• Social Worker New Graduate position - Social Work Department
• Fixed Term Position Full Time
• 12 months – 38 Hours per week

Since 1856, the Royal Women’s Hospital (the Women’s) has been providing health services to women and newborn babies in Victoria.

Today, the Women’s is one of Australia’s leading specialist public hospital dedicated and advocating for the health and wellbeing of women and newborns. Through our campus at Parkville and by supporting ten research centres, the Women’s is advancing healthcare for women in maternity services and the care of newborn babies, gynaecology, women’s health and women’s cancer services.

The Women’s Social Model of Health Division is a newly formed Division that reinforces the Women’s commitment to the social determinants of health. Whilst all services at the Women’s ensure health equity for all women, the Social Model of Health Division brings together our multidisciplinary services and programs that specialise in providing care to women facing challenges that may adversely affect their health. In particular, the division has a focus on ensuring a woman’s social, economic, cultural, environmental, geographic, and other factors are taken into account in her care plan with the overall aim of reducing health inequalities and addressing systemic inadequacies that affect health access and outcomes.

Social Work at The Women’s aims to improve the biopsychosocial health and well-being of patients and babies attending The Women’s.

Social Work embraces a view of women’s health that is holistic and considers women’s social, physical, emotional and cultural wellbeing.

Our Social Workers offer support to women through their maternity, neonatal, gynaecological and oncology experiences and provide information, counselling, support and advocacy for women in response to health and social needs.

Your contribution

This role provides a recent social work graduate with a unique opportunity to develop their clinical practice skills within a specialist women’s hospital. It provides access to experience in conducting biopsychosocial assessments, case management, patient advocacy, bereavement care, and discharge planning, whilst receiving a high level of clinical supervision, mentoring and support.

The role is focused on the provision of high quality, evidence-based clinical services to patients and their families, and also encompasses non clinical tasks such as contributing to program and guidelines development, research, student and professional education, community liaison and the promotion of the service.

Clinical Expertise / Skills

• Under supervision and guidance, provide a high quality, evidence-based Social Work service to patients and their families, including undertaking psychosocial assessments, crisis intervention, short term counselling, advocacy, community liaison and referral, casework and discharge planning
• Ensure the prompt assessment of newly referred patients and timely discharge plans
• Provide social work interventions, in line with professional standards, organisational guidelines and time-frames within the Social Work Department

• Work collaboratively and flexibly within a multidisciplinary team involved in the care of patients and their families and take a continuum of care approach tailored to the complexity of each woman’s clinical presentation and social circumstance
• Demonstrated ability to work as a member of a care team and ability to facilitate meetings with a health personnel and with other external service providers
• Possess an understanding of relevant legislation and practice frameworks relating to family violence practice, including but not limited to the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS), Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS) and the Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management Framework (MARAM)
• Critically review and keep up to date with professional literature relevant to Social Work

Research and training

• Participate in research activities arising from direct social practice, as appropriate
• Participate in professional development relevant to the area of work
• Identify research opportunities arising from direct social work and participate as appropriate

Practice improvement and Service development

• Participate in clinical audits and other relevant quality activities
• Ensure services are delivered in accordance with National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards and the EQUIP National Program

Information and data management

• Use of the Women’s electronic medical record (EMR) where required to fulfil the duties of this position
• Ensure that accurate information and records are maintained in line with relevant hospital policies and guidelines
• Ensure all documentation and data meets the requirements of the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, including all statutory requirements and relevant hospital policies and guidelines

Professional responsibilities

• Attend all meetings relevant to the position
• Apply conflict resolution skills when dealing with problems
• Complete an annual performance development review
• Actively engage in professional development and demonstrate a commitment to life-long learning
• Actively participate in supervision
• Demonstrate the ability to assume extra responsibilities as requested by the Team Leader
• Adhere to The Women’s policies, procedures, accreditation and statutory requirements

Communication

• Demonstrate excellent communication (verbal and written) including through the use of interpreters, ability to negotiate, apply conflict resolution and advocacy skills and escalate client complaints appropriately
• Work effectively with a diverse range of people, acknowledging individual differences
• Promote an understanding of the professional Social Work role within the organisation

Stakeholder relationships

• Actively promote an understanding of the professional social work role within the Women’s
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders

Planning

• Establish an action plan for yourself to complete work efficiently and on time by setting priorities, establishing timelines
• Demonstrate proactive, constructive and creative approaches to problem-solving for individual patients and service developments

About you

To be successful within this role you will need to have:

Essential Criteria

• A tertiary qualification in Social Work and eligibility for Membership of the AASW
• Develop knowledge of medical diagnoses in area(s) of work and knowledge of related social health issues and resources
• Demonstrated competency in undertaking psycho-social assessments and interventions, case planning, advocacy, counselling, and service coordination, gained through a fieldwork placement in healthcare or a related area
• Ability to manage workload which increases with experience, and effectively prioritise tasks, seeking guidance and support as appropriate
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including computer literacy and a capacity to actively reflect on practice
• The capacity to develop positive relationships within the department, the division, the organisation, in the health sector and community which aids appropriate service delivery and patient care
• Demonstrated understanding of theoretical frameworks which inform social work practice
• Understanding of best practice and intersectional approaches to working with victim/survivors of family violence, sexual assault and complex trauma
• Adherence to the AASW Code of Ethics, Practice standards and relevant legislation
• Demonstrate a commitment to ongoing learning

Desirable Criteria

• Experience in working in a hospital setting and with women with multiple and complex needs.
• Experience and training in conducting a Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management Framework (MARAM) and training in the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS) and Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS)

Our offering

When you join the Women’s you unite with talented people who share your purpose and unwavering determination to advance health outcomes for all women. You will find a workplace that is collaborative, progressive and passionate about learning and working together in multi-disciplinary teams to ensure you find the exceptional in your everyday.

Our staff benefits program includes salary packaging, on-site car parking and childcare (subject to availability), alongside a range of discounted financial, lifestyle and wellbeing benefits provided by our staff benefit partners. To learn more, please visit here.

We are proudly Breastfeeding Association accredited. The Women’s is committed to gender equity principles and our people have an awareness of and sensitive approach to violence against women/family violence matters.

The Women’s is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and social inclusion. We welcome applications from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, including those from Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders, people with lived experience of disability and people who identify as LGBTI.

It is a policy of the Women's to provide reasonable adjustments for persons with a disability. If you need assistance or adjustments to fully participate in the application or interview process, please contact the hiring manager listed under 'Contact Person'.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement

Please be aware that in line with the Health Minister's Covid-19 Mandatory Vaccination Order, all workers at the Women's regardless of role, will be required to be fully vaccinated (3 doses) for COVID-19 or hold an acceptable medical exemption.

Influenza Vaccination Requirement

In line with the Health Services Amendment (Mandatory Vaccination of Healthcare Workers) Act 2020, some health care workers are now required to have their flu vaccination to work in health care. Evidence of vaccination is required.

As this role fits into category A or B of the departments risk ratings, applicants will be required to have been vaccinated against influenza. Evidence of vaccination is required.

All applicants will be required to provide acceptable evidence of their vaccination status.

If you would like to receive this information/publication in an accessible format (such as large print or audio) please call our HR Enquiries line on: 03 8345 2080, or email [email protected] using the subject line: Graduate Social Worker - Social Work Department enquiry via EthicalJobs.