Residential Care Practitioner in Toowoomba

Employment Term: Permanent Part-Time Opportunity (64 hours per fortnight)

Location: Toowoomba

Remuneration: $46.70 per hour + Super + Not for Profit Salary Packaging (Save tax and increase your take home pay)

Applications Close: Applications will be reviewed as they are received and, therefore, may result in the role closing early if the right applicant is found.

Make a meaningful difference with UnitingCare Queensland. At UnitingCare we are leaders in crisis response, the protection of vulnerable people and children, financial resilience and family wellbeing. Our FaDS (Family and Disability Services) team work passionately across Queensland to make a meaningful difference in people's lives.

Your part in our UnitingCare team:

• Working in accordance with the CARE model, you will be able to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children, young people and families by taking a therapeutic centred approach.
• As a Residential Care Practitioner, you will support the provision of stable, trauma informed, nurturing non-family-based care arrangements.
• Maintaining a Clean and Safe home environment.
• Managing Day to Day tasks within the context of a Residential Care home environment.
• Completing verbal and written reports as per Program policies and procedures.
• Have flexibility to work weekdays, weekends and sleep over shifts.
• Support the practical application of the CARE model when caring for children in our care.

The focus of this Program is to provide support to children with extreme needs, by encouraging them to:

• Feel a strong sense of identity and belonging through development of social and interpersonal skills.
• Build positive and trusting connections with family, friends and community through relationship-based experiences and consistent and caring responses.
• Have access to opportunities for learning and development to meet their individual needs.
• Create healthy lifestyle choices and access to additional external support services for physical, mental and emotional support and promote positive life outcomes.

What makes a difference for us?

• A minimum of a Certificate IV in Child, Youth & Family Intervention or Cert IV in Human Services, Community Services, Youth Services or related field.
• Experience incorporating the six CARE Principles when supporting Children and Young People, or reflection on how you would incorporate these into your practice.
• Must also be willing to undergo a personal history check under the provision of the Child Protection Act 1999 in relation to Licensing of Care Services (LCS2 screening check).
• Strong understanding of the child protection system and more specifically previous exposure to a residential or out of home care environment.
• Completed the Hope and Healing Framework Foundations Training or be willing to undertake this.
• Strong therapeutic background with a well-developed understanding of C.A.R.E principles and/or a trauma informed framework of practice.
• Current Working with Children Check (Blue Card).
• Current Queensland Driver Licence.
• Current First Aid & CPR Certificate.

Please note: As part of UnitingCare's commitment to professional development and provision of trauma informed care, successful candidates will be paid to attend training in person for TCI, CARE and Three Pillars of transforming care.

What makes a difference for you?

• Flexible work arrangements to support work-life balance.
• NFP Salary Packaging: Save tax and increase your take home pay by salary packaging your everyday living expenses and bills (up to $15,900) and meal entertainment (up to $2,650) per annum.
• A recognition and rewards platform, providing employee discounts at hundreds of retailers, including everyday expenses, holidays, health insurance, annual awards celebration, wellbeing and employee assistance programs.
• 12 weeks paid parental leave and 2 weeks paid partner leave, available after 6 months service, in addition to the government scheme.
• Diversity and inclusive leave, offering paid gender affirmation leave and cultural leave options (paid and unpaid) for those who may celebrate Lunar New Year, Diwali, Ramadan, NAIDOC weeks and other significant cultural events.
• Career development opportunities to challenge yourself, grow and make a meaningful difference.
• A positive and inclusive team based on respect, shared standards, strong values and a commitment to serving others.

Child safe, Child friendly. UnitingCare is committed to being a Child Safe, Child Friendly organisation and will:

• Provide welcoming, safe and nurturing services for children.
• Implement measures to prevent child abuse and neglect within our services.
• Appropriately and immediately address child abuse and neglect if it does occur.
• Abide by the Child Safe Standards and adhere to the Reportable Conduct Scheme.

Diversity & Inclusion. Our approach is simple– everybody is welcome here. At UnitingCare, diversity is at the core of who we are, our mission and our values. We are committed to providing equal opportunities to all employees no matter their sex, race, culture, sexual orientation, disability or gender identity. Demonstrating our commitment to reconciliation and building long-term employment opportunities for First Nations peoples, UnitingCare strongly encourages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants for this position.

We work hard to make our services welcoming and safe for every person. We are united in keeping children, young people and the elderly safe from harm, within our services, workplaces and the communities we support. We are committed to speaking up loudly for their safety.

Commitment to Safeguarding. We are committed to creating services and workplaces that are welcoming and safe for every person. We work together to protect children, young people, adults and the elderly from harm within our services and the communities we support. We speak up for their safety to ensure their voices are heard. Our recruitment and workplace practices reflect our dedication in preventing abuse, harm and exploitation across UnitingCare.