Intake and Assessment Worker

Position Details

Part time, contract 12 month (22.8 hours per week)

• Classification: SCHADS Level 4 + Salary Packaging + Superannuation
• Lower North Shore or Northern Beaches, Sydney NSW

About Women & Children First

Women & Children First (WACF) is a community-based organisation providing crisis accommodation and wraparound care for women and children experiencing domestic and family violence and abuse as well as parenting and relationship education and prevention programs.

Our two women and children’s refuges and specialist support services are based on Sydney's Northern Beaches and Lower North Shore.

Our Programs Prioritise

• Safety - Providing immediate and ongoing safety through crisis housing and trauma-informed case management and wraparound care.
• Empowerment - Empowering survivors to heal and rebuild through psycho-education programs on healthy relationships, parenting, and wellbeing.
• Prevention - Advocating for change and breaking the cycle of abuse through community and political engagement and education.

About The Role

Reporting directly to the Intake and Assessment Manager, this role is designed to provide an effective first response to all people contacting Women and Children First in line with our values.

As the Intake and Assessment Office, you will play a pivotal role in providing a timely initial assessment to determine if a women/family are appropriate for our services. A key part of your role will include, providing support to women/families when they contact the service and making appropriate warm referrals to other services when necessary.

This is a dynamic role where you will be working a small, experienced team to provide vital accommodation and services to women and children fleeing domestic violence and abuse. This includes answering intake call and emails, completing initial assessment documentation and data entry, providing education work to other services around our referral process, short term case work intervention for outreach clients and participating in the rotating on call roster for after-hours support to refuge families.

The work carried out by Women & Children First is at times very challenging. All staff at the Centre endeavour to always provide high quality services to clients and especially at times of crisis and distress. The position requires empathy and the ability to manage and meet competing demands.

Benefits Of Working At WACF

• Inclusive culture.
• Safe, supportive, and strengths-based work environment.
• Salary packaging benefits.
• Access to learning and development opportunities.
• Additional day to celebrate your birthday.
• Additional well being day.
• Social events and regular team connection time.
• Employee assistance program.

Responsibilities Of Role

• Answering intake calls and emails from self-referrals and other organisations and completion of administration.
• Completing all CIMS required data entry.
• Processing referrals in a timely manner.
• Assisting Intake and Assessment Manager, COO and CEO with ad hoc projects, reports and duties as required.
• Community education work with services about our referral criteria and process.
• Providing information, advice, referral, and advocacy for clients seeking assistance through homelessness services and family support services through the Northern Beaches Family Support Service.
• Undertaking initial assessment of clients for eligibility for all WACF services.
• Undertaking suitability assessment interviews for eligible SHS clients.
• Short Case work interventions for outreach clients for example: support letters, Victims Services applications and housing application assistance.
• Participation in the rotating on call roster for after-hours support to refuge families.
• Developing and maintaining strong and collaborative professional networks and referral links within the Lower North Shore and Northern Beaches areas and beyond, particularly with housing services.

Skills And Experience Required

• Relevant tertiary qualifications
• Ability to seek direction and advice
• Strong assessment and case management skills
• Excellent time management, organisational and administrative skills
• Demonstrated ability to exercise initiative and prioritise
• Comprehensive knowledge of welfare and housing systems, particularly as they relate to homelessness and risk of homelessness, domestic violence and child protection
• Demonstrated understanding of legal processes in welfare, family law and AVO proceedings
• Demonstrated experience of working with clients with complex needs, including mental health, drug and alcohol misuse, experience of domestic violence
• Demonstrated the ability to build and maintain key stakeholder relationships
• Commitment to professional integrity and accountability
• Commitment to working in a collegiate, collaborative and co-operative manner
• Demonstrated interest in working in a women’s service, assisting women and children
• Excellent written and oral communication skills

Other Requirements

• Current driver's licence.
• Current Working with Children Check and National Police check.

How To Apply

• If your skills meet the requirements of the role please click Apply Now to submit your CV and cover letter.
• Your cover letter must include your relevant experience, and why you want to work at WACF. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.
• To apply you must have permission to reside and work in Australia.
• Due to the high volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
• No Deadline - please apply as soon as possible.