About the role The Marana Preservation Case Worker provides intensive services to at-risk families focusing on four core component areas: Family & Parenting Support, Child Focused Support, Safety & Monitoring, and Risk Mitigation. The role works with and supports families through an evidence-informed delivery approach to keep children safe at home with their families, ensuring children are healthy and thriving with improved long-term outcomes.

Key responsibilities

- Carry out family assessments and develop detailed individualised case plans covering the four core component areas encompassing all mandatory and relevant optional activities to maximise opportunities and achieve preservation goals and outcomes

- Develop financial plans for each family ensuring that all mandatory and identified appropriate relevant optional activities are costed and delivered within budget for each financial period

- Build trusted relationships with families facilitating open and honest two-way communication

- Develop plans and link to services to build networks of support around the family including Family Finding and Family Group conferencing improving parenting capacity and family functioning

- Identify and build relationships with counsellors and related experts to provide family relationship counselling services to assist in strengthening family bonds, reducing conflict and improving safety

- Work to create an improved foundation of basic household conditions that will achieve and maintain preservation including housing and income other fundamental advocacy areas

- Assist with or link to suitable services to provide practical life skills and in-home support and assistance developing household routines and enhanced problem management capability

- Engage with experts in each field to assess children's individual wellbeing and develop and implement wholistic plans to improve children's wellbeing including emotional and psychological needs, psychological services, education and learning assistance, and health needs





- Ensure frequent contact and regular monitoring visits are maintained at levels to meet family needs and in accordance with policy and procedure

- Conduct assessments to identify major risk factors for parents such as alcohol and other drugs (AOD), mental health and domestic and family violence

About you

- Demonstrated previous experience in Aboriginal Family Wellbeing Services, Intensive Family Based Support (IFBS), Preservation or Out of Home Care (Foster Care) sector

- Proven experience working proactively and successfully with clients of all ages, children, youth, adults and elders

- Tertiary qualifications Cert III or above in Community Services, Child Protection, Social Work or related field, or demonstrated minimum 5 years' experience in Child Protection sector

- Solid understanding and proven ability to engage with and work within the local Aboriginal Community

- Excellent communicator, with strong interpersonal, facilitation and conflict resolution skills

- Strong written communication and report writing skills

- Strong computer skills including database entry, word processing and Microsoft Office suite of programs

- Proven ability to manage multiple deadlines

- Strong network of professional service providers and agencies, community support facilities, other community groups providing clinical services to families, children and young people

- Working knowledge of the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 and the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Regulation 2012

- Current unencumbered NSW Driver's Licence

- Current Working with Children Check for paid employment

- Current National Criminal History Police Check

About us The Illawarra Aboriginal Corporation (IAC) was formed in 1980 for the purpose of achieving excellence in providing advocacy and culturally appropriate services to meet the social, cultural and economic needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Illawarra Region. Marana is the IAC Permanency Support and Preservation Program.

📌 Marana Preservation Case Worker (Wollongong)
🏢 Illawarra Aboriginal
📍 Wollongong