Peer Support Worker

About KWY:

KWY is a leading Aboriginal Community-Controlled organisation in South Australia, committed to Creating a Space for Change for Aboriginal families and communities.

Since 2011, KWY has worked to break the cycle of domestic violence, promote safety for women and children, and reduce Aboriginal children in the child protection system through a specialised suite of programs focused on empowering families through culturally grounded support and healing.

Supporting over 1,800 families annually and growing, KWY offers a dynamic and values-driven work environment where your contributions make a real impact. Join our inclusive, collaborative team and help drive meaningful change.

About the Position:

Peer Workers draw on their lived experience of navigating financial hardship to authentically connect with clients experiencing hardship, sharing their personal knowledge and insights to where it may be of benefit to clients. This role is for 0.5 FTE / 38 hours per fortnight. 2 years contract.

'Lived experience' is a person's direct and indirect expertise, knowledge, and insights of managing life adversity or societal barriers, particularly experience of financial hardship and/or economic injustice. This may include lived experience of other injustices or adversity (financial abuse, mental health, trauma etc).

As a service for Aboriginal sole parents and carers, and for Aboriginal women over the age of 50, Peer Workers have experience as a sole parent or carer, and/or are women over the age of 50.

Working under the guidance of a Linker, Peer Workers provide practical, emotional and social support to clients by listening, and offering their knowledge and experiences where appropriate to the client's situation and needs. This might include accompanying a client for the first time attending a service or community event, advocating alongside a client, being with a client as they make calls, and researching and assisting clients to find services and other supports.

Peer Workers collaborate closely with the Linker, the Line Manager and The Linker Network to deliver supports that engage with clients and connect them to the resources and supports that meet their priorities and goals.

Peer Workers have regular opportunities to reflect upon their practice with practice teams and the Linker Network, to collaboratively learn, and access comprehensive training and development. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide case management responses for families and individual clients.

• Establish, build and maintain strong relationships with clients that referred to the program.

• Undertake risk assessments and safety planning.

• Working within a team under the direction of the Program Coordinator and Senior Manager.

• Development and implementation of quality case plans.

• Be proactive in advocating on behalf of individuals and liaise regularly with other service providers for a collaborative approach in supporting clients.

• Establish and maintain open and effective communication channels and working relationships with management and stakeholders.

• Administrative tasks and record keeping.

• Assists in the production of reports regarding program progress and results.

• Promote and implement quality service responses that are underpinned and informed by KWY values and service delivery model.

• Be aware of Aboriginal cultural practices and/or differences and seek cultural consultation to promote inclusive practice.

• Ensure that all client contact and engagement is appropriately documented and recorded on the data management system

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of a positive, supportive, and collaborative team environment.

About you:

The successful applicant will bring their lived experience skills, knowledge and understanding to their role to establish and build connections with clients that cultivate trust, safety and hope. The applicant will operate within a therapeutic, trauma-informed framework. The applicant would have demonstrated knowledge of case management and working with Aboriginal families.

In collaboration with, and under the guidance of Linkers, Peer Workers work with clients to find, prepare for and engage with services and supports, and link to community networks.

What we offer:

• Competitive salary: $76,372 pro rata Classification under the SCHADS Award – Level 3
• Salary Packaging: Attractive salary packaging options, including meal entertainment benefits, novated leasing, and more up (package up to $15,900 per FBT year)
• Generous leave benefits: Additional 7 days of gifted leave on top of the 4 weeks annual leave (gifted leave conditions apply)
• Professional development: Growing organisation with great career opportunities and ongoing training and career growth
• Inclusive culture: Join a friendly, values-driven team passionate about supporting the community
• Employee Assistance Program: Support for your wellbeing

Job Requirements:

• You must hold a current South Australian Driver's License or a license which permits you to drive in South Australia.
• Successful candidates will be required to clear and maintain probity checks including National Criminal History Record Check (Police Clearance), Working with Vulnerable People Check and Working with Children Check (applicants need to hold a current WWCC to apply). 

About applying:

• Please submit your application via Seek, including a cover letter addressing the essential and desirable criteria outlined in the position description.
• Visit our website to download the full job description.
• Applications close once position is filled.
• Start date: As soon as possible

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are encouraged to apply.