Job Description

Principal Practitioner | Disability Services

• Employment Term: Permanent Full time

• Location: Based in our Annerley office with (day) travel to sites across Southeast Queensland, as required

• Remuneration: Salary Level 7 + 12% Super + NFP Salary Packaging (save tax and increase your take home pay)

Make a meaningful difference with UnitingCare Queensland

At UnitingCare we are leaders in crisis response, the protection of vulnerable people and children, financial resilience and family wellbeing. Our FaDS (Family and Disability Services) team work passionately across Queensland to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.

As a Principal Practitioner within Disability Services, you’ll be encouraged to grow, develop and feel empowered to make the everyday easier for the people we care so passionately about. Let’s make a meaningful difference, together!

Please note this is a permanent full time position based out of our Annerley office, with option for flexible working possible .

Your part in our UnitingCare team

Reporting to the General Manager for Disability Services this individual will work directly with the Statewide Managers and their Leadership teams, and will:

• Provide senior practice leadership and advice to the General Manager and Statewide Managers to support consistent, high‑quality service delivery.

• Lead the implementation and oversight of practice, compliance and risk frameworks to ensure delivery of high quality services across Disability Services.

• Partner with leadership teams to strengthen workforce capability through supervision, case reviews, coaching and targeted training.

• Maintain oversight of client safety, identifying and managing risk and supporting leaders to embed safeguarding practices.

• Drive continuous improvement through the development and review of practice frameworks, policies, procedures and service documentation.

• Ensure strong information management and evidence‑informed practice, including high standards of case recording, reporting and assessment.

• Strengthen client safety and practice quality in Disability services through direct specialist involvement in complex and high‑risk situations.

• Influence practice directly through real‑time decision making, coaching and hands‑on involvement.

• ⁠Support complex safety planning; responding to critical incidents; leading safeguarding discussions; embedding evidence‑based models in day‑to‑day practice.

What makes a difference for us?

• Tertiary qualifications in a relevant field (Allied Health, Social Work, Human Services, Nursing) including a demonstrated commitment to ongoing professional development

• Extensive demonstrated knowledge and comprehensive understanding of NDIS Practice Standards, Human Services Quality Framework (HSQF), and Mental Health approach and frameworks

• Demonstrated ability to develop evidence-based practice with an understanding of specialist programs; including ideally, an understanding of contemporary community services and sector reform agendas

• Demonstrated understanding of the issues faced by regional and remote services

• Proven experience in developing and implementing strategic and operating plans

• Experience in developing and/or delivering training in the field of Disability Services

• Demonstrated ability to work in ways that are innovative and culturally appropriate for First Nations and culturally and linguistically diverse

• Demonstrated understanding of key legislation and standards that exist at the Federal and State levels that impact on service delivery for Family services

• A Current Blue Card, and NDIS worker screening check

• Positive Child Safety and Personal History Screening check (or ability to acquire if required)

• A QLD Driver's Licence and the ability to travel and work across our South East, Central and Far North Queensland OoHC Services

What makes a difference for you?

• Flexible work arrangements to support work-life balance

• NFP Salary Packaging: Save tax and increase your take home pay by salary packaging your everyday living expenses and bills (up to $15,900) and meal entertainment (up to $2,650) per annum. To learn more about this benefit watch the video via the following link: Salary Packaging Explained

• A recognition and rewards platform, providing employee discounts at hundreds of retailers, including everyday expenses, holidays, health insurance, annual awards celebration, wellbeing and employee assistance programs

• 12 weeks paid parental leave and 2 weeks paid partner leave, available after 6 months service, in addition to the government scheme

• Diversity and inclusive leave, offering paid gender affirmation leave and cultural leave options (paid and unpaid) for those who may celebrate Lunar New Year, Diwali, Ramadan, NAIDOC weeks and other significant cultural events

• Career development opportunities to challenge yourself, grow and make a meaningful difference 

• A positive and inclusive team based on respect, shared standards, strong values and a commitment to serving others

We’d love you to be part of our UnitingCare family

Joining our FaDS, team, you’ll also be welcomed as part of the UnitingCare family. The second-largest Queensland employer, we’re a proud not-for-profit with more than 16,500 staff and 9,000 volunteers across our brands of BlueCare, Lifeline, ARRCS, The Wesley Hospital, Buderim Private Hospital, St Stephen’s Hospital, and St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital, and have been leading by example for more than 100 years.

Child safe, Child friendly

UnitingCare is committed to being a Child Safe, Child Friendly organisation and will:

• provide welcoming, safe and nurturing services for children

• implement measures to prevent child abuse and neglect within our services

• appropriately and immediately address child abuse and neglect if it does occur

Diversity & Inclusion

Our approach is simple – everybody is welcome here.  At UnitingCare, diversity is at the core of our who we are, our mission and our values. We are committed to providing equal opportunities to all employees no matter their sex, race, culture, sexual orientation, disability or gender identity. Demonstrating our commitment to reconciliation and building long-term employment opportunities for First Nations peoples, UnitingCare strongly encourages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants for this position.  

Safe workplace

We work hard to make our services welcoming and safe for every person. We are united in keeping children, young people and the elderly safe from harm, within our services, workplaces and the communities we support. We are committed to speaking up loudly for their safety.