A rewarding and flexible career helping families in need
Natalie Todd just loves to help people. Starting her career as a police officer, moving to nursing and now working in child protection with the NSW Department of Community Services (DoCS), Natalie is not satisfied unless she can say at the end of the day that she has made a difference.
“I love working at DoCS,” she says. “In fact of all my varied roles, the Department is far and away the best employer I’ve ever had.
“I have two young daughters and it’s incredibly important to me to be able to spend time with them and be there for key moments such as school ceremonies, sport and when they are sick and just need their mum around.
“DoCS provides me with the flexibility to be there for my children as well as helping lots of children in the regional area where I am based.”
DoCS offers flexible working conditions and a range of leave entitlements including study, maternity and recreational leave. The Department is the leading community services organisation in NSW and, with approximately 4000 staff, the largest child protection agency in Australia.
With more than 80 Community Services Centres, the geographical spread of the DoCS office network means staff can choose to work in a city, coastal or regional location.
Natalie says one of the major benefits of working for DoCS is the training and career opportunities available. “Since starting at DoCS I have undertaken a range of high-quality training courses including early intervention to help families before their problems reach crisis-point.
“I was also encouraged when I decided to further my education, being given the time I needed to study.
Studying a Masters degree while working at DoCS is made a little easier with the support I receive from my managers. As a busy working mum, to be given the time to complete assessments and exams is just a wonderful opportunity.”
Caseworkers who are new to DoCS are provided with extensive training to help them understand the requirements and processes they need to best protect children and young people. All staff receive ongoing professional training and supervision to help keep them up-to-date with new programs and services based on international research and best practice.
The biggest rewards for Natalie come from working with families and seeing their lives turned around, or making sure a child is safe and in a happy home after living with abuse and neglect.
“I just love kids,” she says. “They are the reason I was drawn to working at DoCS and it is still the best part of the job. To know that a child now feels safe, loved and protected is just an amazing feeling.
“While the work can be challenging – often dealing with families in crisis – the rewards come from knowing that the work I do helps to protect the best interests of children.
“Unlike nursing where you often don’t know what happens to patients long-term, I see situations through and help things work out longer term – it’s incredibly rewarding.”
Natalie’s degree and her skills as a police officer and nurse have stood her in good stead and she has already had the opportunity to experience managing a team within her current role as acting casework manager.
“The skills I’ve developed over the years have transferred well to casework. At the end of the day, all my roles have been about working with people in difficult circumstances,” she says.
DoCS is currently recruiting child protection, out-ofhome care and early intervention caseworkers in many areas across regional NSW.
To learn more about a career with DoCS, please visit www.community.nsw.gov.au/careers
