosocial risks), and maintaining accurate, timely and compliant case records, documentation and reports.
- Coordinating referrals to internal and external support services, including early intervention programs and specialist providers,



and administer early intervention funding requests.
- Managing requests for local resolution, determine appropriate resolution pathways, and facilitate workplace conversations to support constructive working relationships and the resolution of workplace issues.
- Working in partnership with the PWSS Academy to support the design and delivery of wellbeing education programs and workshops that build capability and promote secure, respectful and inclusive workplaces.
- Conducting proactive wellbeing outreach in response to workplace pressures, organisational change, critical incidents and other identified wellbeing risks.
- Coordinating responses to critical incidents, including stakeholder engagement, counselling support, referrals, reporting and post-incident reviews.
- Preparing complex correspondence, reports, submissions, briefing materials and other corporate documentation, including workplace culture reviews commensurate with classification level.
- Participating in a 24/7 on-call roster in accordance with service delivery requirements and roster arrangements, with remuneration through applicable allowance and TOIL/Flex provisions.
- Undertaking other duties as directed.

- Candidates must hold relevant qualifications and/or experience in counselling, mental health, coaching, wellbeing, or a related discipline, and hold, or be able to obtain, a Working with Vulnerable People Card.
- Demonstrated knowledge and application of evidence-based interventions and trauma-informed practice,



including approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) and mindfulness-based techniques, would be highly regarded.
- This role is being advertised as both ongoing and non-ongoing. The role may be offered as either ongoing or non-ongoing subject to business needs and/or candidate preference. Where a non-ongoing position is offered, the role will be filled as a specified term vacancy for an initial period of up to 12 months.
- Under section 22(8) of the Public Service Act 1999, employees must be Australian citizens to be employed in the Australian Public Service (APS) unless the Agency Head has agreed otherwise, in writing.
- Candidates must be independent, impartial, and apolitical, and must be seen as such. A private interest disclosure form must be completed prior to an offer being made to disclose any material personal interests that may or may appear to influence a candidate’s ability to discharge their responsibilities as an APS employee.
- Successful applicants will be required to undergo the process to obtain and maintain or continue to hold the required security clearance level for the role as indicated. All PWSS staff are required to have a minimum baseline security clearance prior to commencement.
- Successful applicants will be required to undergo a mandatory National Co-ordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC).
- The Parliamentary Workplace Support Service is committed to building an inclusive and culturally diverse workforce. We welcome applications from across our community including, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, women, people with disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, those who identify as LGBTIQ+, mature-aged employees and carers.

📌 Assistant Director, Wellbeing Support (Australia)
🏢 PWSS
📍 Australia