About Us

Lighthouse Foundation operates clinical services to improve the lives of young people, children and babies who have been affected by complex trauma and are experiencing, or likely to experience youth homelessness. The Lighthouse Model of Care (LMC) is a holistic therapeutic treatment program which draws on over 60 years of empirical research into human development across the fields of psychology, psychiatry, trauma and neurobiology. Framed by trauma informed practice and informed by attachment and psychoanalytic theory, the LMC weaves together and integrates these frames to create a therapeutic treatment environment in which the mental and physical health and well-being as well as social, emotional, cultural and educational capacities of young people in Lighthouse homes are developed and enriched.

Lighthouse’s Foster Care Program is based on a Hub concept which sees a centralised Lighthouse home surrounded by 10 foster families from the Northern Suburbs of Melbourne. The key feature of the Foster Care Program is the centralised Hub home; where children and Foster Carers will experience the Hub as a place they can come together for activities such as therapy, art and drama, for community connection and support, or for overnight respite. The home is supported by Lighthouse’s therapeutically-trained Carers and clinical oversight is provided for every family and child.

The Position

The Foster Care Team Leader will be an enthusiastic, dedicated and talented professional working within the Foster Care Program, and someone looking to be a key part of a new way of providing care to children and foster families. The Team Leader must be committed to Lighthouse’s values and ensuring the success of this new program.

This position focuses on the development, implementation and management of Lighthouse’s Foster Care Hub, as well as ensuring quality therapeutic service delivery guided by Lighthouse’s Model of Care.

The Team Leader will support the recruitment and retention of Foster Carers, including facilitating training and undertaking Carer assessments. The Team Leader will also provide children and young people with allocated placements to support their development and meet their needs in a safe and secure environment.

This role would suit someone in a current Team Leader role, or someone looking to take the next step into a leadership role.

About You

To be successful in this role you will need:

• A tertiary qualification in Social Work or a related field, e.g. counselling / psychology
• Experience working in Foster Care / Home Based Care
• Ability to facilitate group training
• Ability to undertake quality written assessments
• Experience in networking and relationship management with external stakeholders
• Commitment to and understanding of the vision and work of Lighthouse Foundation
• Understanding of trauma-informed practice, attachment theory and psychodynamic practice
• Completion of Shared Lives and Step by Step Training
• Current full driver’s license

The successful applicant will be required to undergo a psychosocial screen interview with a Lighthouse Clinician, and complete a Working with Children’s Check and a Criminal Records Check.

Please read the detailed Position Description attached below prior to applying.