Program Worker - Brighter Beginnings

Social Futures Ltd; Grafton; On-site; AUD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Social Futures Ltd is seeking a Program Worker to join Brighter Beginnings in NSW, a joint initiative with the DCJ and DoE focused on early support for families with children aged 0–5. The role emphasises person-centred practice and connections to culturally appropriate services.

The position involves outreach in early learning settings, tailored assistance, and service coordination to improve children's social and emotional wellbeing, reporting, and continuous improvement of services.

Qualifications

• Experience working with School networks is highly desirable
• Assist customers to access services with relevant information for families, carers and community partners
• Develop respectful relationships and communicate with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities
• Provide high quality, person-centred supports and brief interventions that are strengths-based and culturally responsive
• Collect and ensure data integrity using information systems for reporting and commissioning
• Recommend expenditure for customers within brokerage guidelines
• Complete customer work requirements in line with policies and procedures and quality improvement
• Report quality, safety and risk issues and provide regular reporting
• Participate in supervision activities including case reviews and audits
• Meet mandatory reporting requirements under legislation and policy
• Contribute to business planning and identify service enhancements

Responsibilities

• Outreach in Early Learning: connect with families through preschools and childcare centres
• Tailored assistance: provide flexible support, information, resources, and referrals
• Service coordination: deliver information sessions and activities to support a connected service system

Skills

School network experience

Customer support information

Cultural competence

Person-centred support

Data collection

Brokerage/expenditure advice

Quality improvement

Reporting

Supervision

Mandatory reporting

Program development

Job description

An exciting, new opportunity has become available in Family Connect and Support for a Program Worker to joinour new dedicated early childhood education program,Brighter Beginnings.

FCS Brighter Beginnings is a collaborative initiative between the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) and the Department of Education (DoE). It builds on the Family Connect and Support (FCS) program to provide early, practical support to families with children aged 0–5 years. This support is delivered through FCS workers who engage with Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services such as preschools and childcare centres.

The Program Worker, FCS, Brighter Beginnings, works alongside families, children and young people from a person-centred evidence-based approach that promotes self-determination. Though client led goal planning, and connecting families to culturally appropriate supports and services, the Program Worker will assist in improving the social and emotional wellbeing of children and their families.

This role is currently funded until 31 December 2027.

In this role you will be involved in:

• Outreach in Early Learning: FCS workers connect with families directly through Department of Education-funded preschools and childcare centers
• Tailored Assistance: Workers provide flexible, tailored support to meet unique family needs, including advice, resources, and referrals to other support services
• Service Coordination: Workers deliver information sessions and activities to support a connected service system, making it easier for families to seek help

Desired Skills and Experience:

• Prior experience in School network highly desired
• Support customers to access services in a timely and appropriate manner, including provision of relevant information about services to customers, their families, carers and community partners
• Develop meaningful and respectful relationships and communicate sensitively and effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities
• Provide high quality person-centred supports and brief interventions to customers, their families and carers that are strengths based and culturally responsive and in line with Social Futures Practice Framework and National Strategic Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ Mental Health and Social and Emotional Wellbeing.
• Collect, and ensure integrity of, data using relevant information systems to meet commissioning and outcome-based reporting requirements
• Recommend expenditure for customers in line with brokerage guidelines
• Ensure all customer work requirements are completed in accordance with the relevant policies and procedures, including quality improvement requirements
• Comply with procedures to ensure the effective reporting of quality, safety, and risk issues and provide regular reports to ensure reporting requirements are met
• Participate in supervision activities including case reviews and case audits
• Ensure relevant mandatory reporting requirements are met in line with legislative and policy requirements
• Participate in business planning processes within the Team / Branch and provide feedback on enhancement to program services and delivery / identify opportunities for improvement

Social Futures is committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and supported to thrive. We actively encourage applications from key communities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, LGBTIQSB+ people, and those with lived experience and expertise. We are committed to providing an accessible recruitment process and encourage candidates to request reasonable adjustments if needed.

Please read about the role in the Position Description, here. (If you are viewing this advert on SEEK, the position description will be available for review after you click "Apply")

For more information about Social Futures please visit our website https://socialfutures.org.au/work-with-us/

For further information about the role, or to request adjustments to the recruitment process please contact Linda Boyd:0418 420 ***