Family Reunification Practitioner

About us:

KWY is a leading South Australian Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation and Not for Profit delivering services and providing knowledge to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Aboriginal) families and communities. KWY has developed a highly specialised and customised suite of programs focusing on domestic and family violence, child protection, social and emotional well-being, and Family Reunification.

The Family Reunification program aims to create the family's protective capacity to facilitate the safe reunification of children to the biological parent, or to a person/s in the child's kinship group as aligned with the Aboriginal Placement Principals in the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017.

About the job:

The Reunification Practitioner (Practitioner) works closely with families and the Department of Child Protection (DCP) to create a reunification plan that makes it safe for children in out of home care to return to the full-time care of their parents. The Practitioner works within multi-agency teams to collaboratively assess risk and put safety measures in place. Practitioner provides intensive and therapeutic support, advocacy, and information. Engagement takes place in a variety of settings including phone calls, face to face meetings in an outreach setting, this may include home visits.

The Practitioner attends all scheduled team weekly reviews, DCP meetings and 6 weekly reunification court appearances. Face to face engagement with parents is 4 to 6 hours per week per family. The Practitioner is responsible for developing and role modelling communication skills which encourage parents' positive interactions with the children, DCP, service providers and community. You will have the ability to demonstrate a sound knowledge of service responses and interventions that can positively impact on case direction and planning.

Key responsibilities:

• Attend weekly and monthly case consultation reviews with the team and team leader
• Provide intensive child and family support of up to 6 hours per week per family
• Demonstrate empathy, patience, consistency, openness and honesty in communications and casework with families and an ability to actively engage families in the decision-making processes
• Put in place safety plans with the families and ensure the requirements are understood by all family members
• Provide intensive parenting skills development, and teaching problem solving and coping skills both at an individual level and as a family unit
• Work with all family members to develop communication skills, which encourage greater understanding and positive interactions to address the reunification gaols
• Employ a range of therapeutic frameworks to support families with change
• Show service responses and interventions that can positively impact on a child’s development, and those that can assist in promoting change in behaviour to increase parenting capacity
• Assist families to develop and sustain significant change
• Undertake professional development to acquire new techniques and strategies that add to the service’s repertoire of knowledge and skills
• Record and monitoring data from reporting tools to contribute to real time data record
• Ensure families are linked in with additional service supports are required and prior to case closure
• Participate in supervision and performance reviews with the Team Leader.

About you:

The successful applicant will possess skills, experience, and knowledge in working with Aboriginal people and their communities. The Practitioner will operate within a culturally therapeutic, trauma informed framework. The applicant would have demonstrated knowledge of the child protection statutory system, complex case management and working with Aboriginal families.

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in social work or related humanities service field
• Experience working with Aboriginal families with complex needs
• We would strongly prefer a practitioner that has 1 to 2 plus years' experience as a Reunification Practitioner with knowledge of the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017.

Skills and abilities:

• Computer skills, including knowledge of Microsoft Office programs
• Strong written and oral communication skills; ability to communicate effectively with colleagues and Aboriginal clients
• Solid diplomatic and networking skills; ability to effectively manage a variety of internal and external relationships
• Cultural sensitivity and ability to work as a member of a team.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities, effectively manage time, and meet submission dates with attention to detail.

Working Environment:

• The reunification service is delivered in the Adelaide metropolitan area with the head office at Parkside. You will be required to conduct your service in clients' homes, if assessed as safe, in the community, and at DCP office locations.

About the pay:

• Positions are classified under the SCHCADS award
• This is a full-time position.
• Salary range is $84,186,96 to $98,111.52, plus superannuation
• In addition, we offer excellent salary packaging options through CBB.

About the benefits:

• Competitive remuneration
• Salary packaging tax benefits, meal entertainment benefit, novated leasing and more.
• Fantastic workplace culture and team building activities
• Strong values-based organisation
• Excellent professional development options
• Employee Assistance Program
• Growing organisation with great career opportunities
• Work in a caring & collaborative team environment with people who are passionate about delivering a good service that supports the community
• 4 weeks annual leave, plus an additional 7 days (pro rata) of gifted leave for eligible employees.

Job Requirement:

• You must hold a current South Australian Drivers Licence or a licence which permits you to drive in South Australia.
• Successful candidates will be required to clear and maintain probity checks including National Criminal History Record Check (Police Clearance), Working with Vulnerable People Check and Working with Children Check (applicants need to hold a current WWCC to apply).

About applying:

For the position descriptions, please email *****@kwy.org.au, with the position description you are applying for listed as the title. Your cover letter must address the criteria outlined in the position description.

Click ‘Apply for this job’ to submit an application.

Closing Date: Sunday 17th March 2024.