The Child and Family Services team at Tradewind Australia is unique in that we are specialists in the truest sense of the word. Rather than working across several different sectors of Social Work at once, we have a narrow focus that allows us to devote all our time and energy to matching quality professionals with organisations across Victoria.
We are market leaders in the Child and Family space, and our success stems from our passion to support these organisations and, ultimately, aid vulnerable women, children and families. We genuinely care about what we do and being able to contribute to the wellbeing of these groups by ensuring the best possible people are in place to help them gives us a real sense of achievement.
Who We Are
Our team members are the lifeblood of everything we do. We are a group of dedicated and hardworking individuals, and each person brings something unique and valuable to the table that allows us to better serve our community.
I’ve been working with Tradewind since 2016, managing the Child and Family Services team. During this time, I’ve developed an in-depth understanding of the Family Services and Family Violence sector and the complex needs of my clients. I could not imagine working anywhere else and have a real passion for providing quality staff to Not for Profit organisations who support the most vulnerable children and families.
Our Senior Consultant Charlotte comes from a Law background, having completed her degree in 2013. She also has extensive customer service experience, which she’s put to great use building relationships across the sector and placing candidates into both locum and permanent placements. Charlotte has a successful track record of filling a range of Family Services and Family Violence vacancies and prides herself on providing excellent service to candidates and clients alike.
Heather started with us in late 2018, having worked with an international child rights organisation in the Philippines and non-government organisations in Melbourne. She has a Bachelor of Social Science and now works as a Family Services consultant, where she sources new candidates, manages our international pipeline and helps regional organisations find staff. Heather is the first point of contact for many of our new candidates, she walks them through each step of the registration process and helps prepare them to apply for new roles.
Ingy is the newest member of our Child and Family Services team. She has previous experience with a recruitment agency in Qatar and specialises in compliance. Ingy hit the ground running and quickly progressed to working as a Compliance Consultant, taking on the vetting of candidates with conscientious adherence to all aspects of compliance. She has now moved into Resource Consultant in our team and is somewhat of a specialist in sourcing high-quality candidates via LinkedIn, SEEK, databases and her networks.
How We Work Collaboratively with Clients
We pride ourselves on developing long-term relationships with clients, based on a thorough understanding of their business and the sector. We share our clients’ dedication to supporting vulnerable members of our community and see this as our way of giving back.
We always go the extra mile to help clients source the right candidates, especially when they are urgent requirements or hard-to-fill roles. Recently, we worked with a Family Violence organisation in Melbourne to fill 22 specialist Family Violence Trauma Counsellors. These are highly-skilled professionals who can be very challenging to find, but we relied on our knowledge of the industry and diverse network of connections to find the best possible people for the job.
Being a specialist team, we also think outside the box in terms of sourcing candidates. I’ve been lucky enough to play a lead role in creating our international pipeline, visiting destinations such as the UK, Ireland and New Zealand to present to prospective candidates. During these seminars, I’ve talked to them about the opportunities in Australia, how Tradewind can support them with their relocation and just how great it is to live in Victoria.
We also run a range of interstate seminars and online webinars, so our pipeline is constantly growing. The response is really positive, and we know that by using these strategies, we are able to reach untapped talent and better serve both the current and future needs of our clients.
How We Invest in Supporting Our Candidates
We have the pleasure of working with a number of key organisations in the sector, and that’s a real benefit for candidates. Often, we are the only recruitment agency hiring for a specific role, but more than that, we have a solid understanding of what our clients are looking for. That means we can work closely with Social Workers to ensure they are a good match for a role and prepare them before they go for interviews.
We don’t subscribe to the idea of flicking across CVs of candidates we haven’t met. Instead, we like to partner with Social Workers to ensure they are presenting themselves in the best possible light. We all know job interviews can be stressful, so we run preparation sessions, psychometric testing and review their CVs with them in order to set them up for success.
For us, it’s an investment in the people working in the Child and Family Services sector. We admire what they do so much, and want to ensure they are given the very best opportunities in their careers.
What Do Our Clients and Candidates Say?
We work hard every day to have a positive impact on the Child and Family Services sector and women, children and families it serves – and we love nothing more than hearing from people we’ve worked with about how we’ve helped them make a difference. Here’s what a few of our valued clients and candidates have to say about us:
“I’ve been a Tradewind client since I moved to Melbourne from the UK in November 2017 and they’ve been absolutely excellent. They helped me secure a role as a Case Manager and have now progressed to a Team Leader position with that organisation – would highly recommend.”
Laura Simpson
“Tradewind was extremely efficient in linking me to the right work opportunity, preparing me for the interview and ensuring the placement runs smoothly. Eoin was very encouraging and proficient, ensuring the process has no unnecessary delays with a very professional outcome.”
Margaret Drivata
“From the moment I stepped into the Tradewind office, I was immediately treated with respect, kindness, care and understanding. One staff member, in particular, has always been there completely, touching base regularly and always looking for that one role that ticked all the boxes. Eoin’s passion and commitment to his role are outstanding. He never gave up and was determined to find the perfect role for me, no matter how long it took. Feeling valued and important in the recruitment space is quite rare, and for all these reasons, I highly recommend the Tradewind Family Services team for your next career adventure.”
Natalie Wallace
Talk to Us
At the end of the day, we are committed to using our market knowledge and passion for the Child and Family space to help you find the perfect fit for your needs. If you’d like to speak to one of our specialists about career opportunities or filling a vacancy, feel free get in touch – we’d love to hear from you.
