Specialist Placement Worker | Foster and Kinship | Rockhampton

Employment Term: Full -Time, maximum term until 31 March 2026

Location: Rockhampton

Remuneration: $100k + Super + NFP salary packaging of up to $15,900 and $2,650 for meals & entertainment

Make a meaningful difference with UnitingCare

At UnitingCare we are leaders in crisis response, the protection of vulnerable people and 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.

As a Specialist Placement Worker 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

We are currently seeking an enthusiastic Specialist Placement Worker to join our Foster and Kinship Care program based at Rockhampton.

This is a rewarding and challenging role where you will have a significant opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of children, young people, carers and families.

This position will include:

Development of Foster and Kinship Carer assessments

Guide and support Carers to provide stable, trauma informed, culturally safe, nurturing family – based care arrangements

Working with individual carer households to provide training and assistance to support the practical application of the CARE model when caring for children

Attendance and active participation in the following training; Hope & Healing, Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI), Three Pillars of Transforming Care and the CARE model.

Consistent application of these frameworks in daily practice.

Engagement in ongoing supervision to reflect on the application of these frameworks in the role.

Delivering therapeutic support and case work to Foster and Kinship Carers and the children and young people in their care who may have complex trauma and behavioural needs

Assisting with the intake/referrals and matching of children to Carer households

Commitment to being part of an inclusive, diverse and culturally safe workplace environment

Have the ability to work autonomously as well as contributing to a positive team culture

What makes a difference for us?

Demonstrated experience in child protection and delivering Foster and Kinship Care services to children and families

Demonstrated experience in assessing complex needs of children and providing Carer supervision and therapeutic support to Carers

Demonstrated experience in comprehensive assessment writing and case management

Demonstrated experience working with children and young people who receive NDIS funding as well as children with complex trauma and behavioural and medical needs

Tertiary qualification in a relevant field (e.g. Social Work, Psychology or Social Science)

Current drivers licence and willingness to travel within Cairns and the greater region

A current Blue Card or willingness to make an application for one

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

Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training is desirable

Participate in the after-hours on-call roster to provide carer support 24/7

Please note, that as part of UnitingCare’s commitment to professional development and provision of trauma informed care, successful candidates will be paid to attend training in person for TCI, CARE and Three Pillars of transforming care

What makes a difference for you?

Flexible work arrangements to support work-life balance

NFP Salary Packaging: 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. To learn more about this benefit watch the video via the following link: Salary Packaging Explained

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

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

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

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

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.

Child safe, Child friendly

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

provide welcoming, safe and 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.