RESIDENTIAL CARE PLACEMENT MANAGER

Child Protection; Adelaide; Hybrid; AUD 123,000 - 134,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working options

Paid Parental Leave

Salary Packaging

Health and Fitness Perks

Job summary

Department for Child Protection (DCP) in Adelaide seeks a Residential Care Placement Manager to lead clinical placement assessments, ensuring safety and wellbeing for children and young people in Residential Care. You will apply trauma-informed care, ethical frameworks and strong leadership to shape care outcomes and guide staff in complex placements.

The role blends policy, practice and stakeholder collaboration, with the opportunity to influence service development, while meeting professional

Qualifications

• Ethically sound, trauma-informed practice.
• Extensive experience in a residential care environment to perform clinical assessments.
• Apply cultural and ethical frameworks to provide suitable placements.
• Provide consultation services across stakeholders and settings.
• Strong verbal and written communication, especially in mediation and negotiation.

Responsibilities

• Oversee placement decisions for young people entering Residential Care.
• Employ trauma-informed and therapeutic models of care to understand needs.
• Liaise with stakeholders on projects and consultations to optimise outcomes.
• Improve strategic leadership and business planning to uphold ethics.
• Ensure clinical matching criteria are relevant, timely and high-quality.

Skills

Trauma-informed practice

Leadership

Clinical assessment

Stakeholder liaison

Education

Social Work qualification

Related field qualification (Community Services, Social Sciences, Health)

Job description

Provide critical care placements that strengthen practice outcomes

Child Protection Allowance in addition to annual salary.

Our metropolitan Adelaide team is seeking a Residential Care Placement Manager to exercise high-level, clinical placement assessments that effectively secure the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. This newly established role will shape care outcomes for clientele through your professional guidance and application of relevant child protection frameworks. Your sound leadership capabilities and informed decision-making will support the development of Residential Care and the youth it safeguards.

This is asingle vacancy offered under a dual classification. The successful applicant will be appointed at the appropriate classification level based on their qualifications, experience and suitability for the role.

Essential Qualifications:

• AHP (Allied Health Professional) positions require applicants to hold a Social Work qualification and be eligible for full membership with the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW)
• PO (Professional Officer) positions require relevant qualifications in Community Services, Social Sciences, Human Services, Health or other related fields.

Persons of Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, who have the appropriate background and skills but do not have the essential qualification, may apply for and be engaged/assigned to the role of Social Worker and will be entitled to apply for any Allied Health Professional roles requiring a qualification in Social Work within the Department for Child Protection (DCP).
In this role, you will:

• Oversee placement decisions for young people entering Residential Care
• Employ a trauma-informed lens and therapeutic model of care to better understand the needs of children and young people
• Liaise with key stakeholders concerning projects and consultations that optimise care outcomes for clientele
• Improve strategic leadership and business planning across the organisation to uphold ethical standards
• Ensure clinical matching criteria is relevant, timely and high-quality to inform residential care placements.

About you:

• You possess an exemplary understanding of ethically sound, trauma-informed practice
• You have extensive experience in a residential care environment to enact appropriate clinical assessments
• You apply relevant cultural and ethical frameworks to provide suitable placements for children and young people
• You recognise the nuances of the issues and systems affecting clientele and promote valuable consultation services
• You are a phenomenal verbal and written communicator, specifically when mediating and negotiating complex scenarios.

Salary:
AHP4: $123,048 – $133,957 p.a. + 12% super
+4% Child Protection Allowance
+Professional Development Allowance
+Entitlement to claim reimbursement of eligible professional development expenses
+Qualification Allowance may apply if you hold an additional qualification relevant to the role.

PO4: $122,752 – $133,635 p.a. + 12% super
+Additional child protection allowance
Why You’ll Love It Here - DCP Benefits That Matter:
At DCP, these are just some of the benefits you’ll enjoy:

• A collaborative team environment, working alongside people who are committed to best practice and making a meaningful impact
• Flexible working options with tailored arrangements to help you balance work and life
• Paid Parental and Partner Leave – additional paid time to support you and your growing family
• Recognition and Growth – we celebrate your achievements and open doors to development across DCP
• Salary Packaging – reduce your taxable income with a range of pre-tax benefits
• Health and Fitness Perks – free flu vaccination plus access to more than 1,700 gyms, fitness centres and pools across Australia through our Fitness Passport program for you and your family
• Wellbeing Support - confidential Employee Assistance Program services for you and your family.
• You must have a current Australian driver’s licence (P2 or above) and a willingness to drive is essential.

The Department for Child Protection (DCP) plays a key role in the protection of children, young people and their families within South Australia. The department provides support to vulnerable children and young people to be safe, strong and connected.

Contact Us

Enquiries to Laura Kelly - Director, Residential Care 0418 853 708 [e-mail]

Our workplace reflects the diverse communities we serve, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences, and abilities. This includes women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability, LGBTQIA+ communities, and those from culturally diverse backgrounds. We are committed to fostering an inclusive, safe, and respectful workplace where everyone feels supported.