ABOUT CANTEEN

Just when life should be full of possibilities, cancer can crash into a young person’s world and shatter everything. Canteen provides young people impacted by cancer, and their parents, with access to a team of Allied Health Professionals who deliver programs, counselling and a range of other group and individual support activities.

Canteen is a national support organisation for 12 - 25 year olds who are impacted by cancer, and provides highly regarded specialist support services and peer support programs that are informed by the evidence developed by our internationally regarded research team.

JOB SUMMARY

To improve outcomes of young people living with cancer, Canteen provides parents with support as they face the challenges of parenting through their own or their partner’s cancer diagnosis, and at times through the death of that partner. This is an emerging area of practice, and the Parent Social Worker role is an opportunity not only to support families, but also to work alongside Canteen’s National Clinical Advisory Team and shape and inform the development of models of best practice parenting support.

Primarily based at Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centre, the Parent Social Worker will work as an integrated member of the Camden and Campbelltown & other affiliated Hospital’s Social Work departments, and will play a crucial role in delivering information and support services for parents.

The aim of this role is to assist families with their management of the impact of a cancer diagnosis on their family unit by:

• Working with the Social Work Department’s Cancer Services team to systematically identify parents diagnosed with cancer who have 12-25 year old children
• Offering support in how to communicate with their 12-25 year old children about their diagnosis and treatment
• Working with clients to identify the nature of their parenting challenges as they navigate their own cancer journey, and offering support in line with Canteen’s Therapeutic Parenting Support Guidelines
• Supporting parents through the familial distress and adjustment associated with disease progression, and engaging with end of life planning and Palliative Care.
• Providing psycho-education, resources and information about Canteen, and the support that is available for their children through Canteen
• Enhancing the coping skills of parents
• Advocating and referring to Canteen’s support options as well as other services as appropriate

In addition to direct intervention, the Parent Social Worker will work alongside Canteen’s research team, as we seek to broaden the research available to inform best practice care for families impacted by parental cancer.

IS THIS YOU?

Qualifications

• You will hold either an AASW approved social work qualification from an Australian tertiary institution or qualifications from overseas that have been recognised by the AASW as comparable to an AASW approved social work qualification. See: https://www.aasw.asn.au/careers-study/accredited-courses
• Be eligible or hold Full Membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) or be willing to apply for full membership on offer of employment.

Experience/Knowledge/ Skills

Essential

• Demonstrated experience providing individualised psychosocial assessment and support planning
• Proven experience in a similar position, demonstrating ability to relate to, and work with young people
• Minimum 5 years of practice, experience in case management, clinical, counselling and/or care coordination setting
• Demonstrated experience in working with parents, along with knowledge of relevant theoretical frameworks for family work
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in working with parents of young people around communication, parenting skills and conflict management
• Knowledge of the unique needs of young people aged 12-25 years
• Demonstrated experience in working with families from a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) background
• Demonstrated capacity to engage a variety of stakeholders including consumers (parents and young people), hospitals and other health professionals
• Experience with working within multi-disciplinary teams, and across departments
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Strong planning, time management and organisational skills
• Good administration, reporting and computer skills, especially MS Office

Desirable

• Demonstrated experience as a counselling clinician in the areas of life threatening or chronic illnesses
• Demonstrated experience in palliative care or end of life care, including specialist knowledge of bereavement and loss, and grief processes.
• Experience working within a hospital
• Ability to work autonomously and reliably achieve objectives

Personal qualities

• Approachable, ability to listen actively, friendly and professional
• High level of integrity, honesty and commitment
• Highly motivated, team player and ability to handle stressful situations
• Strong attention to detail and good initiative
• Adaptable to change
• Able to work autonomously
• Desire to work with Canteen, affinity with our Mission, desire to work with young people and their families

EMPLOYMENT DETAILS:

Location: Sydney, NSW

Employment Type: Maximum term, 2 years; full-time

Employment Hours: 5 days/ 37.50 hours per week