Family Support and Outreach Worker (Paediatric Palliative Care and Hospice Service)

Vacancy Reference No. 739212

We currently have 2.0FTE available for immediate appointment as a full time or part time position (Minimum part time FTE is 0.5FTE).

Secondment will be considered for the right applicant, with possibility of extension and/or permanency.

About the Role

The Child and Adolescent Health Service (CAHS) is seeking a Family Support and Outreach Worker to join our Paediatric Palliative Care and Hospice Service (PPCHS). Working across hospice, hospital and community settings, you will play a vital role in delivering high-quality psychosocial support, care coordination, and advocacy, helping families navigate complex systems and access the care they need.

Reporting to the PPCHS Family Support Coordinator, you will work within a multidisciplinary team and with clinical and community partners to ensure families receive timely, coordinated and culturally safe support throughout their journey from diagnosis through treatment, end-of-life care, and complex grief and bereavement.

With a focus on identifying the psychosocial needs of families, you will deliver tailored, evidence-based interventions to support the whole family including siblings and extended family members.

You will work across a variety of settings, including Perth Children’s Hospital, WA’s first Children’s Hospice, and family homes, and at times may be required to work independently. Your ability to maintain professional boundaries, assess family needs and risks, exercise sound judgement, advocate effectively, and provide compassionate, family-centred support will be critical to your success in this role.

Key responsibilities include: 

• Provide high-quality psychosocial support and care coordination to children and families across their individualised health journey and into bereavement.
• Deliver trauma-informed, family-centred care, including assessment, intervention, and tailored support planning.
• Work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team across hospice, hospital, and community settings to support holistic patient care.
• Facilitate therapeutic programs, groups, and family support activities that promote connection and wellbeing.
• Build strong partnerships with health, community, and cultural services to support coordinated and culturally responsive care throughout the state.
• Provide outreach and equitable support to families across metropolitan, rural, and remote locations, contributing to service development and quality improvement.

If you have extensive experience in psychosocial care of children and families together with experience in palliative care service delivery or complex care environments, we encourage you to apply.

About the Sandcastles (Boodja Mia) Children’s Hospice:

Due to commence operations in 2026, this purpose-built, world-class paediatric hospice, located on the stunning WA coast, offers statewide specialist paediatric palliative care services for children and young people (0–18 years) who are living with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions, and their families.

This state-of-the-art, 7-bed facility will be the first of its kind in Western Australia, providing specialised palliative care for children living with life limiting conditions aged from birth to 18 years within a peaceful, home-like setting that prioritises comfort, dignity and connection.

How to Apply

Applicants are requested to apply online (www.jobs.health.wa.gov.au). Please note, applicants must have a current, valid email address in order to apply online. This email address will be used for communication with applicants.  

Your ability to meet the work-related requirements will be assessed throughout the recruitment process.

For your written application please provide the following:

• A current resume which summarises your experience, qualifications and how you can meet the position requirements.
• Please provide the name, email, and contact details of two referees who can be contacted to provide a reference. Referees should include at least one individual who has been or is your direct Line Manager/Supervisor. (We will contact you to seek your confirmation prior to contacting your listed referees).

Within the application system you will be presented with the following three (3) questions designed to assess your suitability against the Essential and Desirable Selection Criteria outlined in the attached Job Description Form. Please review the Criteria carefully when preparing your responses.  These questions allow you to showcase your relevant skills and experiences in detail and how it relates/ translates to the paediatric palliative care setting. There is a word limit of 500 words per question. 

1. Can you provide an example of how you have delivered culturally responsive care to a family of a background different to your own? What did you consider and how did you adapt your approach?
2. Describe a time you undertook psychosocial assessment, and provided trauma informed therapeutic interventions (including counselling and emotional support) to a child, young person and/or family in a complex clinical situation, such as grief and/or bereavement.
3. Tell us about a time you worked collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team and/or external services to support a family. How did you ensure coordinated and responsive care?

These questions will be assessed against Essential Criteria 2, 3,4,5 and 6  from the Job Description Form (JDF). (View the applicant information package and Job Description Form (JDF) attached for more information).

These documents should be complete and ready to attach prior to applying online. Please ensure you allow sufficient time to complete the online application process as you will be required to answer various questions and attach your documentation.

Help in submitting your application:  If you experience difficulties while applying online, please contact Employee Services on 13 44 77 for immediate assistance during business hours.

Eligibility to Apply: To be eligible for appointment, applicants must have valid Australian work rights. This includes visa holders. Permanent appointments may be made to individuals who hold citizenship, permanent residency, or visas that enable ongoing employment in Australia. 

Sponsorship is not currently available for this position.

Other Conditions: WA Health engages staff in positions of trust and responsibility. WA Health policies require applicants to undertake a criminal records screening and integrity checking as part of the appointment process. As well as undertaking a criminal record screening and integrity checking, you may also be required to undertake a working with children check (if required for the role) and a pre-employment health assessment. We may ask referees to comment on your integrity and past demonstration of ethical behaviour. Please note that adverse information does not necessarily disqualify an applicant but will be considered as part of the appointment process.

WA Health is committed to eliminating all forms of discrimination in the provision of our service. We embrace diversity and strongly encourage applications from people from culturally diverse backgrounds and people with disabilities.

In addition, we are committed to growing our Aboriginal workforce as part of WA Health Aboriginal Workforce Policy. As a measure to achieve equality, Section 51 of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 applies to this position and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are encouraged to apply.
 

Whilst this selection process will initially be used to fill the above vacancy, it may also be used to fill other "similar" vacancies throughout the health service. In addition to this, should the successful applicant decline or vacate the advertised vacancy, then the next most suitable applicant may also be selected from this process. Both of these options remain valid for a period of twelve (12) months from when the authorised delegate endorses the recruitment decision.  

About CAHS 

The Child and Adolescent Health Service (CAHS) is proud to be the leading service provider for paediatric healthcare in Western Australia, as the State’s only dedicated health service for infants, children, and young people. CAHS comprises three service areas: Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) and Neonatology, Community Health, and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).  

With over 7000 employees, our services are delivered at PCH and King Edward Memorial Hospitals (KEMH), as well as across a network of more than 160 community clinics across the Perth metropolitan area. 

For further information about the benefits of working for CAHS, please click here and for further information regarding CAHS’ services, please click here 

CAHS values: To achieve our vision of healthy kids, healthy communities, CAHS is committed to providing a workplace culture that is driven and shaped by our values of Compassion, Collaboration, Equity, Respect, Excellence and Accountability. During the selection process you may be assessed on your ability to fulfil the responsibilities of this position in accordance with the values. If you have any questions regarding this, please contact the person named in this advert. 

Support for your interview process

CAHS is committed to ensuring that our interview process meets the access needs of all applicants. If you require any reasonable adjustments to accommodate a disability, enhance access, or support your inclusion and success during the interview, please contact the CAHS Talent Acquisition Team prior to your interview. 

Lodgement is system generated. Any submissions on, or after, 4:00pm on the closing date will not be accepted. 

LATE OR EMAIL APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.