Children’s Contact Service Worker

Better Place Australia has a vision of “An Australia where all people experience positive relationships, truly value each other and live safer, more confident lives”. As a community focused not-for-profit organisation with an ever-growing range of psychological and community support services, Better Place Australia is taking a leadership role in the provision of high-quality, effective services for a wide range of community groups across 14 locations in Victoria.

This is an opportunity to join our expanding team of highly experienced and passionate people who want to make Australia a better place.

The Role

The primary focus of Better Place’s Children’s Contact Service (CCS) is the safety and well-being of children and young people. The program maintains a clear commitment to prioritising the needs and welfare of children and will actively intervene to ensure that the best interests of children are protected and promoted at all times.  The CCS provides safe, neutral onsite facilitated changeovers and supervised visits for children and their separated parents with a trauma-informed and child-focused approach. These contacts are often court-mandated due to high-conflict familial circumstances and often exist within a broader suite of family law services.

Children’s Contact Service Workers serve as a facilitator and observer of clients during scheduled visitation.  As part of this, there will be a requirement to greet clients, support their participation in the service and document observations during the provision of service.

Key work tasks include:

• Facilitation of supervised visits and supervised changeovers
• Undertaking intake assessments and planning to make decisions around client suitability to access services
• Maintaining all case notes and client records with a high standard of accuracy and in accordance with best practice, confidentiality and privacy requirements
• Liaising with parents, family members, legal representatives, court staff and other caseworkers
• Providing information and support to all the parents who would like to access Better Place services and to ensure referrals are provided where required.

Required Qualifications and Experience

Essential

• A diploma level qualification in social work, community services or relevant discipline or currently studying.
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge of child development, family violence and strength-based assessments and trauma-informed practice.
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge of working with children and families, particularly in the areas of family conflict.

Desirable

• A tertiary qualification in social work, community services or relevant discipline (or currently studying towards)
• Direct experience working with a service operating supervised contact visits for children and young people of separated parents.
• Strong understanding of family law and its impact on families in conflict.
• Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to handle sensitive communications and clients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
• Demonstrated case work or case management experience.
• Experience in facilitating referrals of clients to appropriate services, programs and organisations as well as to other Better Place Australia services, as required.

Better Place Australia 

Better Place Australia offers a workplace culture reflective of a vibrant, learning organisation where our people are highly engaged in their work and committed to making a difference.  As an equal opportunity employer, we aim to create an inclusive environment where differences including gender, age, culture, disability, sexuality and family and caring responsibilities are valued. We invite you to be part of a not-for-profit organisation that fosters a diverse workplace.

Further Information 

Applications are invited from prospective candidates who meet the above criteria. This role will involve some weekend work (currently on a Saturday).For further information, please download a copy of the position description.Our organisation is committed to child safety and satisfactory completion of a Working with Children Check and National Police Check are mandatory for the preferred candidate.Better Place Australia currently requires employees to have up-to-date (boosted) vaccination status with an approved COVID-19 Vaccination and to provide evidence of the same by way of uploading a Digital Vaccination Certificate to our HRIS Information System (or confirmation that they are an excepted person). You will be provided with relevant information including during the recruitment process.Whilst we appreciate the interest of all prospective candidates, please note that only short-listed applicants will be contacted.Apply today!