Social Work Unit Head - Northern Illawarra Hospitals Group

Employment Type: Permanent Full Time
Position Classification: Social Worker Unit Head
Remuneration: $132,042.00 - $135,398.00 per annum
Hours Per Week: 38
Requisition ID: REQ384928
Applications Close: Sunday 26 March 2023

An exciting opportunity exists for a Social Work Unit Head to join the team at Northern Illawarra Hospital Group.

What you'll be doing

The unit head is responsible for ensuring that a Social Work service is provided to patients, clients, consumers and their family/carers with optimal health outcomes consistent with ISLHD policies, procedures, standards, relevant legislation, and the NSW Health Code of Conduct.

The unit head is responsible for ensuring that day to day operations are delivered in the most effective and efficient manner, and that the performance of staff within the unit is of the highest professional and clinical guidelines. The unit head works with the Social Work Head of Discipline to facilitate the implementation of ISLHD and discipline specific business activities, fulfil reporting requirements, undertake Personal Effectiveness and Development (PED) plans and enhance service development. This position is responsible for a comprehensive Social Work service including supervision and resource management for Wollongong, Bulli and Coledale Hospitals.

Where you’ll be working

Wollongong Hospital is the Illawarra and Shoalhaven’s major referral and teaching hospital and has bed base of more than 500. The campus, which incorporates the Illawarra Regional Cancer Care Centre, provides a comprehensive range of inpatient, outpatient and community-based services.

Wollongong is located an hours drive south of Sydney on a narrow coastal strip bordered by the Royal National Park to the north, Lake Illawarra to the south, the Tasman Sea to the east and the Illawarra Escarpment to the west. Learn more about the lifestyle benefits of living and working in .

The values of the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District guide the behaviour and professional standards of our staff and underpin the ways in which we engage with our patients and consumers. Our CORE Values are .

Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District is committed to equal employment opportunity and embraces diversity and inclusion within its workforce. As such, people from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. This includes but is not limited to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, People with Disability, Women and People from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds.

Visit our to see our people and location in action and follow us on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date @IllaShoalHealth.

Successful applicants to the role must provide certified documentation of vaccination history and pathology as part of their recruitment documentation. The applicant must be certified as compliant with before employment can commence.

This recruitment may be used to create a talent pool / eligibility list where candidates may be offered casual, permanent, or temporary full-time or part-time positions within the next 12 months.

Please note: Employment of a temporary visa holder may only occur if no suitable permanent resident or citizen of Australia has been identified for this position following suitable labour market testing.
Criminal record checks will be undertaken on successful applicants. This position is designated as child-related employment and you will be required to obtain a Working With Children clearance from the Office of the Children’s Guardian. To apply, please go to

Your claim against the selection criteria is the most important part of your application as it will help determine whether or not you have met the standard of response required by the panel to be eligible for an interview. You should read the Position Description and then address the selection criteria for the role, giving examples where required. Applicants are encouraged to review the following information on Applying for a position within NSW Health at:

What we can offer you

The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) provides you with an excellent career choice with many rewarding experiences. At ISLHD we are not just offering jobs, we are offering you the opportunity to excel in your chosen field and to experience a work life balance.

Work flexibility is very important at ISLHD and we provide our people with a range of benefits and conditions to assist with balancing the demands of work and personal life where possible. We offer:

• ADOs each month (for eligible full time employees)
• Study and development leave
• Access to in-house training, learning and educational opportunities
• Discounted parking
• Salary packaging options to reduce your tax and increase your take home pay (for eligible employees)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – counselling for you and your family
• Fitness Passport program – ISLHD staff can sign-up with Fitness Passport, an external service provider. Fitness Passport offers employees access to gyms and fitness services that are current members of its program on a minimum 12 month contract.
• Hillview Child Care Centre - The Hillview Child Care Centre provides Long Day Care for babies and children of the general public, employees of ISLHD, and other State Health Care organisations. The NSW Department of Education and Communities has voted Hillview Child Care Centre as overall exceeding the National Quality Standard. Current located at the Port Kembla Hospital campus. The Centre hours are 6:30am-5:30pm, and can be contacted via T: 4223 8099 or E:

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COVID-19 Vaccination Compliance

All NSW Health workers are required to have completed an up-to-date course of a COVID-19 vaccine (3 doses for Category A roles, 2 doses for Category B roles) which has been approved or recognised by the Therapeutics Goods Administration (TGA). New applicants must have completed the vaccination course prior to commencement with NSW Health, or provide an approved medical contraindication certificate certifying the worker cannot have any approved COVID-19 vaccines available in NSW.

Acceptable proof of vaccination is the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) Immunisation History Statement or AIR COVID-19 Digital Certificate. Please provide proof of vaccination if available.

Selection Criteria:

• Social Work degree and eligibility for the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), including the ability to demonstrate a practical application of the AASW Code of Ethics.
• Demonstrated evidence of extensive clinical and management experience as a practising social worker.
• Demonstrated ability to provide high level guidance, leadership and management of a Social Work team.
• Demonstrated advanced communication skills (both written and oral) and demonstrated competence in the use of electronic information systems.
• Excellent negotiation, complex decision making and advocacy skills including the ability to interact constructively and collaboratively with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience and well developed skills in supervising social work staff.
• Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to quality processes and the application of evidenced based practice within Social Work.
• Current NSW Drivers Licence, with the ability to travel in accordance with position responsibilities.

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For role related queries or questions contact Benjamin Birrell on Benjamin.Birrell@health.nsw.gov.au