Community Support Practitioner

**About the role**:
This position is situated within partner sites in the Pakenham area covering the Local Government Area of Cardinia.

The Early Help Family Services (EHFS) Program aims to provide early intervention support to students and families accessing universal services such as schools to prevent the need for family services or statutory intervention. The program aims to meet families where they feel comfortable and engaged.

The Community Support Practitioners are front-line for the delivery of the Early Help Family Services model, working on-site with the local community, partners, and stakeholders. The role is focused on building relationships and facilitating opportunities, and delivery of services to support the families and children at each of the partners schools/ early education centres located in the Pakenham area and surrounding suburbs. Community Support Practitioners work collaboratively as part of the team on site and with local stakeholders, promoting communication between partners, the community and service providers. The role promotes collaboration and shared practice, to ensure a seamless experience for families and children.

Service delivery includes brief intervention work with families, group work, secondary consultation with stakeholders, and capacity building within the community. This includes psychoeducation, referrals and support to access universal or specialist services, assessment, parenting groups, training, individual support and brokerage expenditure. The Community Support Practitioner is a member of the Early Help Family Services Team and reports to the Coordinator IFS & Early Help.

**There are multiple Permanent full-time and part-time positions available, this opportunity is based in Pakenham within our Early Help Team. The position reports to the Coordinator IFS & Early Help.**

**Key Selection Criteria**:
To be successful in this role, you will have:

- Demonstrated and extensive experience and skills in assessment and clinical interventions and family centred practice with vulnerable children, young people and families with complex needs
- Sound knowledge of the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 and policies relating to child welfare and the Best Interests of the Child Practice Model.
- Highly developed skills in assessing risks, needs and safety for vulnerable children, young people and families.
- Highly developed interpersonal, communication, written, verbal and computer skills.**For a full position listing, please click APPLY. The Position Description is available for review at the bottom of the page.**

For more information, please contact:
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Our offer:_**
- _ Generous Salary Packaging - helps increase your take home pay_
- _ Ongoing Career Development, Education and Training_
- _ Employee Assistance Program - free and confidential counselling, coaching and emotional support for work and personal challenges_
- _ Click _HERE_ to find out more about becoming a member of the MacKillop Family Services team and what further support we have to offer our employees._

**You must have a**:

- Valid and current Driver’s Licence;
- Satisfactory Criminal History Check (paid for by MacKillop);
- Valid Employee Working with Children Check;

**Our Commitment**:
MacKillop celebrates and draws strength from diversity and respects the dignity of all people. Every person at MacKillop has the right to be safe and to be treated justly. We value every person’s ability, cultural or linguistic backgrounds, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, intersex status, relationship status, religious or spiritual beliefs, socio-economic status, and age.

It is our goal that MacKillop Family Services continues to evolve as a culturally safe, culturally competent, and welcoming organisation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people, families, and communities.