Every child needs someone. So does every family. What if it’s you?

The Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety has permanent Child Safety Officer (CSO) roles available in Mackay, ensuring the protection and welfare of children and youth. Graduates and career changers with experience or interest in being a social worker, youth worker, counsellor, or similar – this role is for you!

Based in the Mackay Child Safety Service Centre (CSSC), you will work closely with other CSOs reporting to, and supported by, your Senior Team Leader. You will collaborate with Child Safety Support Officers (CSSOs) and Cultural Practice Advisors (CPAs) in your CSSC to ensure children and young people’s safety across your region.

Our Mackay CSSC provides vital care and support to children and families across the North-West region of Queensland. This frontline role is rewarding in more ways than one, with a generous starting salary over $99,000 plus great additional benefits.

Life in Mackay

When you join the Mackay CSSC, you’ll be part of a full-service centre working alongside other government departments in this busy Central QLD town. Living in Mackay, you’ll have access to great amenities including an airport, hospitals, shopping centres, cinemas and more.

On the water, Mackay is on the southern edge of the Great Barrier Reef and is a gateway to the Whitsundays with opportunities for tropical ocean adventures. There are also stunning hinterlands to explore, and Australia’s longest subtropical rainforest.

Mackay is home to over 120,000 people and has a strong and varied community culture that blends the regions farming, mining, and tourism industries with coastal town life. As part of the Mackay CSSC, you’ll be an important part of this community and will have the opportunity to cover many aspects of the Child Protection Continuum for your community.

What does being a CSO mean?

As a CSO you’ll be a voice for the voiceless, a statutory advocate for children and young people’s safety and wellbeing under the Child Protection Act 1999.

You’ll manage complex casework with support from peers including Senior Team Leaders and Cultural Practice Advisors. As a CSO, you will conduct risk assessments and create case plans, setting children and young people up for success.

Joining a team specialising in areas of child protection including intake, investigation and assessment, ongoing intervention, and placement services, you’ll collaborate with families and care givers, other departments, community organisations, healthcare services, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations. You’ll provide culturally respectful and appropriate support to families from diverse backgrounds, including varying races, socio-economic standings, abilities, and gender and sexual orientations.

Being a CSO means getting to do work that truly matters. You’ll walk with children and families, to keep them safe and help build the better futures they deserve.

To learn more about the CSO role, please click here.

What you get for becoming a CSO:

In this vital role you will walk away each day knowing you’re making a tangible difference to the safety of children and young people in Queensland, but don’t take our word for it – hear what our frontline staff say here. Along with an attractive annual salary in line with PO3 circa $99,347 - $108,191 and 12.75% superannuation, you will receive:

Flexible leave and TOIL options

2 weeks of formal training and ongoing training including one-on-ones with your leader throughout the first year of your role

Many opportunities for career growth and progression

Additional regional and remote benefits up to $10,000 annually, PLUS accommodation subsidies, extra leave entitlements, and more!

Working in Mackay you will also receive rural benefits including:

Area allowance of $2,500 annually PLUS fortnightly locality allowance up to $29

5 extra days of paid annual leave

Relocation assistance negotiable for the right candidate

Regional travel opportunities and allowances

You’ll be part of a team that lifts you up and keeps you strong and have the chance to gain deep experience, incredible personal growth and skills for a lifelong career.

For more information on the benefits of becoming a CSO, please click here.

What you need to be a CSO

Our CSOs come from diverse backgrounds; some are trained as social workers, youth workers, counsellors, psychologists, support workers, and more. What’s most important is your passion for keeping children safe. Help us deliver the best future for children and families, rise to the challenge of ever-changing work, and ensure children's voices are heard across Queensland.

Join us and be part of a team of enthusiastic and dedicated advocates across Queensland. As frontline officers, the role can be challenging and confronting, but it is also incredibly rewarding and necessary.

To join us as a CSO you will need:

An Australian Driver’s License, and the legal right to work in Australia

A Bachelor Degree in Human Services, Social Work, Psychology, or a Bachelor Degree in a related field and further study or work experience – please click here for more details

An understanding of statutory role, including knowledge of the Child Protection Act 1999, and the ability to write case notes while maintaining privacy

For more information about qualification and eligibility requirements, please click here.

Building and maintaining professional relationships with families and young people is fundamental to this role. You'll need excellent relationship-building skills, high empathy, and the ability to set and maintain professional boundaries.

Every child needs someone. So does every family. What if it’s you? Kick-start your career in Child Safety - click Apply Now!