Allied Health - Social Worker

• Permanent, part time 30.4 hours p/w
• Band 6 position
• Join Hume City Council's Maternal and Child Health service.

Hume City Council is one of Australia's fastest growing and culturally diverse councils. We put the customer and our community at the centre of all that we do, ensuring our services are efficient and accessible.

Join a dedicated multidisciplinary team, including Enhanced MCH Nurses, Parent Support Workers, Social Workers and the Universal MCH team, with a highly supportive administration team.

What you'll be doing:

• To work within the Enhanced MCH program, using the Family Partnership and strength-based model.
• To provide psychosocial support for the Enhanced families, including confidential individual and family counselling, using a wide variety of therapeutic interventions, including brief counselling interventions
• Provide instrumental support, including advocating for and assisting families with housing, service access and financial issues.
• In conjunction with the Enhanced MCH Nurses and PSWs, provide an intensive home-based service to support and assist vulnerable families to attain their agreed goals.
• Maintain a commitment to exemplary client service with evidence-based practice, such as brief counselling intervention.
• Provide information, advice, and referral services for families, including to agencies providing housing and finance services.
• Conduct client intake and assessments to determine the appropriate intervention.
• Providing support, advice, and education to the Enhanced MCH Nurses and PSWs to support their work.
• Provide new or other perspectives, approaches, ideas and/or interventions that the Enhanced MCH Nurses and PSWs may use to address families' needs.
• Facilitate referrals to specialist services for treatment and management of complex conditions within specialist service delivery streams.
• Contributing to the implementation of policies, plans and procedures for the Enhanced MCH program.

The skills and experience you'll bring to the role:

• This position requires detailed specialist knowledge and skills in the theoretical concepts and frameworks of working with at-risk families and therefore current and relevant theoretical practices should be utilised when working with the families participating in the Enhanced MCH program.
• Maintain appropriate networks with specialist services to maximise services effectiveness to young people at risk.
• Thorough knowledge of early years health and welfare service networks for families, including agencies for children with special needs.
• Extensive current knowledge and understanding of early childhood development, evidence-based theory and practice including behaviour management and an understanding of the effect of mental health and wellbeing on the family unit.
• Ability to work with infants, young children, and families, in particular where indicators of risk are present.
• Holistic understanding of family needs/dynamics and demonstrated experience in the ability to increase parenting confidence and independence to enable positive parent-child relationships using the principles of the Strength-based/Family Partnership Model.
• Understanding of safety guidelines in a home visiting context.
• Ability to develop and conduct relevant in-service programs.

Required Certifications & Qualifications:

• Degree qualifications and some relevant experience in Social Work, including eligibility for registration to relevant peak body. Or substantial experience working with vulnerable and high-risk families and lesser formal qualifications.
• In-depth knowledge and understanding of family dynamics, mental health and the social work issues affecting families.
• Demonstrated ability to establish priorities, plan and manage time effectively to achieve objectives and goals.
• Demonstrated commitment to networking and liaison with key community and welfare organisations and Government departments.
• Demonstrated computer skills, including the use of Microsoft Office suite applications.
• Current Police check, Working with Children's check, and Victorian Driver's Licence with access to a reliable vehicle.

Why Hume City Council?

A leader in local government, we are committed to creating an inclusive and collaborative work environment that is guided by our values:

We're better, every day: We give things a go and value progress over perfection. We have permission to go for it and are expected to reflect and learn.

We're in it together: At Hume, everyone matters. We Welcome and include all. Respect and safety are expected.

We show up: We empower and trust others and own our work. We rise to the challenges and are expected to do what we say we will.

All for Hume: We strive to achieve our best for the Hume Community. We are proud and passionate about working towards better outcomes and expect they are at the centre of everything we do.

We offer a competitive salary package, professional development opportunities, and a supportive work environment.

A child safe organisation and an equal opportunity employer. Council encourages people of all ages, people with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people from culturally diverse backgrounds to apply.

All candidates will be required to undertake background and probity checks including Reference Checks, Working with Children Check, and a Criminal Record Check.