AddressOur Purpose and Ambition
NextSense is a not-for-profit organisation supporting people with vision or hearing loss across Australia. We work with children, adults, and their families, providing a holistic approach to hearing services for newborns through to people over 90 years old, and helping children who are blind or have low vision to develop the right skills, mobility, and independence to confidently explore their world.
NextSense has been breaking boundaries since 1860, and we’ve been expanding our services ever since. Today, we deliver world-class education (both to children with sensory loss and to professionals in the field), cochlear implants, allied health services, therapy, research, and clinical services to children and adults. We’re a registered NDIS provider, working with our clients to achieve their own goals and potential.
We’re committed to research and innovation; harnessing the latest technologies and new ways of thinking and educating the next generation to lead the way in hearing and vision services.
We are currently creating a world-leading centre for innovation on-site at Macquarie University that represents a new era for hearing and vision loss. This nationally significant social infrastructure project will be a place to nurture, trial and share new ideas and form new partnerships that will drive better outcomes for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or have low vision.
The Role
NextSense has an exciting opportunity for a Social Worker to join our team at Liverpool & Werrington. This is a permanent part-time role, working 22.8 number of hours per week across Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday ( 2 days at Liverpool and 1 day at Werrington) and reports directly to the Area Manager. You’ll make a difference in this role by:
- Provide evidence-based assessment of needs, intervention supports and other clinically appropriate strategies to assist client/family to achieve outcomes;
- Aim to minimise the impact that a diagnosis and treatment has on children and families, promotes health outcomes, co-ordinates information and links with appropriate support services in the community;
- Provides a psychosocial assessment, case management, education where required;
- Provides individual and family counselling, including pre and post-implant surgery support;
- Ensure the implant journey and ongoing management is streamlined including an overview of implants, the pre and post implant procedure and potential benefits;
- Deliver services in person, via telepractice in a NextSense centre, client home, school or other appropriate setting;
- Use a person/family centred framework when providing service to enable clients and their families to develop their skills and capacity and achieve outcomes; and
- Commit to continuing professional development across the DHH/BLV sector.
What we can offer you
- Competitive remuneration
- 100% salary packaging allowing you to increase your take home pay
- Extensive personal/carer’s leave
- 2 weeks paid leave over Christmas in addition to 4 weeks annual leave
- Paid parental leave of 14 weeks for primary carer and 6 weeks for secondary carer
- Access to industry leading education and professional development
- Collaborative work environment
- Wellbeing program including Employee Assistance Program
- Flexible working arrangements
To be successful in this role you'll need to demonstrate you meet the following selection criteria.
- Minimum of 3 years’ experience in provision of social work and counselling services;
- Bachelors Degree in Social Work or equivalent;
- Proficiency and experience in complex case management;
- Knowledge and experience of counselling families, with understanding of grief and loss;
- Proficiency & experience in conducting family assessments & making recommendations based on observation & assessment regarding a family’s preparedness for hearing device implantation;
- Prior experience in working with clients with a sensory disability highly desirable;
- Full driver’s license;
- Valid professional membership;
- Valid working with children’s check; and
- Willingness to obtain a NDIS worker screening check.
We’re here to help. If you have any further questions please reach out to our hiring manager Karen Cutts at ***********@nextsense.org.au. Good luck!
NextSense is an equal opportunity employer and compliance with child protection legislation is essential.
