Family Support Specialist

Job Posting Organization:
54 reasons is Australia’s leading child rights organisation, proudly part of the Save the Children Australia Group and a global movement dedicated to ensuring that children and young people have their rights met and thrive in all their diversity. The organization focuses on improving child development and family wellbeing, particularly among families from humanitarian, refugee, and migrant backgrounds. With a workforce of approximately 600 people, 54 reasons operates across every state and territory in Australia, providing quality services to children and their caregivers in various settings, including remote areas and capital cities. The organization is committed to diversity and inclusion, celebrating the unique value each employee brings to the team.

Job Overview:
The Family Support Specialist position is a part-time maximum term role that involves working closely with children and families from humanitarian, refugee, and migrant backgrounds during their first five years of settlement in Northern Victoria. The role is designed to improve developmental outcomes for children, enhance social connectedness for mothers, and support emotional wellbeing for both mothers and their children. The specialist will work in a playgroup setting, providing support to families to build parenting capacity and foster children's early learning and development. The position requires a deep understanding of the CALD community and the ability to partner with families facing complex needs, utilizing strengths-based and family-centered outreach approaches. The specialist will also be responsible for collecting and recording data for accountability and evaluation purposes.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Family Support Specialist will be responsible for partnering with families from CALD backgrounds, supporting parents in their parenting roles either individually or in group settings. Duties include empowering parents and caregivers to engage their children in education, building and maintaining strong networks and service delivery partnerships, and establishing referral pathways. The specialist will also collect and record data for accountability and reporting, conduct comprehensive family assessments, develop individualized support plans, and manage a complex caseload. Additionally, the role requires proficiency in crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques, strong organizational skills, and the ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and community partners. The specialist must maintain professional boundaries while building supportive relationships and demonstrate cultural competence and sensitivity to diverse family structures and practices.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build rapport with diverse families. Knowledge of family systems theory and strengths-based approaches to family support is essential, along with an understanding of child development and protective factors that promote family resilience. The ability to conduct comprehensive family assessments and develop individualized support plans is required, as well as proficiency in crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques. Strong organizational skills, excellent documentation skills, and attention to detail are necessary, along with the ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and community partners. A valid driver's license and the ability to travel up to 50% of work time are also required, along with flexibility to adapt to changing family needs and program requirements.

Educational Background:
A Bachelor's degree in Social Work, Psychology, Family Studies, or a related field is required for this position. This educational background provides the foundational knowledge necessary for understanding family dynamics, child development, and effective support strategies for vulnerable families.

Experience:
Candidates should have a minimum of 2-3 years of experience working with vulnerable families and children. This experience should include conducting home visits and providing in-home family support services, as well as demonstrated experience in case management and service coordination. Experience working with families facing multiple challenges such as poverty, domestic violence, substance abuse, or mental health issues is essential. Familiarity with strength-based family assessment tools and approaches, as well as collaboration with child welfare systems and family service agencies, is highly valued. Previous experience in trauma-informed care approaches and facilitating parent education or support groups is preferred, along with an understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and communities.

Languages:
While the job description does not specify mandatory languages, proficiency in English is essential for effective communication with families and colleagues. Additional language skills relevant to the CALD communities served would be considered advantageous and beneficial for the role.

Additional Notes:
This position is a part-time maximum term role, requiring 7.6 hours of work on Tuesdays and 7.6 hours on another day of the candidate's choice, continuing through to 9th February 202

• The role is based in Shepparton, Victoria, Australia, and the organization encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates. The salary for this position is awarded at a rate of $44.58 per hour, with access to full PBI salary packaging benefits. The organization offers supportive management, professional supervision training, and opportunities for internal employment and development. Additionally, employees have access to a free, confidential Employee Wellbeing Program and are celebrated for their diversity within a highly inclusive culture.