POSITION DESCRIPTION Position: Hours: Duration: Location: Accountability: Classification: Senior Family Worker Changing Futures 0.8 to 1.0 EFT (negotiable) Ongoing Frankston Team Leader Changing Futures SCHADS 6 (equivalent to SWC3) Date: June 2017 INTRODUCTION At Anglicare Victoria our focus is on transforming the futures of children and young people, families and adults. Our work is based on three guiding pillars, Prevent, Protect, Empower. We offer a comprehensive network of services and seek to ensure the provision of high quality services that will bring about significant improvements in the life experience of the young people, children and families/caregivers with whom we work. Anglicare Victoria has an official Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) that bears the Reconciliation Action Trademark. The RAP requires that staff continue to develop their cultural competence so as to maximise opportunities and improved outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples OVERVIEW OF PROGRAM Changing Futures is a new innovative model working with vulnerable children and families who are repeatedly reported or referred to Child Protection and Child FIRST. Intervention is focused on empowering families by building on their strengths, assisting them to experience greater social participation and inclusion, and helping equip parents with greater knowledge about their children s development and sound parenting strategies they can use to the best meet development needs The aim of the Changing Futures program is to provide: An intensive (up to 200 hours per annum),integrated and co-ordinated child focussed family centred response to vulnerable families and their children subject to repeated prior involvement with statutory child protection services, to promote the health, safety and wellbeing of children and to assist parents to make positive changes to their lives. The objectives and expected outcomes for the program are: Parent s confidence and competence in parenting and caring for their child is strengthened, Family relationships are strengthened, including the parent-child bond, Families undertake vocational training or education or obtain employment,
Child health, safety, stability and developmental outcomes, including educational outcomes are optimised, Families are connected to their communities, Families are able to make positive changes to their lives and undertake steps towards becoming economically self-sufficient with reduced reliance on government supports, Children are able to remain living safely at home with their family, Reduced incidence of child protection intervention post Intensive Family Services involvement. Inclusion of an evaluation/research component ensures that the intervention remains outcome focused and captures both quantitative and qualitative data to inform the evaluation as to the effectiveness of the model. This component will also provide for real-time outcome data, which will inform the ongoing work with the family as well as gaining a deeper understanding of the elements of intervention about what works and for whom. Intended Outcomes Reduce Child Protection reports or re-reports through pro-active work with children and families to gain understanding and develop skills to reduce risk issues and enhance protective factors. Work with families to build substitute networks within the community that will provide enduring support and address isolation issues. Participate in action research and the ongoing development of the service model to identify efficacy of the model. POSITION OBJECTIVES Changing Futures will be instrumental in provision of a flexible outcome oriented services with isolated and vulnerable families. Changing Futures will plan, consult, deliver and measure family based interventions that are highly intensive and hands on. Changing Futures will work pro-actively to achieve good engagement with all family members. Changing Futures employ motivational interviewing as a core counselling approach. Intervention is focused on sustainably empowering families to the end of children s best interests. Children s safety and wellbeing are of paramount importance. Changing Futures are generalists employing a broad range of practical and therapeutic intervention strategies to achieve best impact. This role is considered a specialisation in itself. Caseworker administration is streamlined, outcome-focused providing ongoing real time data. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Relationship with clients Work with families in such a way that the possibility of positive change becomes a part of their way of thinking. Work with families in identifying the motivations and reasons for change, to then acknowledge the difficulty and hard work required in achieving their goals. Establish a working relationship with families that demonstrate respect and honest communication, particularly about protective concerns and consequences. Develop and regularly review specific contracts with each family that will form the basis of the planned intervention. Provide genuine and empathic reflections of change observed within families. Understand inter-generational factors and complex inter-relationships that can promote and impede the capacity of families to collaboratively provide good care of a child.
