Careers

• Flexible working arrangements
• Competitive salary + 11.5% super
• Monthly rostered day off
• Work for one of Australia's largest social purpose organisations
• $12,000 per annum vehicle allowance during duration of max-term contract

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

We currently have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Child, Youth & Family practitioner to join our Mackay team in a management position. The Program Manager oversees and manages the day-to-day operations of our Out of Home Care Programs (Residential Care and Family Based Care programs).

This position would suit someone who is passionate about leading and developing a team that is providing a safe and nurturing environment to children and young people in Out of Home Care using a trauma informed approach. Familiarity with the CARE framework would be beneficial.
  
This position is being offered as a Full-time, 12 month -max-term contract at our Mackay office. The working hours are 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Monday to Friday with a monthly RDO.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, lead, motivate and manage a team of Child and Family Practitioners, Carer Assessors, and Youth Workers
• Overseeing the caseloads of direct reports and providing practical support as required
• Manage the OOHC program compliant with legislation, standards, contractual requirements and internal policy
• Ensure delivery of program services in accordance with program budget, local business plans and in line with client needs and plans
• Develop, lead, motivate and manage a multi-disciplinary team.
• Ensure a consistent standard of quality is delivered for program in accordance with regulations prescribed in relevant legislation and funding agency standards.
• Manage risks and issues arising in the course of service management

Skills and Experience

• Demonstrated experience working with individuals, families and communities from a strength-based, culturally appropriate perspective that are part of the out of home care sector.
• Demonstrated experience in working within a multi-disciplinary team.
• Demonstrated experience in managing competing priorities and to deliver high quality outcomes within agreed timeframes.
• A demonstrated commitment to the care and protection of clients.
• Demonstrated understanding of impact of trauma and attachment on children and young people and complex behaviours.
• Demonstrated experience in team leadership and management.
• Demonstrated ability to manage services and programs within a budget.

Essential Criteria

• Recognised Human Services or other relevant qualification.
• Significant experience in the child protection and out of home care sector.
• Strong coordination, leadership and peer support skills.
• Highly developed critical thinking and reflective practice skills
• High level communication, influencing, liaison, negotiation and mediation skills.
• Current Drivers Licence.

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

• An attractive remuneration package will be offered to the successful applicant, mobile phone and laptop + non-for-profit tax reduction options.
• Onsite shared parking options.
• Supportive team environment.
• Salary packaging tax benefits, meal entertainment benefit, novated leasing and more.
• Growing organisation with great career opportunities.
• Monthly RDO.

Additional Support 

Life Without Barriers offers a dedicated After-Hours Service (AHS) for all Child Youth and Family programs. AHS ensures efficient responses to after-hours events that cannot wait until the next business day, relieving our front-line staff from on-call duties and significantly improving their work-life balance.  

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 Zina.campbell@lwb.org.au. Please note that we do not accept applications to this email.

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 30th November.

Please note: To be considered for and appointed to a position at Life Without Barriers, you must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with a minimum of two (2) doses or hold a valid medical exemption certificate, in accordance with Life Without Barriers Employee COVID-19 Vaccination Policy. You will be required to provide evidence of your vaccination status during the recruitment process