VCID No: 746522

This is a Recruitment opportunity for a Permanent Part Time appointment at 38 hours per fortnight (0.5FTE) available for immediate appointment.

About the Role

The Child and Adolescent Health Service (CAHS) is seeking a Youth and Sibling Worker to join the Paediatric Palliative Care and Hospice Service (PPCHS). Working across hospice, hospital, community, and outreach settings, you will play a vital role in supporting siblings and young people impacted by a child's life-limiting condition, helping them navigate the emotional challenges of illness, end-of-life care, grief, and bereavement while fostering resilience, connection, and wellbeing.

Reporting to the Family Support Coordinator within PPCHS, you will work as part of a multidisciplinary team to ensure the voices, experiences and needs of siblings and young people are recognised and incorporated into family-centred care. You will collaborate closely with families, clinical teams, schools, community organisations and external service providers to deliver coordinated, culturally responsive and developmentally appropriate support.

With a focus on promoting emotional wellbeing and social connection, you will provide individual and group-based support, coordinate sibling and youth programs, activities and events, and facilitate opportunities for young people to share their experiences and contribute to service development. You will be required to build trusting relationships, identify emerging needs and risks, advocate for siblings and young people, and maintain professional boundaries while working across diverse settings, including family homes and regional or remote outreach environments.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing developmentally appropriate psychosocial support to siblings and young people.
• Coordinating and facilitating sibling programs, events and group activities.
• Supporting the establishment and operation of a Youth Advisory Committee.
• Advocating for sibling and youth needs within care planning.
• Connecting families with community, education and wellbeing supports.
• Assisting with remembrance, bereavement and wellbeing initiatives.
• Contributing to service development, quality improvement and program evaluation.
• Supporting children and families across metropolitan, regional and remote Western Australia.

If you have experience supporting children, young people and families in complex care, health or community settings, and are passionate about helping siblings and young people navigate illness, loss, grief and bereavement, we encourage you to apply.

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

Due to commence operations mid October 2026, 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 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. What do you believe are the unique support needs of siblings and young people when a child has a life-limiting illness, and how would you approach supporting their emotional wellbeing, resilience and inclusion throughout the family's journey?
2. This role involves providing individual support and coordinating group activities, programs and events for siblings and young people. How would you create safe and meaningful opportunities for young people to connect, participate and have their voices heard?
3. Describe your approach to recognising when a child or young person may require additional support beyond your role and how you would work with families, schools, community organisations and the multidisciplinary team to ensure their needs are addressed.

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.

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. 

Facilitating a safe and inclusive environment for open communication that ensures siblings feel acknowledged, respected, and actively heard, thereby strengthening family functioning and supporting long-term coping and adjustment when caring for a child with a life-limiting condition. Developing and maintaining therapeutic relationships with children and young people, and contributing to the design and delivery of responsive supports and services that promote safety, resilience, and wellbeing throughout the palliative care journey alongside their sibling.

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 (available online at www.jobs.health.wa.gov.au). 

For Further Job Related Information: We encourage you to contact Heidi Barker, Service Coordinator; Family Support and Outreach Team, Paediatric Palliative Care and Hospice Service, Heidi.Barker@health.wa.gov.au with any specific questions related to this role.

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. 

Working With Children check: 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.

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, applicants found suitable for this position may be considered for other ‘similar’ vacancies within CAHS and/or the wider WA public sector. 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. 

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 WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.