On 1 January 2021, the well-known Family Referral Service, managed by NSW Health, will transfer to the Department of Communities and Justice. It will be called Family Connect and Support - New England. Just like the Family Referral Service, the new Family Connect and Support brings together families, support services and community resources so that our children and young people are safe and well. Universal and flexibly tailored to a families individual needs, Family Connect and Support offers help as early as possible.While there will be some changes, lots of service features remain the same. For example, how referrals are made and the quick turnaround on referral requests.The new Family Connect and Support streamlines access for families, referrers and service providers, providing consistency across the state, while also maintaining local-level flexibility and innovation.It builds on the great features in Family Referral Service, and has been enhanced to include program-wide features such as:Family Group Conferencing increased outreach into universal settings targeted service deliveryplanning to priority populations (Aboriginal families, families with children aged 0–5 years, and children and young people affected by mental illness) increased support to familiesservice responses tailored to family need.Your new role:You will engage and support at risk families make different choices for their children. You will undertake an initial assessment of family strengths and needs, and develop case plans that build on the family’s resilience to enable them to overcome risks by using evidence informed practices, partnering with other services and supporting the family to shape their next chapter. We have permanent roles of Child & Family Practitioners in Armidale, Tamworth, Inverell and Tenterfield available in this new and exciting team based in New England. Apply now and select preferred location during the application.Who’s the team?The broader team that you will work with is dynamic with diverse skills and experiences. We have a supportive Leadership team and have access to a Practice and Impact Management unit for development. We are committed to high quality work, very welcoming and believe with the right support every parent has potential to make lasting life changes.Some of the benefits we offerSalary packaging,Discounts on everyday purchases,Flexible work arrangements,Accrued days off,Purchasing additional leave,IT tools/devices to support working remotely,Long service leave after 5 years & more!What you need to succeed?As an experienced Social Worker, Psychologist, Case Worker or Case Manager you will haveAt least 5 years case management experience working with at risk children, young people and/or families in a child protection focused role, including experience undertaking comprehensive assessmentsExcellent understanding of child protection issues and client vulnerabilities such as drug and alcohol use, domestic violence, mental health issues, and the impact of trauma and the effect on child behaviour and developmentExcellent IT skills and ability to use technology in service deliveryAbility to work unsupervisedAbility to work remotelyHigh level of professional accountability and integrity and a belief that every parent has potentialA relevant degree qualification and current driver’s licenseContact Jane Hynes, Manager, with any questions tel: 0420 959 392Child & Family PractitionerSenior PractitionerTeam Leader 35AUDAustralia - NSWTamworth & North West NSWArmidale2350