Understand child development and factors that can impede a child s development, including early indicators and patterns of behaviour leading to cumulative harm. Demonstration of high level communication skills that include the ability to constructively provide open and honest feedback to families in relation to both strengths and deficits in parenting skills/practices, related to making changes in the best interest of the children. An awareness of Aboriginal culture and society, the issues relating to Aboriginal children and family welfare and the ability to effectively communicate with Aboriginal families. Ability to work effectively with young people including young people from culturally and linguistically diverse and refugee backgrounds and young people with a learning disability. Relationship with others Ability to establish, and maintain positive and productive working arrangements with Child Protection and other key service providers. Make an active commitment to the development and maintenance of a cohesive multidisciplinary team and participate in staff meetings, team meetings and staff development training. Undertake joint casework with other agencies involved with the family, especially Protective Services and provide secondary consultations to other professionals. Assist client families to obtain goods and services that are necessary for their ongoing viability as a family unit. Practice Ability to actively engage families that may be unwilling to receive services. This requires personal attributes such as the ability to demonstrate empathy, openness and honesty in communications and casework with families and an ability to actively engage families in decision-making processes. Undertake comprehensive assessment of families, which includes both a child development and systemic perspective. Understand relevant risk and needs assessment frameworks and appropriate application of these. Demonstrate a sound knowledge of service and interventions that can address factors associated with family vulnerability and the ability to undertake multi-agency working including advocating on behalf of families to support access to services and supports. Provide intensive parenting skills development. Provide individual and group support for children Teach problem solving and coping skills both at an individual level and as a family unit. Introduce through role-play and modelling, strategies that reduce levels of conflict and change patterns of interaction so that families experience positive outcomes. Work with all family members to develop communication skills, which encourage greater understanding and positive interactions. Draw on a range of therapeutic frameworks to support families by providing family, individual and relationship counselling. Provide practical support particularly for families where there are issues of neglect, utilising role modelling to assist families to develop skills in this area. Ensure familiarity with available therapeutic approaches and strategies, relevant to working with families. Acquire new techniques and strategies that add to the service s repertoire of knowledge and skills. Provide mentoring support and guidance to enhance skills development of less experienced staff and volunteers. Work within the outcome framework, using the Outcome Star and using the data reporting tools to contribute to real time data records.
Demonstrate a sound knowledge of service responses and interventions that can positively impact on a child s development and those that can assist in promoting change in behavior to increase parenting capacity. Reflective Practice Participate in regular supervision with Team Leader. Participate in reflective practice and case discussions. Be involved in an annual performance appraisal. Fulfill the program requirements regarding case records, statistics and other data collection requirements. Carry portfolio responsibilities in support of the program s development as defined by program management. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY (OHS) Anglicare Victoria is committed to ensuring the health and safety of its employees and any other individuals present in our workplaces. In achieving and maintaining workplace health and safety, Anglicare Victoria will apply best practice in OHS in accordance with statutory obligations at all times. All Anglicare Victoria employees, contractors and volunteers are required to: take reasonable care for their own health and safety and for that of others in the workplace by working in accordance with legislative requirements and the company s OHS policies and procedures take reasonable care their actions or omissions do not adversely affect the health and safety of themselves and others cooperate with any reasonable directions, policies and procedures relating to health and safety in the workplace report all injuries, illness or near misses to their Supervisor or Manager participate in relevant health and safety training based on roles and responsibilities as required, participate in the development and implementation of specific OHS hazard and risk management strategies. In addition to the above, positions with supervision or management responsibility are required to ensure a safe and healthy work environment for all employees, clients, contractors and visitors. This can be achieved by ensuring all people are aware of and have access to OHS policies, procedures, training and reporting systems. KEY SELECTION CRITERIA A relevant tertiary qualifications in social work, psychology, Early Childhood Specialist, Education and/or related behavioral sciences with a minimum of three years relevant experience. Demonstrated awareness and commitment to working within the Best Interest Principles outlines within the Child, Youth and Families Act 2005 An understanding of the social context of child abuse and neglect Demonstrated ability to conduct comprehensive child focused safety and wellbeing assessments and make sound judgments in relation to prescribed actions. Demonstrated understanding and application of individual and systemic theories that underpin effective, intensive, in-home family based interventions, including motivational interviewing and social inclusion.
Desirable skills, knowledge and experience Sound understanding of the child protection system and child welfare work. Ability to think broadly and holistically in relation to interventions to inform a systemic response in relation to client action planning, at the same time focusing on specific issues. Effective written and verbal communication skills. Sensitivity to issues of confidential, gender, cultural background, disability, age and sexuality in dealing with a wide variety of client groups. Strong skills in engaging with families who are reluctant to use support services. Good organisational, time management kills, and ability to be self-directed. Computer skills in Microsoft Office packages and other statistical databases such as IRIS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Salary and conditions are in accordance with the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award (SCHADS) 2010. Salary packaging is offered with this position. All offers of employment at Anglicare Victoria are subject to a six month probationary period. The staff member will be asked to participate in an annual performance review linked to objectives set out for the position. All offers of employment are subject to a satisfactory Criminal History Check, a current Driver s License and an Employment Working with Children Check prior to commencement. ACCEPTANCE OF POSITION DESCRIPTION REQUIREMENTS To be signed upon appointment Employee Name: Enter employee name Signature: Date: