Deliver family centred, trauma informed care that supports emotional, social, cultural, and spiritual needs for children and young people with life-limiting conditions and their families

Vacancy Reference No. 737147

This is a Fixed Term appointment for 1.0 FTE (Paediatric Palliative Care and Hospice Service 0.7FTE and Leave relief 0.3FTE), with the possibility of extension and/or permanency.

About the Role

The Child and Adolescent Health Service (CAHS) is seeking an experienced Senior Social Worker to join our Paediatric Palliative Care and Children's Hospice Service (PPCS).

This is a rewarding opportunity to provide advanced social work services for children and young people with life-limiting conditions and their families across hospital, community and outreach settings. The role also includes a component of leave relief cover.

Working as part of a specialist multidisciplinary team, you will provide expert psychosocial assessment, intervention and care coordination, and deliver tailored, evidence-based interventions that support not only the child, but parents, siblings and extended family members

Your work will focus on enhancing quality of life - helping families to live well, and approach death and bereavement with dignity and peace.

Working closely with clinicians, community providers and external agencies, you will help ensure families receive coordinated, timely and culturally safe care throughout their journey, navigating the complex and evolving circumstances that accompany serious childhood illness.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing specialist psychosocial assessment and intervention for children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions and their families statewide, focusing on quality of life and wellbeing.
• Delivering evidence-based interventions to support families with adjustment to diagnosis, anticipatory grief, complex decision-making, goals of care, and end-of-life planning.
• Undertaking comprehensive assessment of grief and bereavement responses, including identification of complicated or traumatic grief, and provide therapeutic interventions, risk assessment, and referral to specialist mental health or bereavement services as required.
• Delivering family centred, trauma informed care that supports emotional, social, cultural, and spiritual needs in the context of health and wellbeing, end of life, and bereavement.
• Supporting families to access practical services and resources, including navigating the NDIS, community supports and financial assistance.
• Supervising and mentoring social workers and social work students, supporting professional development and clinical excellence.
• Participating in quality improvement, research and service development initiatives to strengthen patient and family outcomes.
• Contributing to education and training across the multidisciplinary team and broader health service.
• Participating in the after-hours on-call roster as required.

If you are a compassionate and resilient clinician with advanced social work experience supporting children and families facing complex health challenges, we encourage you to apply.

Tertiary qualifications in Social Work and eligibility for full membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) are required for this role.

Previous experience in paediatric, palliative care or hospital social work, together with postgraduate training or qualifications in a relevant clinical area, will be highly regarded.

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

this purpose-built, world-class paediatric hospice, located on the stunning Western Australian 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.

For more information on the Perth Children’s Hospice can be found here.

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 statement addressing selection criteria as per the Job Description Form, in in 2 pages maximum indicating your skills and experience relevant to the position. (View the applicant information package and Job Description Form (JDF) attached for more information, including the selection criteria).

(Please note that examples of how you have applied your skills, knowledge and experience help to demonstrate that you have met the selection criteria).

• A current resume which summarises your experience, qualifications and how you can meet the position requirements.
• Evidence of a Tertiary qualification in Social Work and eligible for full membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers or the Society of Professional Social Workers OR Evidence from the AASW of assessment of an overseas social work qualification and AASW membership eligibility.
• 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).

*Suitability Criteria: Suitability recognises that there is a range of factors - along with having the skills, knowledge and abilities - that constitute merit. These factors included a person's eligibility, ability to demonstrate the right behaviours, ethical alignment and cultural fit. In addition to the Essential Criteria and Desirable Criteria outlined in the attached Job Description Form, these requirements will also be considered to determine your suitability for the role. 

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.

Within the application system you will also be presented with the following question. Please review the Essential and Desirable Selection Criteria outlined in the attached Job Description Form carefully when preparing your response.  The question allows you to showcase your relevant skills and experiences in detail, with a generous word limit of 500 words for your response. 

1. Describe how your education, training and experience have equipped you to provide psychosocial care to children and families in our clinical setting.

• Please include an example of a challenging case and how you adapted your approach.

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.

Selection Criteria: Please see the attached Job Description Form. 

For Further Job Related Information: We encourage you to contact  Joanne McNamara Head of Department, Social Work, on 08 6456 8667 or joanne.mcnamara@health.wa.gov.au with any specific questions related to this role.

Help in submitting your application: If you experience technical 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 a valid working visa (for fixed term appointments) or be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or have a visa to live and work indefinitely in Australia (for permanent appointments).

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 criminal records screening and integrity checking as part of the appointment process. Referees may also be asked to comment on an applicant’s integrity and past demonstration of ethical behaviour.

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.

This position is subject to a Western Australian Working with Children (WWC) Check. For further information please refer to the WWC website at: https://workingwithchildren.wa.gov.au

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.

You can reach the team via CAHS.talentacquisition@health.wa.gov.au or by calling 08 6456 0321. All enquiries will be treated confidentially.

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

LATE OR EMAIL APPLICATIONS CAN NOT BE CONSIDERED.