Support families. Strengthen kinship connections. Help children stay connected to family, culture and community.

MARABISDA is seeking a passionate and experienced Kinship Carer Support Worker to join our team in Mackay.

This is an opportunity to work alongside kinship carers, children, families and community to strengthen family-based care arrangements and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people to remain connected to the people, culture and community that are important to them.

As a Kinship Carer Support Worker, you will provide practical support, guidance, advocacy and case management to kinship carers throughout their caring journey. You will work closely with families, Child Safety and community partners to strengthen placements, build carer confidence and promote safe, stable, nurturing and culturally responsive care.

About the role

No two days will look exactly the same.

You will work directly with kinship carers and children across the Mackay region, providing relationship-based support in homes and the community while also contributing to assessment, case planning and collaborative service delivery.

Your responsibilities will include:

- Supporting the identification and assessment of potential kinship carers

- Participating in kinship carer assessment interviews and conducting home visits and environmental assessments

- Supporting carers through assessment and approval processes

- Providing ongoing practical support, coaching, guidance and advocacy to kinship carers

- Maintaining regular contact with carers and completing monthly home visits

- Visiting children in placement to monitor their safety and wellbeing

- Monitoring placement stability and identifying emerging risks or support needs

- Helping carers navigate the child protection system, complex family relationships and changing care arrangements

- Supporting carers to access appropriate services, resources and financial assistance

- Building carer confidence, resilience and caregiving capability

- Coordinating carer education, training, support groups and peer networking opportunities

- Participating in placement meetings, care team meetings, reviews and case conferences

- Working collaboratively with Child Safety, families and community organisations

- Advocating for culturally responsive and family-centred care planning

- Supporting children's connection to family, culture, language, Country and community

- Maintaining accurate and timely case notes, reports, assessments and other case documentation.

The role manages an active caseload of approximately 30–40 kinship carers, so you will need to be comfortable balancing relationship-based practice, community visits, case management, competing priorities and documentation.

Eligibility

Please note that it is a genuine requirement that this position is filled by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person in accordance with s25 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld).

About you

We are looking for someone who understands that kinship care is about much more than a placement.





You understand the importance of family, culture, identity and belonging and can build genuine and respectful relationships with carers, children and extended family networks while maintaining professional boundaries and accountability.

You will bring:

- A Diploma or Degree in Community Services, Human Services, Social Work or a related discipline, or equivalent demonstrated experience

- Experience working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities

- Experience within child protection, family support, kinship care or a related field

- Knowledge of the Queensland child protection system

- An understanding of trauma-informed, strengths-based and culturally safe practice

- Strong communication, assessment and advocacy skills

- Excellent written communication and case documentation skills

- Strong organisational and time-management skills

- The ability to build respectful relationships with extended family networks

- The ability to manage competing priorities and an active caseload

- Sound judgement and effective problem-solving skills

- The ability to work independently while contributing to a cooperative team.

Experience undertaking kinship carer assessments, facilitating family meetings or support groups, or working with cultural support and permanency planning will be highly regarded.

Cultural practice matters

At MARABISDA, cultural safety is not an add-on to our work. It is central to how we work with children, families and community.

The Kinship Carer Support Worker will work in a way that recognises and respects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kinship structures, extended family systems and cultural protocols.

You will support:

- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander self-determination

- Family-led decision-making wherever possible

- Children's right to maintain connection with family, community, culture, language and Country

- Respectful engagement with extended family and kinship networks

- Culturally responsive care planning

- Practice that recognises the impacts of historical and intergenerational trauma.

We are looking for someone who brings cultural knowledge and humility to their practice and is committed to ongoing learning.

Working with carers and children

A key part of this position is building the confidence and capability of kinship carers so they are supported to provide safe and stable care.

You will work alongside carers to understand their strengths, identify challenges early and develop practical strategies that support placement stability.

You will also advocate for the safety,



wellbeing and best interests of children while helping them maintain meaningful relationships with family and connection to their identity and culture wherever it is secure and appropriate to do so.

Working with our partners

Strong relationships are essential to this role.

You will work collaboratively with:

- Kinship carers

- Children and young people

- Parents and extended family members

- Department of Child Safety

- Elders and cultural leaders

- Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations

- Schools

- Health professionals

- Therapeutic service providers

- Community organisations

- Other government and non-government agencies.

You will represent MARABISDA professionally and contribute to collaborative, culturally informed and family-centred service delivery.

What we need from you

The successful applicant will be required to hold or obtain:

- Current Queensland C Class Driver Licence

- Current Blue Card (Working with Children Check)

- National Police Check

- Current First Aid Certificate

- Current CPR Certificate

- Right to work in Australia

- Cultural Capability Training

- Trauma-Informed Care Training.

The position involves regular travel throughout the Mackay region and community-based work, including home visits.

Professional practice and accountability

We value strong relationship-based practice, but we also value accountability and high-quality professional standards.

You will be expected to:

- Complete case notes within required timeframes

- Maintain accurate, objective and contemporaneous documentation

- Complete placement, home visit, risk and incident reporting as required

- Maintain confidentiality and skilled boundaries

- Participate in monthly supervision and file audits

- Participate in team meetings, professional development and reflective practice

- Contribute to continuous improvement

- Maintain files that are compliant and audit-ready

- Work safely when undertaking home visits and community-based activities.

Why join MARABISDA?

MARABISDA is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation committed to strengthening children, families and community.

This role provides the opportunity to undertake meaningful work alongside families and carers while helping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children maintain connection to family, identity, culture and Country.

You will join a team committed to culturally safe and family-led practice, professional development, reflective practice and continuous improvement.

Most importantly, you will have the opportunity to support kinship carers who step forward to care for children within their family and community and help create strong, stable and culturally connected placements.

Ready to apply?

If you are passionate about working alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and kinship carers and believe you can bring the cultural knowledge, professional skills and relationship-based approach this role requires, we would love to hear from you.

Please submit your resume and cover letter outlining your relevant experience and why you are interested in joining MARABISDA as our next Kinship Carer Support Worker.

📌 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Kinship Care Support Worker (The Leap)
🏢 MARABISDA
📍 The Leap