Role Details

The Child Wellbeing Program (CWP) is a targeted program aimed at assisting Education staff to quickly identify vulnerable children and their families, to engage them in, and with, timely and appropriate support services, resulting in fewer children and families reaching the level of concern that requires a statutory child protection response.

Child Wellbeing staff work closely with Education sites, to enhance their ability to engage with families in a setting that is generally perceived by children and families to be accepting and positive.

The Child Wellbeing Program has been designed to provide an integral link between Education sites, Child Protection operational services and Department of Human Services (DHS), Safer Family Services (SFS). Child Wellbeing staff will build and support collaborative systemic responses across pre-statutory child protection systems, across government and non-government service sectors.

The Child Wellbeing Practitioner (CWP) works to support and engage directly with vulnerable children, young people and families at risk, and is accountable to the Supervisor, Child Wellbeing Program (CWP) for:

• Strengthening communication and understanding between the Department for Child Protection (DCP), Department for Education (EDU), and Health systems for timely and effective service responses to meeting the needs of children and their families.
• Demonstrating effective case practice and case management, providing high quality and effective service delivery to respond to the needs of children and their families in a timely manner and in a supportive diversionary role.
• Promoting and developing partnerships with government and non-government support services, to identify and implement responses to mitigate child protection risk (including domestic and family violence) for vulnerable children and their families.
• Creating opportunities to work in collaboration with other services to effectively link vulnerable children and families to relevant services.
• Identifying risk and assessing the needs of vulnerable children and families, planning and delivering focussed intervention to safeguard children and young people within their families and communities to promote positive outcomes.

Key outcomes and accountabilities:

1. Develop local, regional, and state-wide networks with a broad range of government and non-government agencies, including building and maintaining effective partnerships within Education sites to promote outcomes for vulnerable children, young people and families at risk of a statutory response.
2. Contribute to the professional knowledge base; reinforce professional ethics and standards in decision making. Integrate contemporary information and research evidence with practice experience to support decision making, innovative thinking and objective analysis and case work.
3. Consult with Cultural Elders, Cultural consultants, and other relevant community members, to enhance culturally appropriate and accessible services to all client groups (with particular focus on Aboriginal children, young people and their families).
4. Lead or co-work the delivery of supportive diversionary responses to children and their families, identified as at risk, including undertaking home visits, providing case management services, and recording all client related activity in identified data systems.
5. Engaging with the Supervisor, Senior Practitioner, and other specialist practitioners (as required), through supervision, regular case discussion and reflective practice sessions, including contributing to complex case reviews, and implementation of evidence-based practice which provide high quality services for vulnerable children, young people and their families.
6. Manage complex cases, including implementing case conference (when required) with children, young people, their families and agencies, including delivery of support services for children at risk and their families, including families experiencing family violence, and using professional judgement to provide the most appropriate service.
7. Work in, and with, the Safer Family Services (SFS), to contribute to the objectives, and strategic direction.

Note: Any other responsibilities in line with the classification level of the role as assigned by Line Manager and/or the Department. The responsibilities as specified above may be altered in accordance with the changing requirements of the role.

Special Conditions

National Police Check required.
Employment-related Screening Check required.
Some interstate and intrastate travel may be required.
Must hold a current Australian issued driver’s licence (equivalent to minimum class C).
Covid -19 – will be required to be up to date on their COVID-19 vaccination status prior to engagement with DHS, unless it would be medically unsafe for the employee to do so.
Role Status: Term up to 28/06/2024.

Essential Qualifications:

• An appropriate Social Work qualification from a recognised tertiary institution giving eligibility for full membership with the Australian Association of Social Workers.
• Persons of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, who have the appropriate background and skills but do not hold the essential qualification, may apply for and be engaged/assigned to the role of Social Worker and will be entitled to apply for any Allied Health Professional roles requiring a qualification in Social Work within the Department of Human Services.

About the Business

Community and Family Services supports vulnerable people and families to participate in social and economic life and build stronger communities. This division comprises three key areas:

Safer Family Services (SFS) provides a wide range of intensive family support services to children, young people and families experiencing a high risk of statutory intervention from the child protection or youth justice systems. Services also include family support, community development and parenting and youth programs.

The Office for Women works across government and the community towards achieving gender equity and positive change for women in South Australia by developing policy and advising on issues affecting women to improve their safety, wellbeing and economic security. The office also oversees the Women’s Information Service to support women over the phone, online and in person, as well as regional safety hubs across the state.

Communities and Justice works towards building community safety and wellbeing by providing support and services to children, young people and families in the youth justice system, building the capacity of communities through community development projects and working in partnership with the community services sector to respond to people with complex and exceptional needs.

Contact Us

Enquiries to Candice Jones
0435389649
[email protected] 

Application Instructions
Resume and Cover Letter
You are required to submit a cover letter, up to a maximum of two pages, addressing how your skills and experience align with the role specific capabilities and attach your current resume via the online application form. For more information about applying, refer to our Job Application Guide

Screening Checks
If you are new to the department and are invited to an interview, you will be required to produce a National Police Check, which has been issued within six months of your application for the role. National Police Checks can be applied for via the South Australia Police or through an Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission accredited body.
If the role you are applying for also requires an Employment-related Screening Check, you will be required to undergo such assessment as is advised by DHS, including periodic assessment during your employment.

DHS is committed to creating an inclusive workplace and providing equitable services to all South Australians. This ensures that all people feel welcome to work with us and access our services, including people identifying as Aboriginal, living with disability, LGBTIQA+, youth, mature age, and from different ethnic, linguistic, religious and cultural backgrounds.