Kinship Finding Practitioner
Permanent Part Time
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander People of all
ages are strongly encouraged to apply.
REFOCUS is in the business of Redirecting and
Empowering Families by creating Opportunities through Culturally Unique and
responsive Services. Our work is driven by a commitment to strengthening
families, celebrating identity, and fostering resilience.
We do this by building genuine connections, valuing
emotional intelligence, and taking a ground-up approach to understanding where
support is most needed for children and families. Our services are shaped by
real-world experience and a deep respect for the communities we serve.
Over the past 15 years, we have supported more than
20,000 community members across the Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay, Gympie, and
Cairns regions, delivering high-quality support across the Health, Community,
and NDIS sectors. We are powered by a dedicated team with more than 800 years
of combined lived and professional experience, ensuring culturally safe,
person-centred, knowledgeable, and effective care.
We are crafting a team of change-makers and we want you!
REFOCUS is seeking a Kinship Finding Practitioner
(Connecting Kin) to join our Kinship Services team and help children and
young people maintain meaningful family, cultural, and community connections.
This role is responsible for identifying, locating, and
engaging relatives and significant people who may be able to provide care for,
or maintain lifelong connections with, children and young people requiring
out-of-home care. Working within the Connecting Kin service, you will
strengthen family networks and support the identification of safe kinship care
opportunities before prospective carers enter the formal assessment process.
About the role
As a Kinship Finding Practitioner, you will:
- Identify,
locate, and engage relatives and significant people who may be able to
care for a child or young person
- Undertake
family finding activities using interviews, family mapping, genograms, and
available information
- Develop
comprehensive family network maps to identify potential carers and
lifelong family connections
- Facilitate
respectful and culturally safe conversations with families about kinship
care opportunities
- Encourage
family participation in planning and decision-making processes
- Provide
information about the kinship care pathway, assessment requirements, and
carer responsibilities
- Support
prospective kinship carers to make informed decisions
- Promote
the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle
- Collaborate
with Child Safety, community organisations, and internal services to
achieve positive outcomes for children
- Maintain
accurate case notes, family mapping records, engagement documentation, and
referral information
You will work closely alongside Kinship Assessment
Practitioners and Foster Care Recruitment Practitioners to ensure
all placement opportunities are explored in a timely and child-focused manner.
Pay and conditions
Permanent part-time position
Hourly pay rates range from:
Level 1 PPT3 $30.90 per hour, up to Level 3 PPT4 $52.93 per
hour
Classification level and pay rate are assessed and
determined based on qualifications, experience, and demonstrated capability.
What we’re looking for
We’re looking for someone who:
- Is
passionate about keeping children connected to family, culture, and
community
- Has
strong family engagement and relationship-building skills
- Can
build respectful partnerships with families, Child Safety, and community
organisations
- Demonstrates
cultural capability and responsiveness
- Has
strong communication, facilitation, and negotiation skills
- Is
organised, reflective, and confident with documentation and case recording
- Values
child-centred, family-led, and strengths-based practice
- Exercises
sound professional judgement and critical thinking
Qualifications and experience
- Qualification
in Social Work, Human Services, Behavioural Science, Community Services,
or a related discipline
- Experience
working with vulnerable children, young people, and families
- Demonstrated
experience in family engagement and relationship building
- Experience
working collaboratively with statutory and community services
- Understanding
of Queensland’s child protection and out-of-home care system
Highly desirable:
- Experience
in family finding, kinship care, or permanency planning
- Experience
working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and
communities
- Knowledge
of the Child Protection Act 1999 (Qld)
- Understanding
of the Queensland Child Protection Practice Framework
Training and support
REFOCUS is committed to developing skilled practitioners
through ongoing supervision, mentoring, reflective practice, and professional
development. You will be supported to strengthen your expertise in family
finding, kinship care, cultural practice, and child protection systems while
working within a collaborative multidisciplinary team.
Additional requirements
- Current
Working with Children Check (Blue Card)
- Criminal
history check
- Ability
to meet REFOCUS compliance and reporting requirements
- Current
Queensland Driver Licence
- Ability
to work within the 10 Child Safe Standards
How to apply
To apply, please submit your resume and a brief cover letter
outlining your interest and relevant experience. We welcome applications from
people of diverse backgrounds and strongly encourage Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples to apply.
