Support Specialist

**Support Specialist**

**Churches of Christ, Children Youth and Families, West Moreton & Southwest Region**

**Fixed Term Contract, Full-time Opportunity**

**Imagine working for us**

Our values encourage us to be accepting of differences and embrace all. Our size and variety offer you real choices and opportunities to grow your career.

**Employee Benefits**:
As a not-for-profit entity, our employees can package up to $18,549 p.a. of their taxable income before your income tax is calculated. Up to $15,900 p.a. on everyday expenses (such as mortgage payments, rent, groceries, bills and insurance) plus up to $2,649 p.a. on meal/entertainment benefits.

To learn about what salary sacrifice can mean for you click here.

By being such a large organisation, we are also able to offer a range of compelling benefits. Including but not limited to:

- Salary-packaging benefits that can increase your take-home pay;
- Five weeks of annual leave and the ability to purchase more;
- Opportunities for professional development;
- Discounts through our large network of retail partners including:

- JB Hi-Fi
- The Good Guys
- Goodlife Health Clubs
- Bupa Health
- Plus, many more
- Employee Assistance Program;
- Additional benefit, enjoy Personal days off.
- A work culture that values you.

***About the role**

The Support Specialist is responsible for delivering high quality advice and complex support to children, young people, foster and kinship carers, families and staff.

Within this role you will be responsible for:

- Plan, develop, facilitate and evaluate educational/therapeutic programs, ensuring compliance with legislation and frameworks.
- Facilitate and complete intake processes, assess and support individual needs and refer to targeted services for ongoing support.
- Create comprehensive assessment and reports on carers and young people and manage the care approval process.
- Coordinate case management and maintain detailed client records and support joint case management processes.
- Provide direct in-home and flexible support services, including after-hours and ‘on-call’ services on a rotational basis.
- Build professional relationships and engage with stakeholders and the community.
- Advise, deliver training and assist with reporting requirements.
- Work sensitively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to provide culturally inclusive services and address over-representation in care.

**About you**

You are passionate about the welfare of children and young people, achieving the absolute best outcomes for them. With an empathetic nature you are compassionate toward vulnerable individuals. You are approachable, and a good problem solver who is able to work autonomously and manage competing priorities.

Proven leadership and management skills with capacity to deliver results, excellent interpersonal skills are part of your skillset enabling you to build rapport with internal and external people and stakeholders easily. Have well-developed problem solving, decision making and negotiation skills to manage challenges of change and innovation. In addition, you have comprehensive knowledge of legislative requirements and can promote a culture of compliance.

To be suitable for this position, your qualifications for the role will consist of:

- Qualification in social work, psychology, social sciences or equivalent (e.g. Certificate III Community Services) with over 5 years of relevant experience.
- Knowledge of child protection and out-of-home care frameworks, including the Child Protection Act 1999.
- Sound understanding of child development and trauma theory for assessment and decision making.
- Proven ability to complete care assessments.
- Awareness of contemporary challenges for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- Current driver’s license and ability to acquire a National Police Check, Working with Children (Blue Card), Licensed Care Service (Child Protection).
- Importantly, you will be someone who closely aligns with our organisational values of: _**_Unconditional Love, Continual Innovation, Mutual Trust, Wise Stewardship and Safety._**

**To apply**

**Applications will be assessed as they are received.