• We are a flexible friendly organisation supporting you to achieve a healthy work/life balance
• Peer support and buddy to help you find your feet and thrive in your new role!
• Laptop and phone provided to work remotely

We are Australia’s first charity, providing a range of services across New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia. We are a not-for-profit and non-religious organisation that has assisted people, families and communities to achieve positive change since 1813.The Benevolent Society’s vision is for a just society where all Australians can live their best life.

We know that the majority of children flourish within their family of origin. Your role would sit across the Family Partnerships Team in Fostering Young Lives to complete restoration/viability assessments with parents, Kinship assessments, Provisional assessments, Guardianship assessments, General Foster Care assessments and supporting the process of restoration for children, birth parents and carers, under the legislative Permanency Principles. As the assessor, you will utilise a number of strength-based frameworks and risk assessment models to work intensively with children, families and carers in identifying and meeting their support needs whilst in out of home care or for the safe return of the child or young person to their family unit.

NSW reforms regarding permanency in OOHC have changed the way we work. It is an exciting time for employees in the OOHC space, with the ability to learn new skills and enhance permanency practice. Our OOHC contract supports our great work with birth families, carers and the child/young person, while providing the opportunity to review our practices and adapt where required.

Terms: Full-time position based in Hurstville

Your new role

You will be passionate about permanency outcomes for children/young people within their family unit. Possess the ability to work with risk and support parents/kinship carers to meet the needs of children and young people who have experienced complex trauma. You will understand the importance of comprehensive, strength based, evidenced assessments for Court outcomes.

Working holistically, your role will encompass a number of key areas: supporting and assessing the viability of parents to have their children restored to their care; completing kinship assessments in the attempt to maintain children and young people to remain within the family; holistically supporting the family following restoration; working with foster carer applicants and assessing them as General Foster Carers or completing Guardianship assessments with existing carers in meeting the Permanency goals of children in their care .

Working in partnership with case management teams you will ensure family placement options are explored as kinship assessments are completed, assist in the recruitment and support of foster carers whilst ensuring the program supports and meets the needs of children and young people in care.

If you can work in a fast paced environment and adapt easily to change while always keeping the safety, best interests and well-being of children and young people at the centre of your work then this is the role for you.

Your experience

As an experienced Social Worker, Psychologist, Case Worker or Case Manager, you will:

• Have a minimum 2 years’ experience working with children and families addressing child protection concerns or within OOHC identifying and managing risk through trauma informed practice
• Have a degree in Social Work, Psychology or relevant experience
• Have sound knowledge of child protection, client vulnerabilities such as drug and alcohol use, domestic violence, mental health issues and the impact of trauma and the effect on child behaviour and development.
• Have strong analytical skills, including the ability to openly communicate and challenge worries, concerns and identified risk.
• Have experience utilising evidence based practice models of intervention. Full training on the model and services is provided as part of the program onboarding.
• Be comfortable working with and supporting individuals and families where there has been an identified risk
• Use strong analytic skills to evidence and communicate both verbally and in writing
• Be confident to have difficult conversations in a sensitive and appropriate way
• Have good relationship building skills with the ability to create strong working relationships with different stakeholders
• Have the capacity to engage with people from all walks of life and adapt to changing circumstances
• Be able to work flexibly in varying Sydney locations including occasional weekend and evening work
• Hold a current driver’s licence

Your benefits

As an employee of The Benevolent Society, you can enjoy access to:

• Salary Benefits- Salary package $15,900 pa + meals and entertainment card $2,650 pa + discount program + package a brand new car or novated leases available!
• Work/Life Balance- Flexible work arrangements + purchase 2 weeks additional leave per year
• Recognition and Reward -Length of Service rewards + long service leave after 5 years
• Wellness-1 accrued day off a month for full time employees + fitness passport + employee assistance program
• Job Security- Ongoing learning, leadership training and career progression opportunities
• Positive Culture-We are an inclusive and diverse organisation welcoming people from all walks of life!

Click for more of our benefits https://www.benevolent.org.au/careers

Apply today or contact Leah Da Silva on 0434 859 974 for a confidential discussion

TBS is committed to building an inclusive and diverse workforce that reflects the communities and people we support and advocate for. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, people of all ages, identity and abilities. We pride ourselves on being a client and child safe organisation and as such all our staff and volunteers go through security screening relevant to the role. The Benevolent Society supports vaccination as the best way to keep our clients, communities, volunteers and employees safe from COVID-19. Vaccination for COVID-19 is a condition of employment and volunteering.

Click here for Position Profile