Community Development Officer

GAVAL Community Services is seeking a highly organised, accountable and detail-focused Community Development Officer to support the coordination and delivery of high-quality NDIS services across participants, support workers, families, external stakeholders and internal teams.

This is not a passive administration role. The successful candidate will be expected to monitor service delivery, identify risks, follow up incidents, review staff documentation, support participant goals, coordinate with stakeholders, and hold staff accountable to GAVAL’s service standards.

The role sits at the centre of participant care, staff performance, compliance, rostering support, incident follow-up, house visits, documentation quality and continuous improvement. You must be comfortable dealing with complex situations, competing priorities, challenging behaviours, incomplete information, urgent follow-ups and direct accountability.

You will be expected to think, follow through, document properly and communicate clearly. If you require constant supervision, avoid difficult conversations, or are uncomfortable with compliance and accountability, this role will not suit you.

Benefits

• Full-time role based in Port Adelaide
• Opportunity to work with an established NDIS registered provider
• Exposure to participant support planning, incident management, behaviour reporting and service coordination
• Work that directly contributes to participant safety, quality of care and service improvement
• Supportive but accountable working environment
• Opportunity to build strong experience across NDIS operations, compliance, rostering, documentation and stakeholder coordination
• Meaningful role where your work affects real people, not just internal paperwork

Task & responsibilities

Incident management and follow-up

• Investigate incidents in a timely, accurate and thorough manner.
• Prepare incident documentation in line with organisational and regulatory requirements.
• Follow up corrective actions until completed, not just recorded.
• Escalate serious, repeated or unresolved issues.
• Maintain clear records of incident actions, outcomes and deadlines.

Behaviour reporting

• Maintain and monitor ABC charts and behaviour records.
• Review behaviour reports for quality, accuracy and usefulness.
• Identify patterns, triggers and service risks.
• Support staff to complete behaviour documentation properly.
• Liaise with relevant stakeholders when behaviour support follow-up is required.

Progress note and documentation review

• Review staff progress notes for completeness, accuracy and relevance.
• Identify poor-quality, vague, copied, late or missing notes.
• Provide feedback to staff where documentation does not meet expected standards.
• Track recurring documentation issues and escalate where needed.
• Support better linkage between rostered support, participant goals and actual service delivery.

Staff supervision and performance support

• Support regular staff supervision and performance follow-up.
• Communicate operational updates, expectations and instructions to support workers.
• Assist with staff feedback, service quality concerns and performance improvement.
• Support rostering decisions by helping match staff to participant needs, risks, preferences and support requirements.
• Follow up staff who fail to meet documentation, communication or service expectations.

Participant support and service planning

• Conduct participant interviews and check-ins to understand needs, risks, goals and support concerns.
• Support participant goal tracking, plan review and service monitoring.
• Liaise with families, support coordinators, allied health professionals, GPs, mental health teams and other stakeholders.
• Develop and update participant support plans and emergency plans.
• Ensure participant communication is person-centred, respectful and action-focused.

House visits and inspections

• Conduct house visits to check participant safety, cleanliness, comfort and service quality.
• Identify maintenance, health, safety, cleanliness or support concerns.
• Document findings clearly and follow up required actions.
• Assist with emergency evacuation drills and related reporting.
• Report unresolved house or participant risks promptly.

Continuous improvement

• Identify recurring operational issues and recommend practical improvements.
• Work with management, rostering, compliance, finance and field teams to improve service delivery.
• Monitor whether agreed actions are actually completed.
• Contribute to service quality, participant satisfaction and operational accountability.

Qualification & experience

Essential

• Experience in NDIS, disability services, aged care, mental health, community services or frontline service coordination.
• Strong understanding of person-centred support and participant dignity.
• Ability to manage incidents, complaints, risks and sensitive information professionally.
• Strong written communication skills, including accurate documentation and report writing.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, deadlines and follow-ups without losing track.
• Confident communication skills with support workers, families, participants and external stakeholders.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office and client management systems.
• Current driver’s licence.
• Current NDIS Worker Screening Check.
• Current Working with Children Check or willingness to obtain.
• Certificate IV or Diploma in Disability, Community Services, Mental Health, Aged Care or a related field is preferred.

Highly regarded

• Experience reviewing progress notes, incident reports or behaviour charts.
• Experience working with participants with complex needs, mental health, behaviours of concern or SIL arrangements.
• Knowledge of NDIS quality and safeguarding expectations.
• Experience supporting rosters, staff performance or field operations.
• Ability to interpret service risks and escalate them early.
• Experience with house visits, participant check-ins and stakeholder meetings.