• A competitive remuneration package is available, accompanied with salary packaging benefits
• Full time position 
• Located at our South Melbourne, Sunshine, Prahran  and CBD Campuses, must be able to travel between  campuses as required

Hester Hornbrook Academy is a school that does education differently. Elevate your career! Where passion meets profession,  join our team as an experienced Family Therapeutic Engagement Worker.  

Be part of a highly skilled and committed team driven to help young people realize their potential, with the opportunity to work across a multi campus school setting

About Hester Hornbrook Academy

Hester Hornbrook Academy is a Special Assistance School which provides flexible education and learning options, including VETiS (Vocational Education and Training in Schools), VPC (Victorian Pathways Certificate), VM (VCE Vocational Major), VCE and an extend program offering a variety of elective subjects. Recognising that mainstream education is not suitable for all young people, our programs are driven by the personal pursuits of students.  Our HOPE – Healing Orientated Program of Education informs our Practice model which ensures the  integration of academic intervention and growth with wellbeing and life skills. Teachers, Youth Workers, and Education Support Officers (ESOs) work together in a collaborative manner to support students to reach their individual goals. Our students include those who have disengaged from mainstream education, are young parents, currently in or leaving out of home care, experiencing homelessness and those who may be experiencing mental health challenges or learning difficulties.
 

Each Hester Hornbrook classroom is supported by a multidisciplinary team comprised of a teacher, educational support staff and youth worker.  The classroom team collaborates to provide a safe, respectful, and productive learning environment, where learning for wellbeing and wellbeing for learning go hand in hand.  The team works in partnership with the students to understand and address the barriers to learning, to set and achieve academic pathways and other life goals.  All staff bring different and overlapping skills and experience to the classroom and are required to role model effective teamwork in order to provide a holistic response to the students’ educational needs.    
 

All roles within Hester Hornbrook will have a classroom allotment, this may include classroom instruction, the delivery of learning activities, the supervision of students, assertive outreach, and involvement in our other programs which support students to attain educational success.

About the Opportunity

At Hester Hornbrook, we acknowledge and accept that the individual/s that create a family for the young people we support are all unique. We acknowledge that families are fluid and changeable and may or may not be inclusive of individual/s that are; biologically related, living within the same household or recognised legally. We allow the children and young people we support to inform our staff of their unique family structure. 
 

Working as part of the Hester Hornbrook Wellbeing Team, the Family Therapeutic Engagement Worker will deliver short and long-term therapeutic support to identified families whilst also coordinating and/or referring to the most suitable external supports to strengthen connection with the school and wider community. 
 

The role will work collaboratively with classroom teams to identify at-risk students with significant attendance issues and/or those experiencing challenging family relationships, to develop effective interventions for vulnerable and disengaged families. As Hester Hornbrook has a diverse school community, the role will require innovative techniques of re-engagement to encourage families to support their young person to build their positive emotional and learning capacity and increase attendance at school. 
 

Key elements in this role include working directly with families in an outreach capacity, delivering therapeutic interventions, coordinating case management, working closely with key community stakeholders, providing referral pathways, reporting in line with the Child Safety Standards, facilitating wider school family education sessions/workshops and delivering professional Hester Hornbrook  staff.

Our ideal candidate will be able to successfully demonstrate the following key skills and attributes:

• Working with families by delivering therapeutic interventions and innovative case management through outreach to increase student wellbeing, engagement, and attendance on campus.  
• Support and encourage whole school family connection through face-to-face contact and by facilitating wider school family/caregiver education sessions and workshops.   
• Develop, capture and analyse program data to ensure the programs effectiveness, interventions and therapeutic support continue to increase student’s engagement and promote positive relationships within the school.   
• Actively engage with families and key services through case coordination and referrals to collectively build and sustain positive pathways and connection to school and the wider community. 
• Develop or collate and distribute resources which supports parents/carers in their roles. 
• Facilitate professional development to Hester Hornbrook  staff around engaging with families and managing complex family dynamics.  
• Apply an understanding of our HOPE (Healing Orientated Program of Education) to support students in a way that allows them to Engage, Equip, Empower and Extend.  While having a thorough understanding of a range of interventions that promote engagement and inclusivity, build rapport, and develop prosocial behaviours and relationships.
• Participate in regular supervision, supervise students, and complete additional duties as required, participate in whole school and campus meetings, the performance review processes and professional learning as required.
• Maintain competency with ICT systems such as Microsoft 365, Student Management Systems, Student Learning Platforms, and other programs utilised in the school community. 
• Ensure that all Child Safe, risk management and Hester Hornbrook documentation is adhered to, whilst contributing to a culture of continuous review and improvement and achievement of the Hester Hornbrook Strategic Plan (SP) and Annual Implementation Plans (AIP).
• Ensure services are delivered within the framework of MCM/Hester Hornbrook policies and procedures, legislative requirements, and meet the relevant service standards.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities, as directed by the Leadership Team of Hester Hornbrook.

Note all applicants must be prepared to travel between all Hester Hornbrook Academy campuses (please see the Position Description for more detailed information and the Key Selection Criteria).

Benefits

• Hester Hornbrook Academy as an Independently Registered Secondary School with its own Enterprise Agreement. 
• A competitive remuneration applies to this role together with access to tax-effective salary packaging arrangements and supportive work/life balance provisions.
• HHA recognizes the importance of investing in the training, learning and development of our staff.

How to apply

Address applications to – Sally Lasslett , Principal  
Applications to include a Cover Letter which highlights how you have previously assisted a young person to improve their wellbeing outcomes which has resulted in success in educational outcomes, leading to learning for wellbeing and a current CV with referees and ensure that all Key Selection Criteria are addressed. 
For more information, including a position description, closing date and how to apply, please click “apply for this job” to be redirected to our website.

For enquiries about this role, and assistance with application submission –  [email protected].
We reserve the right to interview and appoint prior to the closing date.

Other Relevant Information

• Applicants must be an Australian Citizen, Permanent Resident or hold a valid work visa
• Must have a valid driver’s license
• Must have or be willing to obtain a WWCC
• Applicants will be required to undergo a pre-employment safety screening process as part of the HHA selection process. 

Our commitment to diversity

Hester Hornbrook is an inclusive and equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to safety. Hester Hornbrook /MCM embraces differences because we know that diversity and inclusion help us to attract, recruit, engage and retain talented people. We are passionate about all our employees, with the skills that they bring, realising their full potential through ongoing learning and development and through embracing the positive impact that we make through our work and to the young people that we support. If you require specific support to apply for this position, please advise the recruiting manager listed in the advertisement. We will work with you to identify the best way to assist you. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are encouraged to apply.

Our commitment to safety

Hester Hornbrook /MCM is committed to the safety of its clients and employees, taking a zero-tolerance approach to violence within the workplace and abuse, including child abuse and abuse of people with disability. All employees are required to comply with the Child Safe Standards.