Senior Social Worker Palliative Care

SA Health; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 112,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary packaging

Flexible working arrangements

Job summary

SA Health is seeking a Senior Social Worker to join the Palliative Care service at Flinders Medical Centre within the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network. The role focuses on specialist psychosocial support for patients and families facing life-limiting illness, mentoring staff, and contributing to a multidisciplinary team.

Reporting to the Manager, you will lead development, implementation, coordination and evaluation of quality Social Work services for Palliative Care patients, with

Qualifications

• Degree in Social Work with membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers.
• Evidence of high-level social work assessment and therapeutic interventions for complex needs.
• Ability to critically analyse clinical care issues related to social work for quality activities, service evaluation or research.
• Proven ability to establish and maintain networks with diverse clients and stakeholders in an interdisciplinary setting.
• Experience in community settings and in a palliative care environment.
• Experience in program evaluation and service development within Senior Social Work practice.

Responsibilities

• Independently assess clients’ abilities, problems and needs using formal and informal assessments.
• Design and implement evidence-based interventions tailored to diverse client populations.
• Drive interdisciplinary clinical and strategic planning initiatives to enhance the service.
• Document assessment findings and interventions in line with service standards.
• Provide education to clients and families about functioning and ongoing management.
• Develop, implement and oversee systems for monitoring and improving service standards.
• Initiate, develop and contribute to educational activities within the team.

Skills

Social Work assessment

Therapeutic interventions

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Stakeholder engagement

Community engagement

Analytical skills

Education

Social Work degree (AASW eligible)

Job description

Job no: 953745
Work type: Full time
Location: Various
Categories: Allied and Scientific Health, Community and Social Services, Child, Aged and Disability Care, Public Health

• Southern Adelaide Local Health Network – Flinders Medical Centre– Palliative Care
• Salary $112,139 - $120,284 p.a. (Pro Rata) AHP3| Ongoing, Full-Time Position

Shape Palliative Care Practice at Flinders Medical Centre | Senior Social Worker

This is a full-time ongoing Senior Social Worker position embedded within the Palliative Care service at Flinders Medical Centre, part of the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network. You will provide specialist psychosocial support to patients and families facing life-limiting illness, while also mentoring staff and contributing to a highly regarded multidisciplinary team. It is a role that calls for leadership, genuine clinical expertise, emotional maturity, and a commitment to person-centred care at its most meaningful.

About the role:

Reporting to the Manager, this role is responsible forthe development, implementation, coordination and evaluation of quality Social Work services for patients of the Palliative Care Service.

Duties for the role will include:

• Independently assess clients’ abilities, problems and needs using a variety of formal and informal assessments as needed,
• Designing and implementing evidence-based intervention programs tailored to diverse client populations,
• Drive interdisciplinary clinical and strategic planning initiatives to enhance the overall service provided to clients,
• Documenting assessment findings and interventions in accordance with service standards,
• Providing specialised client and family education about level of functioning and ongoing management,
• Developing, implementing and overseeing systems for monitoring, reviewing and improving the standards of services to clients in the Palliative Care programme and in other programmes as requested,
• Initiating, developing and contributing to educational activities within the team

About you:

• A degree or equivalent in Social Work, entitling membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers,
• Demonstrated high level competency and extensive knowledge in Social Work assessment and therapeutic interventions to clients with complex needs with a broad range of Senior Social Work clinical skills,
• Ability to critically analyse or evaluate issues related to clinical care in social work in a manner which can be applied to quality activities, service evaluation or research,
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective networks and partnerships with a broad range of culturally diverse clients and stakeholders, including patients and their families, community services / agencies and other service providers, within an interdisciplinary setting,
• Experience working in a community setting,
• Experience working in a palliative care setting,
• Experience in program evaluation, service development, combined with a broad base of experience in Senior Social Work practice

Please see the attached Role Description for additional information.

Want To Know More? Contact: Jo Baumann, EA Director Transition Services & Allied Health, [phone], [e-mail]

Application Closing Date: 11.55 pm Sunday 8 November 2026

Attachments:

• AHP3 Social Work Pall Care- Role Description
• Australian applicant guidelines
• International applicant guidelines

Applicant Information:

• We also offer salary sacrifice benefits which provide the opportunity to save money by paying for some of your everyday expenses from your salary before it is taxed. Click here to find out more about salary packaging.
• The South Australian public sector promotes diversity and flexible ways of working including part-time. Applicants are encouraged to discuss the flexible working arrangements for this role.
• Appointment will be subject to a satisfactory Criminal History Check and Immunisation compliance as indicated on the Role description.
• SA Health Services are required to implement the Addressing vaccine preventable disease: Occupational assessment, screening and vaccination policy in the workplace.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants are encouraged to apply. Job ref: 953745

• Community and Social Services, Child, Aged and Disability Care 1
• Public Health 1