CQID is experiencing organisational growth across all services and seeking suitable candidates for a range of positions.

CQID is one of the largest employers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Central Queensland region. Offering a broad range of service areas, with roles that serve our community across Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Emerald, Gladstone, Hervey Bay, Longreach, Maryborough and Woorabinda.

A new organisational structure, designated HR team and the implementation of a new Workforce Strategy. Striving to support employees on their career journey is a priority and contributes us to being an Employer of Choice.

Purpose of the Role

The Team Leader provides day-to-day operational leadership and supervision for CQID’s Strong Carers, Strong Children (Family Based Care Services) program.

Working closely with the Program Manager, Senior Practice Lead and staff, the role coordinates service delivery, staff workloads, performance, risk and the timely completion of initial and provisional kinship carer assessments. The Team Leader ensures prospective kinship carers and their households receive consistent, practical and culturally safe support throughout the assessment and approval process.

The role ensures Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, kinship systems, cultural authority, family relationships and connections to community and Country guide the team’s work. Through culturally responsive leadership, staff supervision and collaborative partnerships, the Team Leader supports families to overcome barriers to caring and contributes to safe, stable and culturally connected family-based care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Strong carers. Strong children. Strong culture. Strong community.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Work closely with the Program Manager, Senior Practice Lead and staff as part of the program’s leadership team to coordinate service delivery, workloads, risks, performance and continuous improvement.
• Provide culturally responsive day-to-day leadership, supervision, direction and support to the team.
• Ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, kinship systems, cultural authority, family relationships, community and connection to Country guide all service delivery.
• Embed culturally safe, family-led, strengths-based, trauma-informed and child-centred practice consistent with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle.
• Allocate and monitor referrals, caseloads, assessment progress and staff responsibilities to ensure equitable workloads and timely service delivery.
• Oversee the timely completion of initial and provisional kinship carer assessments, Household Safety Studies, Blue Card requirements and associated documentation.
• Work with the Senior Practice Lead to monitor and strengthen the quality, cultural integrity and consistency of assessment practice and report writing.
• Provide regular staff supervision, performance support, reflective practice and professional development, escalating complex practice matters when required.
• Ensure prospective kinship carers and their households receive clear information, culturally safe engagement and practical assistance throughout the assessment and approval process.
• Support staff to identify and address barriers to caring through coordinated referrals, practical assistance and the appropriate use of brokerage.
• Maintain collaborative relationships with children, families, kin, CQID programs, Child Safety, prescribed delegates, assessment panels and community partners.
• Support culturally safe and coordinated referrals and transitions between Connecting Kin, Equipping Kin, Supporting Kin and Foster Care services.
• Monitor case records, assessment documentation, brokerage expenditure, performance data and reports to ensure they are accurate, confidential, current and completed within required timeframes.
• Identify, manage and escalate child safety, cultural safety, workplace, practice, compliance and operational risks to the Program Manager.
• Ensure service delivery complies with relevant legislation, departmental requirements, assessment guidelines, contractual obligations, CQID policies and quality standards.
• Contribute to program planning, audits, staff recruitment, induction, performance monitoring and the achievement of CQID’s Strong Carers, Strong Children outcomes.
• Undertake other reasonable duties consistent with the responsibilities and classification of the position

Detailed procedures, practice requirements and operational responsibilities will be outlined in the Strong Carers, Strong Children Practice Manual.

Key Performance Indicators

• The team receives effective day-to-day leadership, supervision, direction and performance support.
• Staff workloads, referrals and assessment priorities are allocated fairly and monitored to support timely and responsive service delivery.
• Initial and provisional carer assessments, Household Safety Studies and associated documentation are completed accurately and within required timeframes, including before provisional approvals expire.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, kinship systems, cultural authority, family relationships and connections to community and Country are consistently embedded in the team’s practice.
• Staff demonstrate culturally safe, family-led, strengths-based, trauma-informed and child-centred practice consistent with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle.
• Prospective kinship and foster carers and their households receive timely, respectful and practical support throughout assessment, Blue Card and approval processes.
• Barriers affecting families’ ability to care are identified early and addressed through coordinated referrals, practical assistance and appropriate use of brokerage.
• Effective collaboration is maintained with the Program Manager, Senior Practice Lead, staff, CQID programs, Child Safety, prescribed delegates, assessment panels and community partners.
• Staff supervision, reflective practice, professional development and performance discussions occur regularly and are appropriately documented.
• Case records, assessments, brokerage records, performance data and program reports are accurate, confidential, current and completed within required timeframes.
• Child safety, cultural safety, workforce, practice, operational and compliance risks are identified, managed and escalated promptly.
• The service meets its funded deliverables, contractual obligations, quality standards and continuous improvement requirements.
• The team contributes to safe, stable and culturally connected care arrangements for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Qualifications and Experience

• A relevant tertiary qualification in social work, human services, community services, child protection, leadership or a related field, or a combination of relevant qualifications, cultural knowledge and significant demonstrated experience.
• Strong cultural identity, knowledge and connection to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community, with the ability to work respectfully across different communities, cultures and kinship systems.
• Demonstrated experience working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families, kin and communities in a culturally safe, respectful and strengths-based way.
• Demonstrated leadership experience within kinship care, foster and kinship care, child protection, family support or a related child and family service.
• Experience supervising staff, allocating workloads, managing performance and supporting professional development and reflective practice.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating service delivery, managing competing priorities and ensuring work is completed accurately and within required timeframes.
• Knowledge or experience in initial and provisional kinship carer assessments, Household Safety Studies, Blue Card requirements and carer approval processes.
• Strong understanding of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle, family-led decision-making, cultural safety and the impacts of colonisation and intergenerational trauma.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and manage child safety, cultural safety, staff, operational and compliance risks.
• Experience working collaboratively with Child Safety, prescribed delegates, assessment panels, community-controlled organisations and other government and community partners.
• Strong interpersonal, supervision, conflict resolution, written communication, record-keeping and report-writing skills.
• Knowledge of relevant child protection legislation, information-sharing requirements, privacy obligations, quality standards and organisational policies.
• Demonstrated ability to engage respectfully with families experiencing complex circumstances and support staff to identify practical solutions to barriers affecting kinship and foster care.