_{18th March, 2026}

We’re partnering with a well-respected community organisation to recruit a Program Worker for their Family Connect & Support (FCS) team. This is a critical intake-focused role, supporting families at the earliest stage to assess needs, manage risk, and connect them with the right services.

About the role

You’ll be the first point of contact for families referred through a range of channels – including DCJ, Police, Child Wellbeing Units, schools, health providers and self-referrals. Your role is to:

• Conduct initial intake and risk assessments over the phone
• Engage parents and carers
• Identify risk factors (including family violence, neglect and child safety concerns)
• Explore family strengths and needs using a strengths-based approach
• Provide support and referrals to appropriate services
• Determine when cases require escalation or face-to-face intervention
• Work closely with your Team Leader to ensure the right outcomes for each family

What you’ll bring
We’re looking for someone who is confident, perceptive and thrives in complex environments.

You will have:

• A qualification in Social Work, Social Welfare, Social Science, Psychology or similar
• Experience working with families facing complex challenges (e.g. family violence, child protection, mental health)
• Strong risk assessment capability, including the ability to assess over the phone
• Confidence with “cold calling” and engaging parents who may be reluctant to engage
• High emotional intelligence – knowing when to lean in and when to step back
• The ability to think quickly, problem-solve and make sound decisions
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to build trust rapidly

Experience working within or alongside the child protection system will be highly regarded.

Additional info

• Based in Lismore office (some flexibility for highly experienced candidates)
• Workload varies, with maximum 3–4 intakes per day
• All work is conducted over the phone, with referrals made across the Northern Rivers region (Lismore, Grafton, Tweed)

For more information, please contact Lauren Rodwell from The Shift People on 0431765837. 

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