Family Finder-Family Engagement Consultant

Family Engagement Consultant (Family Finder)

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander People of all ages are Strongly Encouraged to Apply

REFOCUS is in the business of Redirecting and Empowering Families by creating Opportunities through Culturally Unique and responsive Services. Our work is driven by a commitment to strengthening families, celebrating identity, and fostering resilience.

We do this by building genuine connections, valuing emotional intelligence, and taking a ground-up approach to understanding where support is most needed for children and families. Our services are shaped by real-world experience and a deep respect for the communities we serve.

Over the past 15 years, we have supported more than 20,000 community members across the Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay, Gympie, and Cairns regions, delivering high-quality support across the Health, Community, and NDIS sectors. We are powered by a dedicated team with more than 800 years of combined lived and professional experience, ensuring culturally safe, person centred, knowledgeable, and effective care.

We are crafting a team of change-makers and we want you

People who are crazy enough to want to change the world are the ones to do so. If you have just the right amount of crazy, lace up your boots and start wearing your undies on the outside (ok, maybe just lace up your boots) and join our revolutionary new approach to healthy communities.

What we offer:

• Balance home and work life, 4 day work weeks

• Ongoing Training and Development, including a comprehensive onboarding program

• Salary Sacrificing, up to $15,900 saving each year tax free, and more …

• The opportunity to work for an organisation that is daringly disrupting the system and searching for like-minded renegades to join our ranks

• Transforming and empowering communities to enjoy longer, healthier lives is our mission

Position Details

Primary Role: Family Engagement Consultant (Family Finder)

Work Location: Moreton Bay Region, QLD

Employment Type: Part-Time, 4 days/week, 30, 32 or 34.4 hrs

Salary Range: $35 - $46 per hour - Salary Sacrifice potentially up to $15,900 annually.

Qualification & Experience: Qualification in Community/Social Services and/or relevant experience

Position reports to: Team Leader (Moreton Bay)

The Family Engagement Consultant position is responsible for identifying and engaging with a child or young persons network, with the goal of supporting the development of a sustainable network of caring and significant people in their life. This role is a specialist position making a significant contribution to the team in regard to permanency planning and leading the implementation of an integrated approach to family finding.

Mandatory Qualification & Experience:

• Relevant tertiary qualification (Diploma minimum) in the social sciences or equivalent sector experience

• Strong advocate for children, young people and families

• Skilled decision maker for children's best interests underpinned by a demonstrated commitment to hearing the voices of children and young people

• Excellent communication and conflict resolution skills

• Ability to negotiate cultural complexities of people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds

• Proven ability to build effective networks to support children

• In depth knowledge and understanding of family finding principles

• Collaborative team player

• Committed to compliance - legal, government and policy

• You must hold a drivers licence (minimum green P's) as the role will transport young people from time to time.

• You must hold a current Blue Card (Working with Children Clearance).

Accountabilities Family Finder:

• Be an integral team player and work in partnership with Community and Kinship Care(CKC) Practitioners and other team members to support the placement goals of the child or young person.

• Work with the CKC Team to promote Family Finding principles such as:

• All children have family members, and people significant to them who can be found.

• Children have a right to know their family and their family's whereabouts and build relationship with them as part of their network for life.

• Children and young people experience greater sense of wellbeing, the best opportunity to heal and thrive and have better life outcomes when they have well established long term networks.

• Engage the child's extended family, community and tribe to provide the child with the opportunity of relationship, and open the door to healing and permanence.

• Work collaboratively with REFOCUS leadership to explore and develop protocols for embedding the child's kinship network within casework practice.

• Undertake family mapping activities.

• Using the Family Finding methodology to actively research/search for and engage with, a child or young person's network to identify potential members of the child's 'network for life' to support the child or young person. Ensure the child or young person's right to privacy is maintained during this process.

• Work in partnership with key stakeholders, key professional networks, direct family members and other significant connections. This includes working closely with the casework team and manager to identify high priority cases.

• Respond to unforeseen issues, crisis management, seek creative solutions and support for the child or young person with the goals of generating options for network members, kinship placement or respite care.

• Perform all tasks related to correct record keeping in a timely and appropriate manner, including updating in-house data capture systems.

Accountabilities DA:

• Meet referred family, clarify Delegated Authority functions and powers.

• In collaboration with the family, develop best pathways to address concerns attached to the delegated power or functions.

• Implement referrals to internal and/or external programs/services.

• Participate in Family Led Decision Making Process (FPP program)

• In conjunction with the family, develop a case plan which addresses unmet needs and child protection concerns

• To lead on the compilation of initial assessments when required, and to ensure that plans are in place for the family and that these are progressed and regularly reviewed

• To ensure that the families' voice is heard and that their views and feelings inform such plans.

• To contribute to assessments and the formulation of plans for families and, when required, to prepare and present reports about their work in stakeholder meetings

Selection Criteria

Please provide details of your knowledge and examples of your experience in:

1. Working in the Child Protection industry

2. Supporting & assisting the child and family wellbeing of Aboriginals & Torres Strait Islanders

3. Provide a good news story or outcome for a child that you were a part of the decision-making process

COME ON YOU MOB HAVE A GO

Only applicants who reach the next stage will be contacted.