Senior Social Worker Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Northern Sydney Local Health District; St Leonards; On-site; AUD 106,000 - 109,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary packaging

Fitness passport

Career development opportunities

Job summary

The Senior Social Worker in the NICU at Royal North Shore Hospital, part of Northern Sydney Local Health District, delivers family-centred social work within a dedicated multidisciplinary team to support families of premature or ill babies.

You will work in a tertiary NICU, provide advanced clinical assessments, counselling and discharge planning, and contribute to evidence-based practice and service improvement in a supportive hospital environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor or post graduate degree in Social Work and eligibility for the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).
• Extensive clinical experience, inclusive of experience as a Level 2 Social Worker.
• Expertise in the social and emotional needs of families in response to: new diagnosis/new admission, extreme prematurity, complicated birth, coping concerns/mental health concerns for parents, families with complex social history, child protection, domestic violence and neonatal death/bereavement.
• Advanced clinical skills in comprehensive bio-psychosocial assessments, counselling and therapeutic interventions, complex clinical casework/case management, advocacy and discharge planning.
• Demonstrated ability to initiate, lead, complete and share quality improvement activities or service evaluation process; experience in clinical teaching and supervision.

Responsibilities

• The NICU Social Worker provides high level social work services to families of premature and sick babies in the NICU.
• Collaborates with doctors, nurses and allied health professionals to support families and optimise outcomes.
• Provides support to antenatal families over 24 weeks gestation on the Maternity Ward.
• Leads discharge planning and advocates for families to ensure optimal health outcomes.

Skills

Clinical Social Work

Bio-psychosocial assessment

Counselling

Discharge planning

Quality improvement

Supervision

Autonomy

Education

Bachelor or post graduate degree in Social Work

Tools

Health information systems

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated Senior Social Worker to join the Social Work Department at Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH), supporting families in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. If you are passionate about making a meaningful difference for women, children and their families, and thrive in a collaborative hospital environment, we invite you to apply and become part of a dedicated multidisciplinary team committed to delivering high-quality, family-centred care.
Why Join NSLHD

• Access generous staff benefits including salary packaging, fitness passport and more.
• A challenging, inspiring and rewarding role with the opportunity to make a difference.

Employment Type : Permanent Full Time
Position Classification : Social Worker Level 3
Remuneration : $2,329.85 - $2,405.34 per week
Hours Per Week : 38
Requisition ID : REQ691072
Who we are : We are a health service that touches thousands of lives across the Northern Sydney Local Health District, together as a team of like-minded people. We are passionate, driven and have the skills and knowledge to care for our patients whilst creating the best services possible. Our teams have meaningful, interesting and rewarding work everyday. We challenge and nurture each other, sharing our knowledge and experience so that we can deliver better care for everyone There’s a real sense of belonging here because we value and respect our patients, employees, and teams’ voices. You’ll feel a real privilege being a trusted caregiver in our patients, their families, their carers, and our communities’ lives.

• Innovation is at our core, with opportunities for research driven evidence based practice, ensuring our work remains engaging and fulfilling.
• Clear pathways for career progression, supported by training secondments, recognition and mentorship, empower employee and leaders alike to reach their professional goals.
• Join us on a journey to a place where every achievement is celebrated and every opportunity is embraced.

Where you'll be workingSocial Work Department, Royal North Shore Hospital
What You'll Be DoingThe Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Social Worker is a Senior Clinician working with a multidisciplinary team of Doctors, Nurses, and Allied Health professionals to provide care to premature and sick babies and their families. Support is available for all families that have a baby in the NICU; and to antenatal families over 24 week’s gestation on the Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH) Maternity Ward. The RNSH NICU is a tertiary centre, so expectant mothers and sick babies are transferred to this Hospital for the unit’s expertise in managing extremely premature babies and babies who have significant health issues as a result of, or following birth. Babies can be transferred from all over the state of NSW. The Senior Social Worker will provide high level Social Work service to consumer's carers and families to ensure the provision of optimal health outcomes consistent with the districts and professional policies, procedures, standards, relevant legislation and Code of Conduct.
People of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander background are encouraged to apply.Candidates Will Need To Meet The Following Criteria

• A Bachelor or post graduate degree in Social Work and eligibility for the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). Evidence of extensive clinical experience, inclusive of experience as a Level 2 Social Worker.
• Demonstrated expertise/knowledge, clinical skills and experience in the social and emotional needs of families in response to: new diagnosis/new admission, extreme prematurity, complicated birth, coping concerns/mental health concerns for parents, families with complex social history, child protection, domestic violence and neonatal death/bereavement.
• Demonstrated advanced clinical skills in comprehensive bio-psychosocial assessments, counselling and therapeutic interventions, complex clinical casework/case management, advocacy and discharge planning.
• Demonstrated ability to initiate, lead, complete and share quality improvement activities or service evaluation process. Experience in clinical teaching and supervision of students, level 1/2 Allied Health Professionals and/or Allied Health Assistants.
• Provide evidence of proficient written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills with the proven ability to liaise with novice and experienced health professionals and external service providers.
• Demonstrated proficiency in ability to work autonomously with limited supervision. Have the ability to prioritise work, manage a demanding workload, apply high level reasoning skills and have independent professional judgement.
• Demonstrated computer literacy and ability to use health information systems.

For role related queries or questions contact Phillipa Nagy on [e-mail] or 02 9462 9477.
This is a NSW Health Category A position which requires immunisation and screening for certain diseases. The full list of requirements are outlined in the NSW Health OASV Policy . You will be required to complete the OASV Undertaking/ Declaration Form and TB Assessment Tool during the recruitment process. Please upload this with your application along with any other vaccination evidence that you may have.
NSW Health is committed to implementing the Child Safe Standards.
The team enriching health in millions of ways every day.
Applications Close: 4 October 2026