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.

The SA Government has committed to reforming the child protection system in South Australia. The Department of Human Services (DHS) has lead responsibility for implementing the Child and Family Support System reform, in which Safer Family Services plays a key part.
Safer Family Services (SFS) provides help and support to children and their families at risk of harm, neglect and family violence, by deliberately and strongly intervening to disrupt the patterns of intergenerational trauma, and increase the number of children able to be cared for safely in their homes, connected to culture and community. This is particularly relevant for children and families with multiple and complex needs.

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. 

Special Conditions: 

• National Police Check required.
• Employment-related Screening Check required.
• Some out of hours work may be required.
• Some interstate and intrastate travel may be required.
• Must hold a current Australian issued driver’s licence (equivalent to minimum class C).
• Multiple positions available.
• Role Status: Term up to 27/09/2024.
• Incumbent must be vaccinated against COVID-19 with a Therapeutic Goods Administration Authority (TGA) approved vaccine and provide proof of vaccination status prior to being appointed to the role. You must promptly receive any further COVID-19 vaccination(s) or booster vaccination(s) approved by the TGA and which are available to you to access.

Essential Qualifications: Incumbent must hold 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.

Additional Information: You are required to submit a cover letter, up to a maximum of 2 pages, addressing how your skills, experience and capabilities align with the role description. You are also required to provide three work referees, one of whom must be your recent line manager, and attach your current resume via the online application form. For further information and how to apply for this role please visit our DHS website www.dhs.sa.gov.au/careers

Enquiries to:  Coby Charters [email protected] Email: 0434 895 953

Vacancy ID:  508986

Applications close:  13/11/2022