Social Worker -Berrinba

About the business

Arethusa College is an independent, co-educational school catering for students requiring an alternative to mainstream schooling. We are accredited as a Special Assistance School with campuses located across South-East Queensland.

We believe in Doing School Differently, providing an alternate approach to education, and serving students who have been let down by an education system that was not able to flex and adapt to meet their unique needs and circumstances.

At Arethusa College we Believe, Expect and Celebrate as we see our students move towards achieving their full potential. We Believe in our students; we don’t define them by their past experience but rather their future potential and possibilities. We Expect great things of our students; as a result we raise the bar, we invest and journey with them and we Celebrate our students; because they are absolutely worthy of being celebrated, as they step out of their comfort zones and towards the goals they set for themselves.

The Role

The Social Worker role is a unique opportunity to work within a Special Assistance School where wellbeing and individualised learning are priorities for students who have previously disengaged from mainstream education.

The social worker will work as a member of a trans-disciplinary team within an educational setting, providing support to school, community and inter agency networks relevant to the position's role. The social work role is to provide specialist assessment, support and interventions that promote student, family and campus wellbeing. The position will be based at our Berrinba Campus.

The Social Worker works in a complex, challenging and changing school environment, where multiple demands must be kept in balance. Each campus works within the Arethusa ‘framework’ with regards to areas such as strategic direction, policy and curriculum, while still valuing the uniqueness of each campus within its distinct community.

The role requires working closely with the campus wellbeing team to ensure the best outcomes for all students. The Social Worker will need strong psychosocial assessment skills together with good counselling and interpersonal skills and be able to build trust within the school and broader community while maintaining high levels of confidentiality. The role requires the ability to maintain accurate case files and reports to track student issues and progress.

The Social Worker is a school-based position that will report to the Principal for operational and administrative matters, and a Senior Social Worker on all professional practice and clinical matters.

Vision and Values

The Social Worker plays an integral role in building community support around students and their families based in a shared understanding of the vision and values of the College.

The College is committed to creating a community where:

We believe in our students (everyday), until they can believe in themselves and then believe in others.
We expect of our students and we raise the bar, until they can expect of themselves and step towards the exciting possibilities that surround them.
We celebrate our students as they grow, until they can celebrate their lives and their journey and then be a part of celebrating those around them.
There is unconditional positive regard expressed for all members of the College community such that students, staff, families and carers are treated with respect and fairness.
The opportunity for lifelong learning is valued as key for building positive futures.
Students are developed intellectually, socially, emotionally, physically and spiritually in ways that allow them to become active and contributing members of their communities.

Personal qualities, social and interpersonal skills

The role of Social Worker requires a skill set that includes emotional intelligence, empathy, resilience and a commitment to personal wellbeing.

The Social Worker is required to be:

Able to lead strategically – recognises and articulates how own practice directly contributes to Arethusa’s vision and community outcomes.
Organised, well prepared and forward thinking.
Approachable and possess strong relationship building skills.
Able to communicate effectively with a wide range of people (staff, students, external stakeholders, other agencies)
Able to make insightful decisions, demonstrating judgement on when to escalate issues.
Highly adaptable and effective in solution focused approaches to problem-solving while best supporting the needs of all members of the team and students.
Able to deal with conflict in proactive and supportive ways.
An advocate for the needs of students, families and staff, ensuring that the best possible outcomes are sought for all members of the College community.
A team player who can bring together collaborative campus-based teams and inspire others to work together effectively and compassionately fostering healthy and inclusive workplaces.
Strong sense of discretion and professionalism.
Able to earn the trust of staff, peers, and students through honesty, open communication, fairness, consistency.
Upholds integrity through responsible management and use of processes and resources.
Demonstrates high level of knowledge and clinical skills obtained through relevant tertiary and postgraduate education.
Demonstrate commitment to ongoing professional development relevant to the key responsibilities of the role as approved by the Principal.
Ensures that College initiatives and values are integrated into practice and policies.

Areas of Responsibility

The Social Worker is required to:

Provide biopsychosocial-educational assessments and plan interventions, including referral to appropriate external agencies.
Provide follow up support to students, parents/carers and individuals as required.
Provide support and advice to the Principal in cases of serious misconduct or risk, making relevant outcome recommendations.
Provide care coordination for the purpose of assisting student’s wellbeing and mental health.
Provide appropriate advice to teachers and other staff regarding the impact that a student’s situation may have upon their learning and suggest strategies to promote the student’s wellbeing and prevent disengagement.
Contribute professional advice to members of staff and external professionals to ensure best practice outcomes for individual students, families and cohorts.
Provide support in responding to critical incidents and emergencies as part of the school response team.
Diligently fulfil the requirements of the College’s Child Protection policy and practices.
Network with professionals in education and social work to ensure quality of service and to promote the College.
Maintain professional standards and Code of Ethics as set out by the Australian Association of Social Workers including participating in CPD training.
Undertake regular Supervision.

Applicants will hold a current Working with Children (Blue Card).

Include a cover letter as well as a detailed resume with your application.

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