Care Coordinator - Out Of Home Care

About Helping Community Solutions:
Helping Community Solutions (HCS) focus on at risk young people and sibling groups who exhibit severe and challenging behaviours due to abuse, trauma, and neglect.

Our Youth Workers offer care to young people through community-based households to help them transition into more appropriate long-term placements. This may involve collaborating with community solutions, foster care programs or family reunification initiatives.

The focus is on young people and children aged 0-17 who may require intense and individualized support due to challenging behaviours e.g. Defiance, verbal aggression, physical aggression, and property damage.

Helping Community Solutions’ approach to working with children and young people involves small, stable, structured teams that focus on establishing structure, consistency, and routines. The goal is to gradually encourage independence and positive coping mechanisms while preparing for transitions into less intense models of care.

About the role:
We are currently seeking a dedicated and experienced Care Coordinator to lead is to coordinate placement households and care for young people and children through the delivery of professional case management meeting best practice standards and complying with the Departments of Child Protection and Family Services standards.  The Care Coordinator role provides supervision, leadership, support and guidance to a team of Youth Workers and Senior Youth Workers who provide therapeutic, person-centred, strengths-based, trauma informed & therapeutic supports to children and young people.

Key Responsibilities:
As a Care Coordinator, you will be responsible for approximately three households and play a crucial role in ensuring the well-being and development of Children and Young People in our care. The below list is not exhaustive, and the role may change to meet the overall objectives of the company.

• Offering assistance and guidance, supervision, and guidance to our team of Residential Youth Workers and Senior Youth Workers.
• Case management tasks include rostering, case planning, and case orientations.
• Developing and maintaining rosters, making sure households maintain adequate staffing levels.
• Coordinating and monitoring the implementation of case plans in consultation with Case Managers at Department of Child Protection and Family Services
• Coordinating and monitoring the implementation leaving care plans in consultation with Case Managers at Department of Child Protection and Family Services.
• Managing complaints and responding immediately to allegations or concerns raised by a young person and collaborating with Case Managers at Department of Child Protection and Family Services and any other relevant authorities.
• Establishing a therapeutic care and homely environment and positively managing young people and children’s behaviours.
• Ensuring that the home environment at the placement you are responsible for is clean, tidy, and comfortable for the children and young people.
• Observing and implementing safety standards and protocols for placements that fall under your responsibility.
• Managing the creation of structure and routine in the households you are responsible for.
• Managing the involvement in appropriate activities for young people and children in partnership with Case Managers at Department of Child Protection and Family Services
• Educating life skills in a positive, planned, and supported manner with children and youth workers.
• Supervising a team of youth worker professionals, facilitating monthly team meetings, stakeholder meetings and managing performance.
• Developing household documents for the children e.g. Engagement plans and positive behaviour support plans. 
• Providing on-call support and professional advice.
• Liaising with key stakeholders and the department of child protection and family services department by facilitating stakeholder meetings 
• Ensuring the delivery of high-quality care leading to positive outcomes for the child.

Qualifications & Role Requirement's

• Certificate IV or Higher in Community Services and/or Diploma of Community Service (Case Management)
• First Aid and CPR Certificate
• Australian driver's license.
• Working with Children Check.
• Willing to Obtain Department of Community Criminal Record Check 
• Australian Federal Police Clearance

Desirable:

• Mandatory Reporting of Child Sexual Abuse 
• Therapeutic Crisis Intervention certification
• Trauma Informed Care certification

Experience:

• Relevant management experience of Children and Young People in Out of Home Care with a disability and/or complex care needs due to trauma-based backgrounds.
• Experience and understanding of trauma-informed practice and therapeutic care.
• Experience managing staff who regularly face crisis situations.

Knowledge:

• Better Care Better Standards
• Children and Community Service Act 2004
• Understanding of the working with the Department of Child Protect and Family Services
• Knowledge and demonstrated experience working within relevant legislation, Out of Home Care Standards, policies, and procedures.

Skills & competencies:

• Customer service focused: committed to providing exceptional customer service across all channels – written, phone and face to face.     
• Communication: the ability to communicate clearly and concisely, varying communication style depending upon the audience.
• Attention to detail: an excellent attention to detail and written skills when communicating with others, both internally and externally.
• Commerciality: ability to apply knowledge in a practical, commercial manner. 
• Teamwork: willingness to assist and support others as required and get on with team members. 
• Time management/organisation: accomplish objectives effectively within the time frame given and carry out administrative duties within portfolio in an efficient and timely manner.

Personal attributes: 

• Professional approach.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Organisation and time management skills.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Confident manner.
• Positive approach to change.
   

If you are passionate about making a positive impact and meet the essential requirements, we invite you to apply. Join our team and contribute to the continual improvement of Helping Community Solutions while making a meaningful difference in the lives of Children and Young People in Out of Home Care.