Address MacKillop excited to be expanding their programs in Newcastle and Hunter regions of NSW and is therefore seeking an experienced ITC Coordinator.
This is an ongoing Full-Time opportunity within the Permanency support program in the Hunter and reports to the Regional Manager.
Position Purpose
The Intensive Therapeutic Care Coordinator is responsible for coordinating MacKillop’s Intensive Therapeutic Care (ITC) services - including ITC Homes and ITC Casework - across the Newcastle Hub (Hunter Central Coast District).
ITC supports children and young people with high and complex needs who require specialised and intensive therapeutic supports.
The ITC Coordinator works closely with the Director, Regional Manager, Therapeutic Specialists, House Mangers, Caseworkers and Therapeutic Youth Workers to provide high quality therapeutic residential care that supports young people to heal from their trauma and achieve their full potential.
The ITC Coordinator reports to the PSP Regional Manager, supervises ITC House Managers and Caseworkers, and is a member of the Regional Leadership Team.
The Newcastle Hub is a new location for MacKillop. The ITC Coordinator will work closely with the Director, Regional Manager and key internal and external stakeholders to establish the ITC program. The focus will initially be on establishing new ITC Homes.
Primary objectives
The ITC Coordinator is responsible for the delivery of high quality therapeutic residential care and casework services that deliver positive outcomes for children, young people and their families within a trauma informed therapeutic practice framework.
The ITC Coordinator provides leadership, support, supervision and development of ITC House Managers and Caseworkers ensuring services reflect MacKillop’s values, policies, procedures and practice frameworks; and comply with the OOHC standards, relevant legislation and Department of Communities and Justice policies, and PSP service requirements.
The ITC Coordinator will support ITC House Mangers to:
Manage the day-to-day operations of the home;
Ensure children and young people receive therapeutic care and support;
Create and maintain a therapeutic environment within the home;
Provide leadership, support and supervision to Therapeutic Youth Workers;
Manage the administrative systems that support ITC Homes including rostering, supervision, recruitment, finance and maintenance.
The ITC Coordinator will:
Provide leadership, direction, support and supervision to ITC caseworkers;
Work collaboratively with caseworkers to provide young people with high quality case management services that meet their individual needs;
Ensure that services comply with MacKillop’s policies and procedures, DCJ’s Permanency Case Management Policy, Rules and Practice Guidance, the OOHC standards and relevant legislation;
Establish collaborative relationships with a wide range of specialist and mainstream services to improve outcomes for children, young people and their families.
Key result areas and responsibilities
The ITC Coordinator will:
Ensure the Sanctuary Model, ITC Essential Elements and Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) are embedded in practice;
Support caseworkers to provide case management services that are responsive to individual client needs through the development, implementation and review of individual case plans;
Support caseworkers to develop and implement casework strategies that support permanency planning principles including restoration, guardianship and adoption;
Ensure services comply with the OOHC standards, client records are accurate and up-to-date, and documentation is maintained in accordance with MacKillop, DCJ and legislative requirements;
Participate in internal placement matching panels and contribute to decision-making about the placement of young people referred to MacKillop;
Participate in local service networks, regional planning and coordination forums as required;
Ensure each ITC Home holds a fortnightly team meeting and a weekly house meeting; and each young person has a monthly care team meeting;
With Therapeutic Specialists develop, implement and monitor therapeutic routines for each ITC Home;
Monitor the physical environment of ITC Homes and support House Managers to ensure each home is warm, welcoming, safe, therapeutic and well-maintained;
Ensure House Managers and Youth Workers understand the Joint Protocol and work collaboratively with DCJ and NSW Police to implement it;
Ensure the rights of young people are protected, their wellbeing is actively safeguarded and concerns are reported immediately;
Ensure all statutory child protection and child safety requirements are adhered to;
Ensure that services are sensitive and responsive to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, CALD and LGBTQIA+ children, young people and their families, and promote cultural safety for all;
Promote democracy and support young people and staff to engage in a participatory environment where they can have a say and influence the decision making process;
Identify and respond appropriately to risk to promote safety for young people, their families and staff.
Work collaboratively with ITC staff to complete risk and safety assessments and escalate concerns to the Regional Manager as appropriate.
Ensure that critical incident reports are completed within the required time frames and that responses are robust and in line with MacKillop’s expectations;
Provide timely advice to the Regional Manager about client needs and dynamics, critical incidents, complaints, staff issues, industrial matters, and other issues that may present risk to MacKillop or the program;
Work collaboratively with the Regional Manager, House Managers and HR to recruit develop and retain a strong, cohesive, outcomes-focused ITC team;
Ensure all staff are onboarded in line with MacKillop’s induction and probation procedures;
Support and develop staff through the provision of on-the-job coaching, support and supervision and develop their capacity to provide trauma-informed therapeutic care;
Respond to and manage identified staffing issues, maintain an accurate record of actions taken and work collaboratively with the Regional Manager and HR to resolve them efficiently and effectively;
Ensure ITC staff complete all mandatory and relevant training and oversee the development of individual work and development plans;
With the Regional Manager monitor program expenditure and ensure the ITC services operate within the agreed budget, strategic and operational plans;
Take all reasonable and practical steps to ensure the workplace is safe and act in accordance with MacKillop’s WH&S procedures and relevant legislation;
Participate in continuous quality improvement activities that contribute to better outcomes for young people and their families;
Participate in regular supervision and relevant professional development opportunities;
Be available for on-call and after-hours support, including covering shifts as required;
Be available to undertake higher duties and/or secondment within MacKillop Family Services; and
Undertake other duties as required.
Key selection criteria
The incumbent will have:
A tertiary qualification in social work, social science, community services, management or relevant field;
Leadership experience in an equivalent role and demonstrated skills and experience in therapeutic residential care, case management, service coordination, and supervising, supporting and developing staff. Experience in the Permanency Support Program and ITC will be highly regarded;
Knowledge and understanding of child protection, OOHC, trauma, attachment and resilience theory; and child and adolescent development;
Knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal culture and values and an awareness of the issues faced by Aboriginal children, young people and their families;
Demonstrated ability to deliver positive outcomes for vulnerable children, young people and their families;
Demonstrated capacity to build positive relationships and work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders;
High level of initiative, ability to plan, organise and prioritise work, and work to tight deadlines under pressure;
Excellent interpersonal skills, written and verbal communication skills;
Competence in Microsoft Office including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
Other information
The incumbent is required to:
Sign and actively abide by MacKillop’s Code of Conduct.
Observe and actively support MacKillop’s P.8 People and Workplace Policy.
Observe and fulfil health and safety responsibilities as contained within ‘WHS-P-001 Responsibility Statements’ document.
Attend mandatory and other training as required.
Actively participate in MacKillop’s Bid Management process as required.
Participate in and promote continuous quality improvement processes.
Promote an environment that is culturally safe and strengths focussed.
Abide by principles and commitments of the Sanctuary Framework.
Incorporate cultural safety into your practice with Aboriginal families.
The incumbent must possess a:
Valid and current Driver’s Licence.
Valid and current NSW Working with Children Check.
Valid and current
Applicants must submit a statement addressing the selection criteria.
For more information about the role, please contact Jude Ekerick at jude.ekerick@mackillop.org.au
