Job Description

Position purpose

The Casework Coordinator is responsible for coordinating MacKillop’s casework services in Clarence Coffs to children and young people in Intensive Therapeutic Care, Foster Care and Kinship Care, their families and care teams. This includes leading a team of caseworkers.

The Casework Coordinator ensures the program delivers high quality services within a trauma informed framework. This position provides leadership, support, supervision and development of casework staff ensuring compliance with MacKillop’s Policy & Procedures and the OOHC standards and legislation.

The Coordinator reports to the Regional Manager and works closely with works closely with House Managers, Caseworkers, Education Officer, Therapeutic Specialists, Principal Practitioner and the ITC Homes Coordinator.

**This is a Permanent Position in our Grafton program reporting to the Regional Manager**

Primary objectives

The Casework Coordinator provides operational leadership and ensures compliance with MacKillop’s Policy and Procedures, OOHC standards, relevant legislation and Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) contractual requirements. The Coordinator is responsible for the delivery of high-quality services to provide positive outcomes for children, young people and their families.

The Coordinator will work collaboratively with caseworkers in the provision of specialist casework such as restoration, guardianship and adoption and contribute to the enhancement of these practices by:

· Developing effective relationships with key external stakeholders to comply with the requirements of the DCJ Rules and Guidelines;

· Establishing collaborative relationships with a wide range of specialist and mainstream services to improve outcomes for children, young people and their families; and

· Ensuring the Sanctuary Model is embedded in systems and practice and reflects MacKillop’s values

Key result areas and responsibilities

The Casework Coordinator will:

· Support Caseworkers to provide responsive casework practice to individual client needs ensuring the needs of children and young people are met through the development, implementation and review of individual case plans;

• Develop and implement casework strategies that support permanency planning principles;
• Ensure services comply with the OOHC standards, PSP contractual obligations and statutory child protection requirements
• Ensure that all client records are accurate and up-to-date;
• Ensure that the rights of young people are protected, their wellbeing is actively safeguarded and any concerns are reported immediately;
• Ensure that services are sensitive to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and CALD children, young people and their families;
• Promote democracy and support young people and staff to engage in a participatory environment where they can have a say and influence the decision making process;
• Provide timely advice to the Regional Manager with regard to critical incidents, complaints, industrial matters, or other situations that may present “risk”;
• Manage the services provided within the MacKillop budget and the strategic and operational plans;
• Manage staff recruitment and make recommendations to the Regional Manager regarding selection of staff;
• Manage, induct and supervise student placements and volunteers.

Key selection criteria

The Casework Coordinator will have:

· Knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal culture and values and an awareness of the current issues faced by Aboriginal children, young people and their families

· A tertiary qualification in social work, community services, management or relevant field;

• Demonstrated understanding of child protection and an understanding of statutory child protection frameworks;
• Strong understanding of OOHC policy, practice and quality frameworks;
• Proven leadership skills and demonstrated ability in the supervision of staff;
• Demonstrated skills and experience in casework, program management, service development and review and experience in the Permanency Support Program;
• Demonstrated ability to deliver positive outcomes for vulnerable children, young people and their families;
• Demonstrated ability to build positive relationships and work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders;
• High level of initiative, ability to plan, organise and prioritise work, and work to tight deadlines under pressure;
• Excellent interpersonal skills, written and verbal communication skills;
• Experience in working with trauma, attachment and resilience theory; and child development;
• Competence in Microsoft Office including Outlook, Word, Excel and Power Point

The incumbent must possess a:

• Valid and current Driver’s Licence.
• Valid and current Working with Children Card.
• Valid and current NDIS Worker Check (for NDIS risk assessed roles).
• Satisfactory criminal history check conducted by MacKillop Family Services.
• Valid and satisfactory registration on the NSW Residential Care Workers Register

MacKillop Family Services acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s First Peoples and as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we live, work and play. We pay our deep respects to Elders past and present and acknowledge all Aboriginal children, young people, families and staff who are a part of MacKillop Family Services

MacKillop celebrates and draws strength from diversity and respects the dignity of all people. Every person at MacKillop has the right to be safe and to be treated justly. We value every person’s ability, cultural or linguistic backgrounds, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, intersex status, relationship status, religious or spiritual beliefs, socio-economic status, and age.