Senior Practitioner

Employment Term: Full-time, 12 maximum term contract with possibility of extension

Location: Based at Underwood with outreach to Gold Coast area

Remuneration: From $106K + 11.5% Super + Not for Profit Salary Packaging

Make a meaningful difference with UnitingCare

We’re looking for someone who wants to make the world a little better through small moments that leave big impacts. To build meaningful relationships and make a difference in the lives of others.

An integral part of our UnitingCare Hopes and Pathways to Grow counselling programs based in Underwood as a Senior Practitioner, you’ll be encouraged to grow, develop and feel empowered to make the everyday easier for the people we care so passionately about.

Let’s make a meaningful difference, together.

Your part in our UnitingCare team

The Senior Practitioner role is the first level of team leadership and will lead the EIPC Counselling Service team. The role will provide high quality practice supervision and support to the EIPC Counselling team. It will also provide high level confidential therapeutic counselling to clients and develop and maintain relationships with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities, government and non government providers and other organisations to develop referral pathways and provide positive referral outcomes for clients.

The role is centre and outreach based and operates from office spaces in the Logan area and Gold Coast area.

Responsible for - Intake, referral pathways into programs, allocation of clients to counsellors, reporting and compliance requirements within programs.

Provide practice supervision to the EIPC Counselling Service team through debriefing, mentoring (including new staff), client case practice review and supervision sessions.

In consultation with team members plan and monitor workloads to maintain a high standard of service and service delivery.

Provide professional practice oversight, performance planning and professional development for all staff within programs, as well as training and mentoring of staff.

Provide counselling for 4 days per fortnight in the HOPES program that affirms strengths and encourages clients’ self-efficacy to make positive changes to their behaviour.

Produce performance reports to line management on a monthly, quarterly or as needed basis and includes attending departmental meetings with Local Services Manager.

Preparation, organisation and meetings with auditors for Pathways to Grow and Hopes programs HSQF audits.

Employ an integration of contemporary theoretical and evidence-base approaches to inform counselling for individuals and/or significant others, including family members

Undertake other duties as and when directed within the scope of the role and the capabilities of the incumbent.

What makes a difference for us?

The successful candidate will need expert communication and strong negotiation skills. It is essential that you communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders to ensure effective pathways are established for referrals.

In addition to the above, ideally you will have the following.

Relevant tertiary degree in Social Work, Psychology, Behavioural Science or a related field

Registration with a nationally recognised professional body

Be willing to undergo a personal history check under the provision of the Child Protection Act 1999 in relation to Licensing of Care Services

Current Queensland Driver’s Licence

“Working with Children” Blue Card (or willing to obtain)

What makes a difference for you?

At UnitingCare we are leaders in crisis response, the protection of vulnerable children, financial resilience and family wellbeing. Our FaDS (Family and Disability Services), team work passionately across Queensland to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.

Flexible work arrangements to support work-life balance

Save tax and increase your take home pay by salary packaging your everyday living expenses and bills (up to $15,900) and meal entertainment (up to $2,650) per annum

A recognition and rewards platform, providing employee discounts at hundreds of retailers, including everyday expenses, holidays, health insurance, annual awards celebration, wellbeing and employee assistance programs

A positive and inclusive team based on respect, shared standards, strong values and a commitment to serving others

Eligible employees receive 12 weeks paid parental leave and 2 weeks paid partner leave, available after 6 months service, in addition to the government scheme

Diversity and inclusive leave, offering paid gender affirmation leave and cultural leave options (paid and unpaid) for those who may celebrate Lunar New Year, Diwali, Ramadan, NAIDOC weeks and other significant cultural events

Career development opportunities to challenge yourself, grow and make a meaningful difference

We’d love you to be part of our UnitingCare family

Our FaDS, team are passionate about their work with parents to ensure children remain safe in the home and parents have the skills, resilience and capability to effectively parent and meet their children’s developmental, educational, health and well-being needs. We also provide targeted services to men who are seeking to change their behaviour.

Joining our FaDS team, you’ll also be welcomed as part of the UnitingCare family. The second-largest Queensland employer, we’re a proud not-for-profit with more than 16,500 staff and 9,000 volunteers across our brands of BlueCare, Lifeline, ARRCS, The Wesley Hospital, Buderim Private Hospital, St Stephen’s Hospital, and St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital, and have been leading by example for more than 100 years. Our team are compassionate, inclusive and committed to the work we do, helping people live life in all its fullness.ople live life in all its fullness.

Child safe, Child friendly

UnitingCare is committed to being a Child Safe, Child Friendly organisation and will:

Provide welcoming, safe & nurturing services for children

Implement measures to prevent child abuse and neglect within our services

Appropriately and immediately address child abuse and neglect if it does occur

Diversity & Inclusion

Our approach is simple – everybody is welcome here. At UnitingCare, diversity is at the core of our who we are, our mission and our values. We are committed to providing equal opportunities to all employees no matter their sex, race, culture, sexual orientation, disability or gender identity. Demonstrating our commitment to reconciliation and building long-term employment opportunities for First Nations peoples, UnitingCare strongly encourages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants for this position.

Safe workplace

We work hard to make our services welcoming and safe for every person. We are united in keeping children, young people and the elderly safe from harm, within our services, workplaces and the communities we support. We are committed to speaking up loudly for their safety.