• Permanent Full Time Position
• Monthly RDO & Vehicle with Fuel Card

About the Organisation

Every day, Life Without Barriers provides support and care to children and young people, as we work collaboratively with families, carers, and communities, to ensure they have the environment they deserve to grow. With a focus on ensuring safety and respect, this is an opportunity to make a positive and meaningful difference in these young lives and help pave a brighter future.

Life Without Barriers is a leading social purpose, not for profit organisation of 8,000 employees working in more than 500 communities across Australia. We support children, young people and families, people with disability, older people and people with mental illness. We work with people who are homeless and refugees and asylum seekers.  

We want to employ people who reflect the diversity of our clients to ensure we can support each client's individual needs and wants. We encourage people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background and people with disability to apply.

About the Role

The purpose of the Child and Family Practitioner position is to provide a high level of skilled casework support and supervision to the placement of children and young people in a family-based care arrangement and outreach style support to young people in the community. Casework relating to Carer support and Regulation of Care is also a focus.  

The role of the Child and Family Practitioner will work in partnership with the foster carer, children and young people, relevant government agencies and stakeholders to develop and implement individualised care plans to ensure the relevant ‘standards of care.

This is a permanent full-time appointment based in Mount Gambier. Travel across region required. A Tool of Trade vehicle (including fuel card) will also be allocated to the successful candidate.

Key Responsibilities

• Undertake child focused casework practice in partnership with the relevant government agency, children and their families, carers and other stakeholders.
• In a CARE informed way, work in partnership with carers to understand the pervasive damage of trauma, loss, neglect and abuse and the impact for a child or young person.
• Apply the CARE model in day to day care with children to enable them to learn to trust, to learn life skills, form relationships and gain resilience.
• Build and strengthen carer skills on how to include children and young people in decision making and support them to fulfil their potential.
• Where relevant, perform case management functions as prescribed in specific contracts or funding agreements.
• Participate in negotiation between LWB and the relevant government agency to ensure that each child/young person is provided care that meets their needs for stability.

Skills & Experience

• Recognised Social Work qualifications with eligibility for membership of the AASW and/or a Bachelor of Psychology or other relevant qualification.
• Significant experience in the child protection and out of home care sector.
• Demonstrated experience working with individuals, families and communities from a strength-based, culturally appropriate perspective that are part of the out of home care sector.
• Demonstrated experience in identifying an individual’s strengths and areas for improvement within the context of providing foster with an emphasis on permanency for children in care.
• Demonstrated experience in working within a multi-disciplinary team.
• Current drivers licence.

Successful candidates will be required to clear probity checks including National Criminal History Record Check and Working with Children Check (where relevant to the role).

To be considered for and appointed to a position at Life Without Barriers, you must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with a minimum of two (2) doses or hold a valid medical exemption certificate, in accordance with Life Without Barriers Employee COVID-19 Vaccination Policy. You will be required to provide evidence of your vaccination status during the recruitment process.      

Benefits

• Work for one of Australia's largest social purpose organisations.
• Life Without Barriers offers ongoing training, support and career advancement opportunities.
• Flexible working hours, including work from home possibilities.
• Tool of trade vehicle available for personal use.

How to Apply

Include your resume and covering letter in one document, click ‘Apply’ and follow the prompts.

For any enquiries including persons with disability that require adjustments, contact Dillon at [email protected] using the subject line: Child & Family Practitioner - Mount Gambier enquiry via EthicalJobs – please utilise ‘CFP-Mount Gambier’ in your request title.  

Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as applications are continuously reviewed prior to the closing date; and as such the closing date is subject to change without notice. 

Life Without Barriers supports the Royal Commission into violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability. We believe people with disability need to be heard and for these experiences to influence how support services like ours are delivered.

View our statement here.