ROYAL CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL POSITION DESCRIPTION
TITLE: DEPARTMENT: CLASSIFICATION: AGREEMENT: RESPONSIBLE TO: SOCIAL WORKER SOCIAL WORK DEPARTMENT GRADE 3 Senior Clinician HSUA 3 Enterprise Agreement Operationally: Social Work Team Leader Emergency Department Professionally: Chief Social Worker
The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) in Melbourne is a leading provider of specialist public health services for children and adolescents and is the major specialist paediatric hospital in Victoria, caring for children from Tasmania and southern New South Wales as well as other states around Australia and overseas. The Royal Children's Hospital is embarking on an exciting chapter in it’s history with the State Government announcing it would build a state-of-art, “world class” children's hospital for Victoria. In order to design a new hospital we must first consider the health needs of Victorian children and their families in 2011 and beyond. The care they need, will determine the type of facilities required. In redesigning the care we provide we must look at RCH as an organisation - the people, processes and systems must fit as well as the facilities. Therefore, the Building our Future program has been established to coordinate a large number of projects relating to building the new hospital and organisational development projects associated with designing a renewed organisation. With a staff of over 3,900 and an annual operating budget of $270m RCH has an international reputation as a centre of clinical excellence and is a state-wide teaching, training and research hospital providing tertiary, secondary and primary infant, child and adolescent health services. RCH is committed to a philosophy and practice of Patient and Family Centred Care and quality management to ensure the best possible services to patients. This entails an organisational structure which: Devolves decision making and accountability to patient care providers as close as possible to the consumer Encourages and supports teamwork, professional development and growth of its staff Seeks input and participation of consumers and employees in the planning and evaluation processes. RCH has a variety of research and academic partners including Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), The University of Melbourne, La Trobe University and RMIT University for teaching medical
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and postgraduate nursing students and for postgraduate study and medical research as well as a number of community based partners. Further information on RCH is available at http://www.rch.org.au/
Social Work Service in Emergency Department
The Social Work team in the RCH Emergency Department is an integrated Social Work service covering a broad range of child and family needs and issues. Working from a social model of health, the service undertakes psychosocial assessment and support and intervenes in the interaction between child, caregiver and environment. Although the service has varied funding sources and reporting requirements social workers will provide one seamless social work service throughout the 8am to 10pm (weekday) and 2pm to 10pm (weekend). The core service aspects are: 1. Partnerships for Children (HARP) Service – Funding is provided by the State Government Hospital Admission Risk Program to reduce avoidable hospital admissions and Emergency Department presentations. Work is undertaken with families who have multiple psychosocial needs and complex needs requiring integrated and coordinated support. Work may also focus on continuing to improve the management of people with defined chronic diseases. General Social Work – provides general social and emotional assessment, support and intervention for any child and their family presenting to ED where issues are identified as impacting on quality of life and outcomes for the child. This includes areas such as new diagnosis, trauma, bereavement, social issues impacting on the child’s well being and family functioning, parenting difficulties, mental health issues (not being dealt with by the Emergency Mental Health worker), child behavioural issues and a broad range of social support issues.
2.
Position Summary
This position works in close collaboration with medical, nursing and allied health staff in ED to deliver the best outcomes for the patient and family while also working in close liaison with social work and other service providers both within the hospital and the community. This position requires independent practice as the sole worker on a shift.
Key Working Relationships and Accountabilities
ED Social Worker Team Leader Nurse Unit Manager Emergency Department Director Emergency Department Manager, Partnerships for Children Chief Social Worker ED Social Work Team members Social Work Department staff Acting Nurse Unit Managers and Consultants in ED Multi-disciplinary team members
RESPONSIBILITIES 1. To provide specialist social work services to identified complex, high need families presenting at RCH Emergency Department including advanced psychosocial assessment, advocacy and referral as required. 2. To provide expert and evidence based interventions for vulnerable children and their families, including therapeutic and educative approaches. 3. To provide support and counselling to families and children in crisis situations including severe injury and bereavement. 4. To work cooperatively with multidisciplinary staff in Emergency to ensure timely and effective interventions for children whose families require additional support in managing their health care needs. 5. To liaise with and advocate to community based health and welfare services to enable families prompt access to appropriate support services. 6. To liaise effectively with the ED Social Work Team Leader, staff of the Social Work Department and wards and clinics of the hospital to ensure a timely and continuous care. 7. Other duties as required
Key Professional Accountabilities and Performance Indicators
1. Direct Practice: Appropriateness of social work assessment, intervention and outcomes Provide a high-level of clinical reasoning and advanced casework skills, using a client-centred approach within multi-dimensional psychosocial assessments, formulating appropriately targeted treatment plans with realistic/achievable goals, identifying a comprehensive range of intervention options, selecting the most beneficial/feasible option for implementation and proficiently providing these to clients Apply the above abilities in relation to children and young people with particular attention to vulnerable and at risk babies, children and young people Demonstrate high-level understanding of, and sensitivity to, ethical, multicultural and Indigenous issues. Commitment to client-centred practice and provide specialised interventions, education and/or information to clients/carers appropriate to their needs and developmental stages. Ability to apply a range of interventions for trauma, loss and bereavement. To provide social work crisis response in External Emergency situations. Practice that is evidence based and outcome evaluated Team work environments Demonstrate a commitment to team work with Social Work and the multidisciplinary care team in patient care and service delivery. Promote effective social work service provision and professional relationships within the Emergency Department and broader hospital Effectively promote an understanding of the professional social work role within the organisation. Provide expert consultation and liaison to other professional organisational staff. Recording and record keeping Timely completion of all documentation/statistical input and adhere to legal requirements for documentation Supervision Demonstrate a commitment to professional development and accountability for practice through participation in regular supervision with the Chief Social Worker and Team Leader Seek out and utilise informal consultation opportunities as required. Develop own learning plan in conjunction with Team Leader and Chief Social Worker.
Actively seek feedback on professional performance and respond appropriately / professionally to such feedback.
Qualifications & Experience
Essential Approved degree in Social Work and evidence of eligibility for membership of AASW Post Graduate qualification in Social Work or a relevant field preferred Substantial experience in social work within a hospital or closely allied field Substantial experience in social work with vulnerable children and families Demonstrated capacity to work independently yet in consultation with others
Key Qualities
The incumbent is expected to demonstrate: Autonomous behaviour, independence of thought, awareness of own effectiveness and internalised responsibility. Demonstrated ability to provide effective professional leadership in a constantly changing environment. Demonstrated capacity in promoting collegial practice Flexibility/responsiveness within professional practice/duties/roles in order to meet organisational goals/priorities. High-level understanding of relevant community resources and systems. Ability to articulate social work practice to other professionals based on practice proficiency and familiarity with social work theory. Critically reflective stance with capacity for creating practice theory and acting as an appropriate change agent. Expert communication with high-level verbal, non-verbal and written skills A willingness to seek appropriate clarification, support/assistance as required. Good levels of computer literacy Victorian driver’s licence Other duties as directed by the Chief Social Worker, consistent with the employee’s skills level and classification.
Developed: Developed by: Date of next Review:
March 2009 Chief Social Worker March 2011