• Permanent full-time position

About the opportunity

A great opportunity to make a real difference to the wellbeing of children living in Out of Home Care. The Enhanced Therapeutic Contact Service (ETCS) is a unique program that works closely with parents and children to ensure that time spent during contact visits is positive, meaningful, safe, and therapeutic.

As a Keyworker you will support and supervise court ordered contact visits for children living in Out of Home Care, creating a stable, predictable, and safe environment to enhance the quality of contact visits. Making slime, playing cricket, or providing psychoeducation to parents on child development, team members employ a multitude of skills to actively and creatively support parents to meet their children’s needs. ETCS advocates for children, provides role modelling, coaching, parenting education, and plans contact experiences to achieve agreed goals including reunification, unsupervised visits, or alternate means of supervision. 

About you

To be successful in your application you will meet the core selection criteria outlined in the position description, including having a tertiary qualification in social work, psychology, or a related discipline.

You will also have:

• Demonstrated experience and ability as a practitioner in the child, youth, and family welfare field.
• Experience working with vulnerable children and families in a community service setting.
• Advanced knowledge of child development, trauma, and attachment theories and how they relate to children in Out of Home Care.
• A commitment to trauma informed, family-centred, and strength-based models of practice.
• An understanding of the Best Interests case practice model and CYFA 2005, and some familiarity with Child Protection intervention phases and orders.
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team, and collaboratively within care teams
• Solid understanding of Microsoft Office programs.
• Familiarity or training in the MARAM Framework is desirable.

Click here to view the full position description.

How to apply

Click APPLY to submit your interest. We’ll be reviewing applications as they come through and conducting interviews prior to applications closing. Please send your application through as a priority as we’re keen to engage with someone.

Please include the following in your application:

• Cover Letter
• Document outlining your suitability according to the core selection criteria described in the position description. *Note - only applications addressing the core selection criteria will be considered.
• Current resume

If you have any questions about the opportunity, please contact Deb Osmand – Team Leader, Enhanced Therapeutic Contact Service on 03 9793 3707.

Uniting is a child safe organisation and is committed in everyday practice to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all children, at all times. As a ‘child safe’ organisation, employment with Uniting is subject to a satisfactory national (and international where relevant) police check and relevant Working with Children Check in your State prior to commencement of any paid or unpaid work and/or participation in any service or undertaking.

Uniting is also committed to equal opportunity and ensuring the workplace is reflective of the community. We encourage people from different backgrounds to apply, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and people with a disability.