Program Worker CYF

Northern Rivers Social Development Council; Nowra; Hybrid; AUD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary packaging

Flexible working

Additional leave days

Professional development

Staff recognition

Paid parental leave

Pool vehicles

Job summary

Social Futures is partnering with a Catholic school community in Nowra to place a Program Worker in the Family Connect team. The role bridges families, the school, and broader services to identify needs and connect children with appropriate support.

You will work with families to assess strengths and needs, coordinate referrals, and advocate for early intervention within a values-driven framework that honours inclusion and learning.

Qualifications

• Qualified in social work, psychology, social science, social welfare, or related discipline.
• Experience with children, young people and families, especially vulnerable or complex circumstances.
• Strong child and family practice skills: assessment, case planning, strengths-based practice, early intervention.
• Knowledge of child protection, mandatory reporting, risk assessment and safety responses.
• Knowledge of family/domestic violence, mental health and related issues.
• Ability to engage families hesitant to seek support.
• Strong relationship-building and ability to work with schools, communities and professionals.
• Cultural humility and inclusive support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and diverse communities.
• Ability to work independently while staying connected to the Social Futures team.
• Professional judgement, boundaries, communication and record-keeping.

Responsibilities

• Engage families to understand needs, identify strengths, and connect to support early.
• Provide practical support, assessment, and case planning.
• Coordinate referrals and collaborate with school and other services.
• Build trust with children, families, teachers and wellbeing staff.
• Work within Catholic school ethos while upholding Social Futures' values.

Skills

Child & family practice

Relationship-building

Cultural humility

Independent work

Professional judgement

Risk assessment

Communication

Record-keeping

Collaboration with schools

Engaging hesitant families

Education

Tertiary qualifications in social work, psychology, social science, social welfare, or related discipline

Job description

Job Category: Community Services & Development

Social Futures is a voice for social change, working to strengthen communities and improve outcomes for children, young people and families. For more than 50 years, we have delivered services grounded in inclusion, integrity and learning, supporting people and communities to thrive.

About the Role

We are looking for a skilled and values-driven Program Worker to join our Family Connect in Schools team, working within a Catholic school community.

This is not a traditional school-based role. You will be employed by Social Futures and embedded within the school community, creating an important bridge between children, families, the school and the broader service system.

You will work alongside families to understand what is happening for them, identify strengths and needs, and connect them with the right support early. This may include providing practical support, undertaking assessment and case planning, navigating services, coordinating referrals and working collaboratively with the school and other services.

Relationships are at the heart of this role. You will need to be someone who can build trust with children and families while also developing strong and respectful working relationships with teachers, school leadership, wellbeing teams and community services.

Working within a Catholic school environment also means being able to work respectfully and authentically within the values, mission and Catholic ethos of the school, while demonstrating Social Futures' values of Integrity, Inclusion and Learning in your everyday practice.

We are looking for someone who understands that successful school-based family work requires more than being a good case worker. You will need to be visible, approachable and proactive within the school community, comfortable working independently, and skilled at bringing people together around the needs of a child or family.

Job Description

What you'll bring

You will ideally have:

• Tertiary qualifications in social work, psychology, social science, social welfare, community services or a related discipline, or relevant equivalent experience.
• Experience working with children, young people and families, particularly those experiencing vulnerability or complex circumstances.
• Strong child and family practice skills, including assessment, case planning, strengths-based practice and early intervention.
• An understanding of child protection, mandatory reporting, risk assessment and appropriate responses to child and family safety concerns.
• Knowledge of family and domestic violence, mental health and other issues that can impact children and families.
• The ability to engage families who may be hesitant to seek support or have had challenging experiences with services.
• Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to work collaboratively with schools, community organisations and other professionals.
• Cultural humility and the ability to provide inclusive and culturally safe support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, culturally and linguistically diverse communities and families with diverse experiences and identities.
• The confidence to work independently while remaining connected and accountable to the broader Social Futures team.
• Strong professional judgement, boundaries, communication and record-keeping skills.

You'll be a great fit if you...

• build genuine relationships rather than waiting for families to come to you;
• are curious about what is happening for a child and family, rather than making assumptions;
• can have difficult conversations with empathy and professionalism;
• understand risk while continuing to see a family's strengths and capacity;
• enjoy working collaboratively but are confident working independently;
• can navigate the different perspectives of families, schools and services;
• understand that early support can prevent issues becoming more complex; and
• want to contribute to a partnership that strengthens outcomes for children, families and school communities.

About Social Futures

Social Futures is an equal opportunity employer and actively encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability, people with lived experience, LGBTIQSB+ people and people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

We are committed to prioritising the safety and wellbeing of children and uphold the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. A Working with Children Check and National Police Check are mandatory requirements for this position.

• Generous salary packaging options
• Flexible working arrangements where compatible with the requirements of the school-based role
• Opportunity to bank additional days of leave each year
• Ongoing learning, practice development and professional development
• Staff Recognition Program and organisational celebration events
• Organisational paid parental leave
• Access to pool vehicles where required for the role