Thank you for your interest in working with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA). Before submitting your application please read the information in this kit and the information specific to the job you are interested in. This should assist you in deciding whether your experience, skills and abilities match the requirements of the advertised job and enable you to prepare an appropriate application. If you require additional information please contact the nominated contact officer to discuss the role and functions of the job in detail.
Preparing your Job Application
If you are not familiar with the Australian Public Service, you may find this resource useful:
Cracking the Code: How to apply for jobs in the Australian Public Service
Addressing the selection criteria
The statement of claims addressing the selection criteria is an essential part of your application which provides examples of your relevant skills, capabilities, experience and qualifications to demonstrate how you meet each criterion. The advertisement provides details about the vacancy and the selection criteria. The selection criteria provide the basis for shortlisting and further consideration of your application. It is important that in your application you address each selection criterion thoroughly, outlining your relevant skills, capabilities, experience and qualifications, using examples to demonstrate your ability to meet each criterion. If any criterion is not addressed, or insufficiently addressed, your application may not receive further consideration.
Current curriculum vitae (CV)
Please provide a CV which includes your personal particulars, employment history and relevant qualifications; and the name and contact details of 2 referees, preferably one being your current supervisor. A referee should be able to provide comments on your work performance against each selection criterion.
Referee reports
It is not necessary to provide written referee reports with your application. If you are selected for further assessment, you may be asked to provide referee reports at that time, however the selection panel may seek verbal referee reports from your referees after the assessment. Remember, a good referee is someone who is familiar with your skills and abilities, and who is able to comment on your claims against all the selection criteria, and give examples from their own observations. Where a written referee report is requested, please ask your referees to provide their report on the
Referee Report Form.
Closing Date
Applications must be received by 5.00pm on the date specified in the advertisement.
Enquiries
All enquiries regarding the job and the progress of your application should, in the first instance, be directed to the nominated
Contact Officer in the advertisement. You may however, contact the
FaHCSIA Recruitment Helpdesk on (02) 6200 9514 for advice or assistance at any stage of the process.
The FaHCSIA Selection Process
FaHCSIA is committed to maintaining equity and fairness in recruitment and selection processes and recognises merit as the primary basis for selection. This means the suitability of applicants is assessed using a competitive selection process. The selection methods used will vary. Interviews are not always the preferred selection method. Other methods such as assessment on the basis of applications and referee reports, written or work sample tests and behavioural questionnaires may be used. The advertisement will normally indicate whether interviews will be conducted.
In the shortlisting of applications and in any further assessment process, a selection panel may consider your capabilities, skills, knowledge, experience and work performance relevant to the advertised job and your demonstrated potential for further development.
If you are short listed for further assessment, you will be contacted regarding the next phase of the selection process. If you are not short listed, we extend our thanks for considering
FaHCSIA as a potential employer.
You should be available for an assessment from the advertised closing date.
FaHCSIA tries to ensure that a minimum of two days notice for an interview is given to short-listed applicants. Please note that if you are going to be absent from work and/or home at any time within one month following closure of the application period, please note this on your application and, if possible, provide alternative contact details.
If you are short-listed, you will be offered the opportunity to receive feedback on their assessment. You will be advised of the outcome of the selection process.
Eligibility and Conditions of engagement
If you are successful in gaining employment with
FaHCSIA you will be required to satisfy the following eligibility checks and conditions of engagement:
Australian Citizenship - you should be an Australian citizen to be eligible for engagement as an ongoing (permanent) or a non-ongoing (temporary) employee in
FaHCSIA.
Redundancy Benefit - if you have received a voluntary redundancy benefit from an APS Agency or non-APS Commonwealth employer in the last 12 months you cannot be employed in
FaHCSIA until your exclusion period (the number of weeks for which you received a redundancy benefit) has expired.
Probation - a probationary period of 3 months applies on engagement.
Identity, Character and Security Checks - successful applicants will be required to produce confirmation of their identity - eg. Birth Certificate and other relevant documents and obtain a security clearance if being engaged in a designated security assessed position. You may be required to consent to a police check.
Code of Conduct - successful applicants are required to familiarise themselves with and abide by the
APS Code of Conduct and Values.
Qualifications - if you list any formal qualification/s on your application, please note that you may be required to provide the original qualification/s at any time during the selection process. However, if you are the successful applicant, either on promotion, transfer or engagement, you will be required to provide the original qualification/s prior to commencement in the job.
Health Check - You may be required to complete an Employment Health Declaration form prior to engagement. This form will be used to determine whether you need a medical assessment to determine your fitness for duty and to identify any necessary workplace assessments and adjustments.
FaHCSIA Employment Conditions
FaHCSIA offers a suite of attractive employment conditions and is committed to helping employees balance their work, family and other personal priorities by providing a range of flexible and family friendly working arrangements. Our employment conditions are detailed in the
FaHCSIA Collective Agreement 2009-11.
Our conditions include:
| Condition |
Further details |
| Attractive salary arrangements |
Negotiable salary entry points and remuneration packages
15.4% superannuation
Salary sacrificing including in house salary sacrificing for superannuation. |
| Development Opportunities |
A suite of learning and development opportunities including a leadership development program, training courses, e learning, study assistance and capacity for short term placements at higher levels. |
| Generous Leave Entitlements |
Annual leave - 4 weeks per annum
Personal leave - 20 days per annum for personal illness and injury and for caring and emergency purposes.
Purchased leave - Enables employees to “purchase” additional leave to care for children during school holidays or to take an extended break from work.
Maternity Leave - 12 months leave
Parental leave - Provides support to employees and their families when they have children.
Long service leave - 3 months leave on full pay after 10 years of service.
Cultural leave - Supports employees with diverse cultural backgrounds to participate in culturally based occasions, ceremonies or activities that require time away from work.
NAIDOC Week leave - Supports celebration and promotion of a greater understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their culture.
Community Volunteering Leave - Supports employees’ participation in community volunteering. |
| Flexible working conditions |
Flextime - Allows employees to vary commencing and/or finishing times each day and to bank time to take short periods away from work without deduction from leave credits.
Part time employment - Supports employees who do not wish to or cannot work full time.
Home Based Work - A flexible working arrangement that enables employees to work from home on either a short or long term basis to enhance work/life balance. |
| Employee Assistance Program |
This counselling service is available to all employees and their immediate families to provide assistance for personal and work related problems. |
| Family Care Rooms |
Enables employees to supervise children at work in situations where childcare is not available for short-term periods. |
| Christmas & Easter Closedowns |
Enables employees to enjoy some extra time away from work without deduction from leave credits. |
For details of the specific conditions relating to these provisions please refer to our
Collective Agreement.