Child Protection Caseworker - Sydney, South Eastern & Northern Sydney

NSW Department of Communities and Justice; Sydney; On-site; AUD 93,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible, autonomous work environment

Competitive pay and conditions

Training and development opportunities

Health & Wellbeing and Employee Assist

Job summary

NSW Department of Communities and Justice in Sydney seeks a Child Protection Caseworker to respond to safety concerns for children and young people. You will work with families, other agencies, and attend court with complex cases, developing safety plans and risk assessments.

The role requires sensitivity, resilience and strong communication to support vulnerable families toward safe, stable homes. Flexible, autonomous work environment is offered with competitive pay, training and development

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in social work, social science or welfare with practical experience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to build positive working relationships.
• Valid driver’s licence (P1 or above).
• Paid Working with Children clearance number.

Responsibilities

• Respond to reports about safety concerns surrounding children or young people.
• Work sensitively and respectfully with parents, family members and young people.
• Collaborate with other agencies and engage in complex problem solving.
• Assist families in formulating goals addressing safety and wellbeing concerns and provide home visits.
• Develop safety plans and complete risk assessments.
• Manage cases and work with high needs and high-risk clients and families.
• Be involved in court processes, including preparation of court documents and attending court.

Skills

Verbal and written communication

Relationship building

Resilience

Safety and wellbeing focus

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in social work, Social Science and Welfare

Job description

Child Protection Caseworker – Sydney, South Eastern & Northern Sydney

Burwood (Ashfield), Strawberry Hills, Lakemba, St George CSC (Hurstville), Sutherland CSC (Hurstville), Pennant Hills and Chatswood

Employment type: Ongoing

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

Your Role

DCJ is all about keeping families together so that children thrive at home. Our first priority is always the safety, welfare and wellbeing of the children or young person. In this role, you will respond to reports about safety concerns surrounding children or young people who may have been harmed.

What you’ll do

• Work sensitively and respectfully with parents, family members, children or young people
• Work collaboratively with other agencies and engage in complex problem solving
• Assist families in formulating goals that align with their needs, addressing safety and wellbeing concerns, and provide appropriate assistance through home visits
• Develop safety plans and complete risk assessments
• Manage cases and situations including working with high needs and high-risk clients and their families
• Be involved in court processes, including the preparation of court documents and attending court
• Participate in individual and group supervision

Being a Child Protection Caseworker can be difficult. Sometimes, you may have to make tough decisions with families to help them overcome hardships in order to be able to care for their children and develop safe and loving homes.

What we’re looking for

To be a Child Protection Caseworker you need to be confident, curious and resilient.

The essential requirements include:

• 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
• 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

• A challenging and rewarding career
• Flexible, autonomous work environment
• Competitive pay and conditions
• Training and development opportunities to build and maintain capabilities
• Health & Wellbeing and Employee Assistance Programs.

We do work that really matters. Working for the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) provides lots of opportunities to make a real difference. We collaborate with other agencies and community partners, to improve lives and realise the potential of children, adults, families and communities. We're focused on breaking, rather than managing, disadvantage. It’s work that really matters.

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. To find out what DCJ are doing to build an inclusive and diverse workforce, visit Inclusion and diversity on the DCJ website.

Other Information

A talent pool may be created for future ongoing and temporary roles and is valid for a period of up to 18 months. For more information visit Applying for DCJ jobs on the DCJ website.