The Family Services Practitioner role within the Care Hub is to provide quality in-home and community interventions, with high intensity and flexible service delivery hours.
The Care Hub will provide early assessment, planning and wrap around supports by a single integrated team (formed from a consortium of organisations) for children and young people who are first time entrants into care.
The services and support are delivered in a child-centered, family focused way and works alongside families to address the changes that may need to occur for their child/ren or young person to be safe at home.
Respect
Establishing relationships based on respect and trust
Accountability
Taking ownership and initiative of Njernda values to ensure trusted collaborations are formed
Resilience
Encouraging cultural and spiritual growth to enable personal growth
Advocacy
Working to transform the disadvantage and challenge that causes impact on our community
Cultural Sensitivity
Welcoming and serving our community with understanding and without judgement
• To provide quality interventions and services that focus on outcomes to families experiencing vulnerability and the safety and wellbeing of children.
• To work with families to support reunification or meaningful contact with the child/ren or young people.
• To provide education and practical support to families to enhance parenting skills and capacity and reduce risk factors impacting the safety of the child/ren or young people
• To promote and engage in relationships with Aboriginal controlled organisations and Aboriginal families that promote culture as a safety for children.
Key Responsibilities
• To provide intensive outreach to families (including outside normal business hours) with a focus on reunification and the safety and wellbeing of children and young people within the family home.
• To undertake regular risk and needs assessments and case management; utilising the Best Interest Framework and other contemporary frameworks and theories; across the Loddon region. Focusing on the safety, stability and wellbeing of children and young people in their family home.
• To actively engage (including outreach visits) children, young people, and families, including those who may be resistant, by being flexible, responsive, strengths-focused, and creative.
• To make an active commitment to the development and maintenance of a learning environment and cohesive multi-disciplinary team across the consortium; through staff meetings, team meetings, staff development, supervision, and reflective practice.
• To develop good working relationships with consortium partners including Aboriginal services to ensure cultural safety in our practice; to promote best outcomes for children, young people, and their families.
• To work within a collaborative care team approach with consortium members and relevant stakeholders, including Child Protection to promote best outcomes for client.
• To fulfil the program obligation regarding case load requirements, targets, case recording, statistics, and other data collection.
Applicants must possess:
1. Resilience to work with and support clients who have been exposed to trauma
2. Demonstrated ability to conduct comprehensive safety and wellbeing assessments and work within the Best Interest Principles ‘as outlined within the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005.
3. Sound understanding of the Child Protection and welfare system, and experience in collaboration with a range of professionals in a care team approach. –
4. Demonstrated ability to use a range of active engagement strategies with vulnerable and at risk children, young people and their families, and be flexible and creative in meeting their needs.
5. Excellent written and verbal communication, time management and organisational skills.
6. Understanding the community’s cultural diversity and ability to practice with cultural competency and safety.
7. Ability to partake in reflective practice and to be self-directed.
A relevant tertiary qualification in Social Work, Psychology, Early Childhood Specialist and / or related behavioural sciences at a degree level or associated diploma level with substantial experience in the relevant service stream.
Commitment to Safety: All children have the right to be children and live free of abuse and neglect, so they can grow, learn, and develop. Everyone within Njernda is responsible for ensuring a culture of child safety; preventing child abuse and abiding by the Child Safety Principles.
The successful applicant will be required to undergo satisfactory pre-employment checks, including providing at least two professional referees, completion of a medical declaration, Police Records Check, Working with Children Check, Victorian Driver’s License, and proof of identify and qualifications. Commitment to equal opportunity and occupational health and safety
• principles and practices are required. You will need to disclose any pre-existing illness or injury you know about which could be affected by the described work duties. Under section 82 (7) of the Accident Compensation Act, failure to disclose such a pre-existing illness or injury will mean that, if employed, you will not be paid compensation for that condition.
The Applicant MUST address the Key Selection Criteria and include a recent resume. Written applications should include a covering letter. Please include the names and telephone contacts of at least two referees. Please check the closing date to ensure your application is received within the specified time. Applications may be posted, emailed, hand delivered or faxed (provided that a hard copy is posted on the same day). Address your application marked: “Private & Confidential” to:
Corporate Services Manager
Njernda Aboriginal Corporation
P.O. Box 21 Echuca Vic 3564
Email jobs@njernda.com.au
All applications close: 10th Jun 2022