Careers

About the Organisation

Every day, Life Without Barriers provides support and care to children and young people, as we work collaboratively with families, carers, and communities, to ensure they have the environment they deserve to grow. With a focus on ensuring safety and respect, this is an opportunity to make a positive and meaningful difference in these young lives and help pave a brighter future.

Life Without Barriers is a leading social purpose organisation of 8,000 employees working in more than 500 communities across Australia. We support children, young people and families, people with disability, older people, and people with mental illness. We work with people who are homeless and refugees and asylum seekers. Join a community of people dedicated to breaking down barriers.

We want to employ people who reflect the diversity of our clients to ensure we can support each client's individual needs and wants. We encourage people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background and people with disability to apply.

About the Role

The purpose of the Carer Assessor, Recruitment and Engagement Coordinator role is to facilitate and complete the recruitment and assessment process of carer applicants and to ensure the assessment process is undertaken in accordance with Life Without Barriers standards and procedures. 

The role is responsible for responding to enquiries from prospective carers, maintaining contact during the consideration phase, and conducting initial phone interviews. The incumbent will support and guide Carers through required training and as required deliver training modules for carer applicants and approved carers.

This position is being offered as permanent full-time based at our office in Toowoomba. 

Key Responsibilities

• Complete an agreed number of carer assessments per year as per the needs of the local carer recruitment plan.
• Schedule and attend home visits and other meetings with carer applicants, their families, and referees for the purposes of completing carer assessments.
• Recruit Foster Carers to Life Without Barriers from the general community in line with approved carer recruitment strategies, including through advertisements, other media outlets and evening carer information sessions.
• Identify any training requirements, safety concerns or placement issues throughout the assessment process and provide feedback and suggested solutions or recommendations to the care team.
• Coordinate and deliver training to Foster Carers, including initial induction as well as ongoing and mandatory training for Carers as determined by LWB, funding body requirements and relevant State legislation.
• Throughout the assessment, support and encourage potential carers to apply a reflective, critical thinking analysis of how the caring role will impact on their life, family and other relationships.
• Contribute to the regular corporate review of assessment and review tools and ensure these are focused on children’s outcomes, accord with the CARE model and the standards set by relevant government agencies and oversight bodies.
• On-board and train new staff members in the Carer Recruitment and Support System.

Skills & Experience

• Recognised Social Work qualifications with eligibility for membership of the AASW and/or a Bachelor of Psychology or other relevant qualification with significant case work experience

• Demonstrated experience and skill in undertaking child focused assessments in a child and family welfare setting including carer assessments. 
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with the CARE model of therapeutic care is desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in managing competing priorities and to deliver outcomes within agreed timeframes and quality standards.
• Ability to identify an individual’s strengths and areas for improvement within the context of providing foster and/or host care with a particular emphasis on permanency for children in care.
• Ability to identify areas of concern within a foster care and/or disability home-based care environment.
• Ability to identify training requirements for foster, kinship, and other carers where relevant.
• Current Drivers Licence.

Please note: To be considered for and appointed to a position at Life Without Barriers, you must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or hold a valid medical exemption certificate.  You will be required to provide evidence of your vaccination status during the recruitment process.

Successful candidates will be required to clear probity checks including National Criminal History Record Check and Working with Children Check (where relevant to the role).

Benefits

• Monthly RDO
• TOT vehicle, with fuel card
• Laptop and phone provided
• Salary packaging tax benefits 
• Opportunity to work for one of Australia’s largest social purpose organisations
• Excellent career development opportunities

How to Apply

Include your resume and covering letter in one document, click ‘Apply’ and follow the prompts. For any enquiries including persons with disability that require adjustments, contact Joelene at recruitment@lwb.org.au.

Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as applications may be reviewed prior to the closing date; and as such the closing date is subject to change without notice. Current application closing date is midnight Wednesday 6th November 2024. 

We are dedicated to playing our part to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and bring continuity of care and support to our clients. If you are successful, we will discuss with you an alternative to a face-to-face interview.