About Children's Ground

Children’s Ground is a First Nations organisation. The Children’s Ground Approach is designed and delivered through the leadership of First Nations people. We are committed to systems change to ensure dignity, justice and equity for all children and families. Our work focuses on national reform as well as evidencing a new way of working.

The Children’s Ground Approach is a whole of community, whole of life approach. We privilege First Nations knowledge systems and practice. Over the course of a generation, led by local expertise, we create and deliver an integrated system that is centred on learning, development and wellbeing that responds to the child and their family through the key transition points from pre-birth to young adulthood.

Our approach recognises the cultural, social, and economic strength of our communities. We build on this over a generation to ensure a future for our children and grandchildren that gives them freedom, opportunity and rights to their culture and identity.

Children’s Ground operates in Central Australia and across the Top End, with support provided by a Melbourne-based Shared Services team.

About you

A committed First Nations person who is practical, community focused and confident working alongside families, Elders and local leaders. You’ll bring experience in health promotion or environmental health, strong cultural understanding, and the ability to support families with healthy home practices, hygiene, scabies prevention and tenancy needs. You’re hands on, collaborative and passionate about strengthening wellbeing through community led, culturally grounded approaches.

About the role

This position will provide services to the Top End, across four different communities in and around Garramilla – Darwin. The Environmental Health Officer will work within a multi-disciplinary team with particular focus on delivering Environmental Health Promotion under the Children’s Ground Family Health and Wellbeing Framework Health in the Hands of the People Utnenge, Tyerrtye, Mwerre Atnyenetyeke Iltye Tyerrtye Urrperle–kenhenge to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for communities.

The Environmental Health Promotion Officer plays a vital role in strengthening the health, safety and wellbeing of Aboriginal children, families and communities by addressing the environmental, social and structural determinants of health. The role is community‑based, culturally grounded, and aligned with Children’s Ground’s prevention, early‑intervention and community‑led systems change approach.

The Environmental Health Promotion Officer works to improve living environments and reduce preventable illness by coordinating health promotion activities that support safe, clean, and healthy households and community spaces.

This includes:

• Reducing factors that lead to infection and disease (e.g., hygiene, waste, pests, overcrowding)
• Promoting healthy environments in homes, schools, and community settings
• Supporting families to build knowledge, confidence and skills in environmental health
• Advocating to government and service partners about community conditions and needs
• Supporting culturally safe, community‑led strategies to address environmental health issues

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver culturally grounded environmental health promotion within the Children’s Ground Family Health Model
• Work with families, Elders and community leaders to assess needs and co‑design environmental health responses
• Provide education on hygiene, scabies prevention, safe water practices, waste management and healthy home routines
• Support community clean‑ups, yard cleans, and practical environmental health activities
• Build strong, respectful relationships with First Nations families and uphold local cultural governance
• Support families with tenancy needs, cleanliness, repairs and maintaining healthy home environments
• Assist with outreach, workshops and environmental health activities across communities
• Contribute to developing and refining environmental health programs grounded in community knowledge
• Work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team across Family Health, Learning and Community Development
• Maintain accurate records, data, documentation and reports to support evaluation and accountability
• Follow WHS, organisational policies, cultural protocols and safety standards
• Build partnerships with NT Health, Aboriginal organisations, councils and housing providers
• Advocate for safe living conditions, repairs and environmental health needs
• Represent Children’s Ground in meetings, community engagements and interagency groups
• Contribute positively to the team, cultural safety, planning, development and community‑led systems change

Essential Key Selection Criteria

• Relevant qualification or substantial experience in health promotion or a related field, with demonstrated success in planning, delivering and evaluating community‑based health promotion programs (including environmental health, hygiene and scabies prevention).
• Demonstrated experience working effectively with First Nations communities, with strong cultural understanding, respect for local governance, and awareness of the impacts of colonisation and intergenerational trauma.
• Strong communication, interpersonal and stakeholder engagement skills, including the ability to deliver community education, co‑design workshops, collaborate across multidisciplinary teams, and build partnerships with services such as NT Health, Aboriginal organisations, councils and housing providers.
• Proven ability to support families with tenancy and environmental health needs, including navigating repairs and maintenance processes, promoting healthy home environments, and responding to environmental health concerns.
• Sound understanding of quality, safety, risk and compliance requirements, including organisational policy, WHS expectations and safeguarding responsibilities.
• Current Driver’s License, and willingness to undergo a National Police Check and obtain an OCHRE Working With Children Check.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and the position may be filled before the advertised closing date.