Very Special Kids provides holistic palliative care for children and young people with life-limiting conditions as well as tailored support for their families – through life, death and bereavement. We support families across Victoria and at Very Special Kids House, home to the state’s only children’s hospice.

At Very Special Kids, we nurture and foster a culture where our team is empowered, supported and safe through the process of caring for children, young people, and families. Very Special Kids is committed to the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of all children. Our Child Safety Policy, Rights of the Child Charter and Charter of Rights outlines our commitment to child safety and the expectations we have for staff, contractors and volunteers when working with children and young people.

We currently have a role available for an experienced practitioner to join our inclusive team of professional staff, based throughout Victoria, responsible for the delivery of psychosocial support to families. With backgrounds in social work, psychology, family therapy and counselling, the team provides a range of child and family-centred programs including counselling, sibling support, trained volunteers, group work activities and bereavement support.

The role will encompass support for families residing in the Hume region as well as support for families throughout other parts of inner and outer metro Melbourne. Some services are delivered in person, and others over the phone or through telehealth outreach. The role will be primarily based at an office within the region to be sourced with required travel to our central office in Malvern for onboarding/orientation and collaborative opportunities connecting you to the broader Organisation. Option to negotiate flexible working arrangements.

The successful applicant will have:

• Tertiary qualifications in social work or psychology.
• Direct experience working with children and families in grief and bereavement.
• Experience working in paediatric palliative care will be well regarded.
• Demonstrated ability to provide trauma informed therapeutic intervention.
• Knowledge of current loss, grief and bereavement theory and practice.
• Demonstrated ability to undertake psychosocial assessment.
• Excellent interpersonal, written communication and problem solving skills.
• Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to working within the Victorian Child Safe Standards.
• A commitment to inclusive practice.
• Demonstrated capacity and experience working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team.
• Current driver’s licence, good driving record and willingness to use own vehicle for work related travel.

Very Special Kids offers its employees a unique and rewarding environment including salary packaging, health & wellbeing initiatives, and targeted individual development plans.

At Very Special Kids, our goal is for our workforce to reflect the diverse community we serve. We continually seek to employ people of any gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, with a disability, Aboriginal Australians and varied cultural backgrounds. If this sounds like you, please take a look at the position description on our website www.vsk.org.au.

Applications are open until Friday 18 April. Please include a cover letter, addressing the key selection criteria and an updated copy of your resume and send to [email protected]. We will review applications as they are received.

Very Special Kids is committed to providing a child-safe environment and requires all staff to have Working with Children and Police Record Checks.