The Role

This exciting role of Family Preservation and Restoration Practitioner aims to work intensively with Aboriginal families to reduce child protection risks and reduce the number of Aboriginal children who are removed from their families using an evidence informed model for change. A Practitioner will hold a caseload of 4 families with a mix of both Preservation families to prevent children from entering care, and Restoration families to restore children to their birth families and communities.

You will be part of a passionate and professional team that that is committed to increasing an evidence-base for working with Aboriginal families in the Preservation and Restoration space.

Key Role Responsibilities

• Assessing families’ strengths and needs using an evidence informed model for change
• Provide safety planning support and structure to mitigate risk for families
• Support families to develop and achieve goals that are child focused and address the safety and well-being of children
• Participation in weekly clinical group supervision to support ongoing analysis and intervention with families
• Provide therapeutic and practical casework interventions to assist families to achieve sustainable change
• Participating in an on-call roster

The Organisation

Wandiyali is a community services Organisation based in Newcastle, which has been in operation for 20 years. The Organisation is experiencing a period of growth and development and is an exciting time to be working for this family friendly, flexible Organisation!

Wandiyali will provide you with flexible working hours, a competitive salary including salary packaging that increases your take home pay, a fully maintained company vehicle, laptop and mobile, as well as continuous training and support to develop and progress your career.

Required Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• A commitment to the Vision, Mission and Values of our Organisation
• Degree in social work, psychology, allied health, education or social services
• Minimum 2 years’ experience working in frontline child protection
• Demonstrated ability to conduct safety and risk assessments with families where there are multiple vulnerabilities and high risk child protection concerns
• Demonstrated skills or willingness to work therapeutically with families experiencing high risk child protection concerns
• Committed to Aboriginal children and young people remaining, or being restored, with their birth families provided they are safe
• Demonstrated compassion towards and understanding of the holistic needs of Aboriginal children and families affected by trauma, including prior experience delivering trauma informed interventions
• A solid understanding of child development and milestones, issues affecting vulnerable & disadvantaged families, and experience in supporting parents to increase their parenting capacity
• Demonstrated capacity to work independently (often in families homes) and as a part of a team
• An awareness of Aboriginal Culture and the issues faced by Aboriginal people that may impact on parental roles, family and community relationships
• High-level interpersonal skills relating to effective oral and written communication; building and maintaining strong therapeutic relationships with families is an integral part of this role
• Flexibility to be available outside of core business hours in performing duties

Desirable Criteria

Wandiyali encourages any suitably qualified and experienced Aboriginal persons to apply for this position.

• Wandiyali is a child safe Organisation. You must have the right to work in Australia. All appointments are subject to the satisfactory completion of a National Police History Check and Working With Children Check.

More Information

For more information about the position please email or call Kerrie Gallucci - Preservation Operations Manager 

[email protected] or 4957 5900.

For all other queries please contact

Talana Kilroy - HR Officer
[email protected] or 4957 5900.