• Morwell location in Gunaikurnai Country
• Full time, 12 month fixed term
• Base salary $88,761.92 pa + Super + SP

For over 140 years, Berry Street has adapted to a changing world, and we will continue to adapt to achieve our purpose. We believe children, young people and families should be safe, thriving and hopeful. Our Vision for 2022: Together we will courageously change lives and reimagine service systems. We look forward to working with children, young people, families, carers, staff and partners to achieve this vision. Together.

The Opportunity

Berry Street’s Kinship Care Service is a Gippsland wide service and is designed to accommodate all kinship arrangements. This service is tiered and provides for an information and advice phone line, family services outreach and Child Protection contracted case management.

The Community Development Worker sits in the Kinship Team. The role involves facilitating and coordinating group work for the kinship care support groups. This is an outreach project, working with kinship carers and the children in their care enabling them to access and participate in mainstream services and programs, while offering support to service providers to better understand the needs of this group more generally.

Key Responsibilities

The Community Development Worker will be required to organise, coordinate and facilitate forums, regular support groups and community and professional education sessions to support Kinship carer households and their networks. When facilitating support groups you will be required to assist people in navigating Child Protection, Centrelink and the legal system, foster social connections, parenting and behaviour management strategies, support and advocacy, positive and encouraging environment, sharing knowledge, information and experiences, advice and information, guest speakers, child friendly facilities, emotional support and self-care, education, connection to community supports.

• Facilitate and coordinate group work for children and carers.
• Providing opportunities to children and carers to enhance their lives through better understanding children from disadvantage environments.
• Enable children and carers to participate in discussions and activities.
• Create a supportive and safe work environment for children and carers.

About you

You will hold a tertiary or diploma qualification in Social Work, Welfare or a related discipline along with the ability to actively engage and connect with families, young people and children in the delivery of group work, including those that may be unwilling to receive services.

You will have an understanding of inter-generational factors that may impact on a child’s development and knowledge of the early childhood service sector.

The Benefits

• Additional salary packaging available for meals/accommodation.
• Flexible work arrangements and generous leave conditions.
• Access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), including access for staff members’ immediate family.

How to Apply

Applications including resume and cover letter addressing your suitability for the position to be submitted. 

Queries to James Aloni, Senior Manager on 03 9239 1468.

Please Note; the successful applicant will be subject to comprehensive reference and background checking prior to employment, including a Working with Children Check and National Police Check.

Berry Street is committed to being a child safe, child friendly and child empowering organisation. In everything we do we seek to protect children. We are committed to the cultural safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children; children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds; children with a disability; children who identify with a sexual and or gender minority identity. We aim to ensure every individual is treated with dignity and respect regardless of their cultural background, ability, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, spirituality or religion.

Aboriginal people; people from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds and people with a disability are encouraged to apply.

A position description is attached.