Joint Child Protection Response Program (JCPRP) Caseworker - Statewide in Liverpool

We are currently recruiting for vacancies and talent pool inclusions for Statewide NSW: Ballina, Bathurst, Blacktown, Broken Hill, Coffs Harbour, Dubbo, Gosford, Inverell, Liverpool, Newcastle, Port Macquarie, Queanbeyan, Strawberry Hills, Tamworth, Wagga Wagga grouping (includes Wagga Wagga, Albury & Griffith), Wollongong.

Employment type: Ongoing

Salary: $92,632 – $120,478 pa plus superannuation and annual leave loading.

We strongly encourage people from Aboriginal and multicultural backgrounds to apply for these roles.

Your role:

JCPRP Caseworkers assess safety and risk to children and young people within a multi-disciplinary service model. We are seeking experienced child protection Caseworkers with excellent analytical, assessment and communication skills.

To be successful in this role, applicants must demonstrate strong attention to detail, highly developed critical thinking and problem solving, and excellent interpersonal and self-management skills.

What you’ll do:

• Undertake assessments to identify and address safety and risk concerns for children and young people within a multi-disciplinary program.
• Engage in collaborative, child focused practice that acknowledges and respects the culture and context of each child, young person and their carers/family.
• Source timely, accurate and comprehensive information and make evidence based decisions in line with the child/young person’s safety, welfare and wellbeing.
• Model ethical and curious casework that is responsive to the changing needs of children, young people and families.
• Build relationships within the Program, practice and legislative frameworks to promote meaningful change in families for better outcomes for children/young people and their families.
• Develop and maintain networks and relationships with JCPRP partner agencies and other stakeholders to deliver holistic and coordinated services for children, young people and families.
• Participate and contribute to a culture of continuous learning and professional development to ensure practice knowledge and skills are contemporary.
• Maintain accurate and objective client records for reporting and information sharing.
• Have difficult conversations about and with children, young people, family and key stakeholders to mitigate risks and enhance safety and wellbeing.
• Initiate action in the Children’s Court to ensure safety and wellbeing where required.

What we’re looking for:

Working with vulnerable children, young people and carers/families within a multi-disciplinary program is never boring, often challenging and always rewarding. To be a JCPR Caseworker you need to be confident, curious and resilient. The essential requirements include:

• Minimum of 2 years' frontline experience in statutory child protection services or within statutory investigation services.
• Preferred Completed or in your final semester of a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Social Work, Social Science and Welfare along with practical experience. (If you are in your final semester of university you will not be able to commence on duty if successful until you have completed your degree). Other related degrees are considered, if you can demonstrate your knowledge skills and experience working with vulnerable children, young people and families and/or identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander with a strong connection to community.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to build positive working relationships.
• A valid driver’s licence (P1 or above).
• A paid working with children clearance number.

What We Offer:

We offer a variety of benefits, including:

• A challenging and rewarding career.
• Flexible working conditions including a 140-hour month.
• Competitive pay and conditions.
• Industry leading JCPRP training and ongoing development opportunities.
• Opportunity to work within a unique and highly visible multi-disciplinary program with a collective goal of improving safety and wellbeing outcomes for children and young people.
• Unequalled insight into the operations and culture of the JCPRP partner agencies.
• Health & Wellbeing and Employee Assistance Programs.

We focus on hiring people who share our commitment and goals of inclusion, collaboration, adaptability, courage and integrity. If you meet the essential requirements and the role resonates with you, please apply – you do not need to meet every desired requirement for us to want to talk to you.

Are you ready to join us? Click apply, attach an up-to-date résumé (maximum 5 pages) and a cover letter (maximum 3 pages) addressing the targeted question below with a brief outline on how you meet the requirements of the role:

Describe a time when you were required to undertake a safety and risk assessment for a child or young person. What steps did you take to complete this assessment, what were the challenges and what was the outcome?

Applications that have not answered the targeted question will not be reviewed.

If you’ve got a question about applying or would benefit from an adjustment in the recruitment process to help you perform at your best (including an alternate method submission of the application), please call Gen Lanuzo on 02 9765 3513 or via Gen.Lanuzo@dcj.nsw.gov.au.

Inclusion and Diversity lies at the heart of how we recruit. We continue to hire great people with a wide variety of skills, experience and backgrounds. This includes people with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people identifying as LGBTIQ+, culturally and linguistically diverse people, carers and other diversity groups.

Thank you for your interest in this role. We look forward to receiving your application.