Placement Worker | Foster and Kinship | Cairns

• Employment Term: Permanent Full -Time (flexible work options available)
• Location: Based at Cairns with outreach to the surrounding areas including Mossman and Innisfail as required
• Remuneration: $53.43 p/hr + Super + NFP Salary Packaging

Make a meaningful difference with UnitingCare Queensland  

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 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

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.

The purpose of this role is to provide support and case management to Foster and Kinship Carers and the children and young people in their care. The primary responsibilities are to assist with intake/referrals, assist with the delivery of quality care training for carer applicants and the matching of children to carer households.

In this role you will be:

• Work collaboratively with carers and other stakeholders to support the needs of vulnerable children and young people in care, and work in supporting and achieving best outcomes for the children and or young people;
• Demonstrate ability to resource, supervise and provide professional development to foster/ respite carers and work in partnership with being creative and innovative in responses during times of crisis.
• Assist with the Intake/referrals and matching of children to care placements as well as administration tasks for accurate data reporting and record keeping for licensing.
• Conduct foster care applicant interviews, completing initial assessments, renewals and foster care agreements for volunteer foster/respite carers as per licensing requirements. Experience in writing assessments is highly desirable.
• Supervise support and provide opportunities for professional development to carers.

What makes a difference for us? 

• Experience in Child Protection and delivering Foster and Kinship Care services to children and families.
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field highly desirable (e.g. Social Work, Psychology or Social Science) 
• Cert IV in Training and Assessor highly desirable
• Current drivers’ licence.
• 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

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 

• abide by the Child Safe Standards and adhere to the Reportable Conduct Scheme  

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.   

Commitment to Safeguarding

We are committed in creating services and workplaces that are welcoming and safe for every person. We work together to protect children, young people, adults and the elderly from harm within our services and the communities we support. We speak up for their safety to ensure their voices are heard. Our recruitment and workplace practices reflect our dedication in preventing abuse, harm and exploitation across UnitingCare.