Wesley Dalmar Out of Home Care

• full-time role (38 hours per week)
• beautiful Mid North Coast region based within Coffs Harbour and Grafton locations
• support our child and family team provide clinical consultation, recommendations and therapeutic services.

About us

Wesley Mission is a high profile, multi-faceted Christian organisation making a real difference in the community. We work with the most disadvantaged in our community by providing over 200 services ranging from aged care, homeless services, child and family care, counselling, employment, training and education, and health services.

Our Vision is “A Spirit disciple-making movement: doing all the good we can because every life matters”.

About the role

Wesley Dalmar Out of Home Care offers a challenging and rewarding clinical opportunity for an experienced professional.

The primary function of the Clinician role is to, in consultation with the Clinical Manager and Out of Home Care Team; provide clinical consultation, recommendations and therapeutic services for children and young people in Out of Home Care and their families. This is achieved through:

• provision of clinical care and support that meets the needs of the children and young people in Out of Home Care.
• improving placement stability through providing consultation, assessment and therapeutic services in a timely manner.
• ensuring that children in Out of Home Care are provided with assessment and evidence based therapeutic services that meet their needs and make positive changes to their and their carers lives.
• planning and working toward therapeutic goals in a way so that social, emotional, educational and health domains of children and young people are addressed.
• ensure that children and young people in Out of Home Care are not seen as isolated individuals but as members of an extended family that includes both natural and foster family
• delivery of group-based programs.

Selection criteria

To be successful in this position, candidates must possess the following:

• willingness to affirm Wesley Mission’s vision, mission and values and enthusiastically advocate our Word and deed ministry
• demonstrated ability to work unsupervised as well as an effective team player with a positive can-do attitude
• ability to relate well to a range of people with sound listening and problem solving skills, including young people, carers and other professional stakeholders.
• confident professional with strong initiative and business acumen
• displays emotional maturity and resilience.

Essential Criteria

• a degree qualification from a recognised tertiary institution in Social Work or Psychology (minimum Bachelor degree) as deemed appropriate to the roles and responsibilities of the position OR other related therapeutic qualifications in the support of mental health well-being for children and young people
• comprehensive understanding of the current child protection service system, policy and practice, and the needs of children in OOHC, including knowledge of:
  • legislative requirements – Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998; Child Protection (Prohibited Employment) Act 1998; Ombudsman Act 1974 (Amendment); Commission for Children and Young People Act 1998; the Adoption of Children Act 2000, other relevant legislation and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
• demonstrated psychosocial knowledge, clinical reasoning and practice skills that enhance the service’s ability to assess the social, psychological, environmental needs of complex clients within the clinical specialty area of child protection and developmental trauma
• demonstrated ability to conduct comprehensive clinical assessments and formulate intervention plans
• understanding of positive behaviour management techniques
• comprehensive understanding key risk factors and the effect of trauma on childhood development
• understanding of the impact of grief and loss in children and young people
• working within a strength-based framework to increase children and young people’s resilience and positive lifestyle outcomes
• demonstrated ability to engage with children/young people/carers where there are high and complex needs and work in partnership with them to achieve their goals, using a variety of intervention strategies from a range of theoretical models
• demonstrated high level communication (written and verbal), negotiation and advocacy skills
• sound record keeping, data collection and management, statistical analysis, report writing and computer skills including an ability to concisely and accurately record all key interactions and case-notes
• working collaboratively with other internal services and external stakeholders to achieve client needs and therapeutic and developmental goals
• current NSW Driver’s Licence and a willingness to travel as required.

This is a child-related position and appointment is conditional on a satisfactory Working with Children Check and Criminal Check.

Desirable Criteria

• previous experience working with young people and stakeholders in an Out of Home Care environment
• a Trauma Informed and Centred approach when working with young people in and Out of Home Care environment.

Remuneration

Salary and employment conditions are in accordance with the SCHADS Award Level 6. The agency provides regular supervision and support for all staff and opportunities for professional development.

Closing date

15 December 2023, 5:00pm.

Apply now

Please send all applications, including resume, with a brief cover letter and a separate document indicating how you meet the essential and desirable criteria to [email protected]

For more information, please contact Wrap Around Manager Northern, Janelle Pacey on 0448 104 512, or email [email protected]

Wesley Mission is a Christian organisation requiring all staff to affirm its values and Worker code of conduct. We are committed to providing an environment in which children can feel safe and valued.

The suitable applicant will be subject to the relevant pre-employment checks for appointment to positions within Wesley Mission (including provision of a valid Working with Children Check clearance number). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are encouraged to apply.