Summary

• Be part of a highly skilled and committed team driven to help young people realize their potential, with the opportunity to work across a multi campus school setting
• A competitive remuneration package is available, accompanied with salary packaging benefits
• Full time position
• Based at South Melbourne, must be able to travel to other campuses as required Melbourne CBD, Prahran and Sunshine

About Hester Hornbrook Academy

Hester Hornbrook Academy (HHA) is a school that does education differently.

HHA provides flexible education and learning options, including VCAL (Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning) and VETiS (Vocational Education and Training in Schools). In 2023 we will be offering VPC and the VM VCE Certificates. Recognising that mainstream education is not suitable for all young people, our programs are driven by the personal pursuits of students and integrate wellbeing and life skills approaches. Teachers, Youth Workers and Education Support Officers work together to support students. We have classes and outreach learning options for students who are young parents, currently in or leaving out of home care, experiencing homelessness, or who have been disengaged from mainstream education.

About the Opportunity

At HHA, we acknowledge and accept that the individual/s that create a family for the young people we support are all unique. We acknowledge that families are fluid and changeable and may or may not be inclusive of individual/s that are; biologically related, living within the same household or recognised legally. We allow the children and young people we support to inform our staff of their unique family structure.

Working as part of the HHA Wellbeing Team, the Family Therapeutic Engagement Worker will deliver short term therapeutic work to identified families whilst also coordinating and/or referring to the most suitable external supports to strengthen connection with the school and wider community.

The role will work collaboratively with classroom teams to identify at-risk students with significant attendance issues and/or those experiencing challenging family relationships to develop effective interventions for vulnerable and disengaged families. As HHA has a diverse school community, the role will require innovative techniques of re-engagement to encourage families to support their young person to build their positive emotional and learning capacity at school.

Key elements in this role include working directly with families in an outreach capacity, delivering therapeutic interventions, coordinating case management, working closely with key community stakeholders, providing referral pathways, reporting in line with the Child Safety Standards and delivering professional learning to HHA staff.

Our ideal candidate will be able to successfully demonstrate the following key skills and attributes:

• Working with families by delivering therapeutic interventions and innovative case management through outreach to increase student wellbeing, engagement, and attendance on campus.
• Support and encourage whole school family connection through face-to-face contact, data collection and by facilitating wider school family education sessions.
• Actively engage with families and key services through case coordination and referrals to collectively build and sustain positive pathways and connection to school and the wider community.
• Develop or collate and distribute resources which supports parents/carers in their roles.
• Facilitate professional development to HHA staff around engaging with families and managing complex family dynamics.
• Apply an understanding of our HOPE (Healing Orientated Program of Education) to support students in a way that allows them to Engage, Equip, Empower and Extend. While having a thorough understanding of a range of interventions that promote engagement and inclusivity, build rapport, and develop prosocial behaviours and relationships.
• Participate in regular supervision, supervise students, and complete additional duties as required, participate in whole school and campus meetings, the performance review processes and professional learning as required.
• Maintain competency with ICT systems such as Microsoft 365, Student Management Systems, Student Learning Platforms, and other programs utilised in the school community.
• Ensure that all Child Safe, risk management and HHA documentation is adhered to, whilst contributing to a culture of continuous review and improvement and achievement of the HHA Strategic Plan (SP) and Annual Implementation Plans (AIP).
• Ensure services are delivered within the framework of MCM/HHA policies and procedures, legislative requirements, and meet the relevant service standards.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities, as directed by the Leadership Team of HHA.

Applications should include a Cover Letter, current CV with referees and ensure that all Key Selection Criteria are addressed.

What's in it for you?

• Purpose driven work and job fulfilment
• Hester Hornbrook Academy (HHA) as an Independently Registered School has its own Enterprise Agreement.
• A competitive renumeration applies to this role together with access to tax-effective salary packaging arrangements and supportive work/life balance provisions.
• HHA recognises the importance of investing in the training, learning and development of our staff.

About you

• Extensive experience or relevant qualifications in family inclusive therapeutic practice
• Proven experience working in an outreach capacity to engage families in therapeutic work and provide case management.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of the relationship between families/carers and the educational setting, in relationship to student pathways, mandatory reporting and Child Safe Practices.
• Ability to use student data to inform teaching and wellbeing approaches that improve student outcomes. and
• Effective collaborative and proactive approach to working with young people and their parent/carers in a context of trauma-informed practice, restorative practices, diverse student cohort and with students who have and exhibit multiple barriers to education.
• Demonstrated capacity to work flexibly, manage competing demands and to work as part of a team.

Please refer to the position description for the full duties and key selection criteria.

How to Apply

For more information, including a position description, closing date and how to apply, please click “apply for this job” to be redirected to our website.

For more details or assistance with application submission please email: [email protected] using the subject line: Family Engagement Therapeutic Worker enquiry via EthicalJobs.

• Applicants must be an Australian Citizen, Permanent Resident or hold a valid work visa
• Must have a valid driver’s license
• Must have or be willing to obtain a WWCC
• Applicants will be required to undergo a pre-employment safety screening process as part of the HHA selection process.

HHA is an inclusive and equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to safety. HHA embraces differences because we know that diversity and inclusion help us to attract, recruit, engage and retain talented people. We are passionate about all our employees, with the skills that they bring, realising their full potential through ongoing learning and development and through embracing the positive impact that we make through our work and to the young people that we support.

Our commitment to diversity

HHA embraces diversity and encourages applicants from all different backgrounds to apply regardless of age, gender, cultural background, disability, or sexual orientation. We recognise the strength and value in diversity, and lived experience, actively fostering an inclusive workplace. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are encouraged to apply.

Our commitment to safety

HHA is committed to the safety of its clients and employees, taking a zero tolerance approach to violence within the workplace and abuse, including child abuse and abuse of people with disability. All employees are required to comply with the Child Safe Standards.