Care Services Practitioner – Care Services

Location: Wodonga or Wangaratta

Status: Permanent, Full-time

Classification: Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Award, Level 5

• Earn between $105,577 – $110,359 pro-rata (based on skills and experience) + Salary Packaging + Super!
• Ongoing In-house training and professional development opportunities!
• 4 weeks Annual leave (pro-rata) + 1 week Health and Wellbeing leave

Make a lasting difference in the lives of children and young people.

At UMFC, we believe every child and young person deserves to feel safe, heard, connected and supported to thrive.

We are looking for a compassionate and skilled Practitioner to join our Care Services team and work alongside children, young people, carers and families across the Ovens Murray region.

This is more than case management. It is an opportunity to build trusted relationships, advocate for children and young people, support carers through the challenges and rewards of their role and help create the conditions for children to experience safety, belonging and positive development.

Why join UMFC?

• Support children and young people who have experienced adversity to feel safe, connected and supported in their foster or kinship care placement.

• Work alongside passionate practitioners, carers, families and professionals who share a commitment to achieving the best outcomes for children and young people.

• At UMFC, Sanctuary is more than a framework, it shapes how we work with each other and the people we support. You will be part of a culture grounded in emotional intelligence, open communication, social learning and cultural humility, with a strong focus on safety, connection and reflective practice.

About the role

As a Care Services Practitioner, you will provide therapeutic, child-centred case management and placement support to children and young people living in foster and kinship care.

You will build meaningful relationships with children and young people, ensuring their voices and views are heard and reflected in planning and decision-making. You will work closely with carers, birth families, DFFH, schools, health services and other professionals to promote placement stability, safety, wellbeing and positive outcomes.

Your day may include:

• Undertaking purposeful home visits and working alongside children, young people and carers to support safe and stable placements.
• Developing, implementing and reviewing care and placement plans.
• Advocating for the needs, rights and views of children and young people.
• Coordinating and participating in Care Team meetings and working collaboratively with DFFH and other services.
• Supporting carers with practical advice, information and strategies to strengthen placement stability.
• Building respectful and constructive relationships with birth families, kin and significant others.
• Completing assessments and contributing to placement planning, carer reviews and permanency planning.
• Connecting children, young people and families with appropriate health, education and community services.
• Maintaining high-quality case records and documentation and contributing to quality assurance and continuous improvement.
• Participating in the Care Services after-hours on-call roster and broader program activities as required.

About You

We are looking for someone who brings professional knowledge, curiosity, warmth and a genuine commitment to children and young people.

You will have:

• A tertiary qualification in Social Work, Psychology, Social Sciences, Community Welfare or a related discipline, or equivalent.
• Understanding of, and demonstrated experience in, case management and/or working with vulnerable children and young people, with a minimum of 12 months’ relevant experience.
• Sound knowledge of trauma and attachment theory and the ability to translate this knowledge into practice.
• An understanding of relevant legislation, standards and practice frameworks within the statutory child and family services and/or out-of-home care sector.
• The ability to work confidently both autonomously and collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Well-developed verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with children, young people, families, carers and professionals.
• Strong interpersonal, analytical, problem-solving and organisational skills.
• Resilience, adaptability and the ability to remain reflective and grounded when working with complex and changing circumstances.

Most importantly, you will bring a child-centred approach and the ability to build genuine, respectful relationships with children, young people, carers and families.

About Care Services

Care Services is the only local home-based care organisation across the Ovens Murray region. Funded by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH), our Foster Care and Kinship Care programs provide case management, placement support and tailored assistance to children, young people, carers and families.

Our work is grounded in the Best Interests Case Practice Model, trauma-informed practice and the Sanctuary Model, ensuring our practice is thoughtful, relational, strengths-based and focused on safety and wellbeing.

For more information or a confidential discussion, please contact Carrie Spann (Service Manager) at cspann@umfc.com.au

The Position Description can be accessed via our Careers page by selecting the relevant vacancy:

https://employmenthero.com/jobs/organisations/upper-murray-family-care/

Applicants are required to submit a cover letter addressing the Key Selection Criteria outlined in the position description along with a current resume.

After submitting your resume, you will receive an email with a link to complete the screening questions. Be sure to complete these questions, as your application cannot progress without them.

We encourage applicants to apply early, as applications will be reviewed as they are received. Suitable candidates may be invited to interview throughout the recruitment process, and the advertisement may close once the position is filled.

All employment with UMFC is subject to and conditional upon a satisfactory Police Check, relevant ‘Employee’ Working with Children’s Check and a valid driver’s licence.

UMFC is a proud Child Safe and inclusive organisation.

We welcome people of all backgrounds, abilities, genders and identities.

We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from culturally diverse communities, individuals with disabilities, and people of all genders.

Join a team that reflects and celebrates the community we serve!