Community Worker

Position: Community Worker

Employer: KOALA HEALTHCARE SERVICES PTY LTD trading as Koala Life Care

ABN: 72 664 176 685

Location: Prospect SA 5082

Employment type: Full-time (minimum 38 hours per week)

Remuneration: $95,000 – $105,000 per annum, excluding superannuation

(Advertisement run by Efficient Recruitment services Pty ltd on behalf of Koala Life Care)

About the Organisation

Koala Life Care is a registered NDIS provider based in Prospect, Adelaide. We deliver person-centred disability and community support across metropolitan Adelaide, with a particular focus on mental health, psychosocial disability, housing stability, community participation, and helping people live independently with dignity. Our work is guided by the principle “We Care Like Family” and by values of compassionate care, accountability, adaptability, commitment and motivation.

About the Position

This is a full-time, client-facing Community Worker role of at least 38 hours per week. The position sits within our coordination function and reports to the Director. The Community Worker will work with participants of all ages — adults, children and young people — and with their families and support networks. The work covers housing and homelessness, mental health and psychosocial disability, alcohol and other drugs support, community participation, and therapeutic and family support.

The role is hands-on. It involves intake and assessment, planning individual supports, coordinating services across hospitals, housing providers, NDIS, health and community agencies, advocating for participants, and staying with people through crisis, discharge and longer-term recovery. It is not a clinical or therapeutic practitioner role. The Community Worker operates within Koala Life Care’s policies and within the rules of external agencies and available community resources.

Duties of the Position

The successful candidate will be responsible for the following work. These duties reflect the day-to-day operation of Koala Life Care and the needs of our participants.

• Receive and triage referrals from hospitals, community agencies, families and internal teams, and complete intake interviews so that each person’s circumstances, risks and priorities are properly understood before support begins.

• Prepare individual support and care plans that take account of psychosocial needs, safety concerns, housing status, disability and family circumstances, and review those plans as a person’s situation changes.

• Arrange and follow through a mix of practical supports, including NDIS-funded services, housing and accommodation pathways, health and allied health input, education, employment and community programs.

• Speak for participants in case conferences and meetings with external services, government bodies and community organisations, so that they obtain fair access to the help they need.

• Keep a close watch on how each person is travelling, record progress and setbacks, and adjust the plan where outcomes are not being achieved.

• Help people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to obtain emergency and longer-term accommodation, and work with housing providers to keep that accommodation stable.

• Coordinate safe hospital discharge so that the right supports are in place at home or in another setting and the chance of an unplanned return to hospital is reduced.

• Stay involved with people who are at risk of substance misuse, social isolation, family breakdown or repeated hospital admission, and connect them with AOD, mental health and community programs.

• Build and maintain working relationships with community groups, welfare agencies, housing providers, hospitals, mental health services and local businesses so that participants can use existing services and so that gaps in local support are identified.

• Support families and carers to take an active part in planning, and help children, young people and adults with disability to take part in education, recreation, employment and community life.

• Keep accurate case notes, complete required reports, and contribute to internal review meetings, quality and compliance processes.

• Work in a trauma-informed, culturally respectful way and uphold Koala Life Care’s values in every contact with participants and partners.

Skills and Experience Required

• Minimum three years’ or more paid experience in community services, NDIS, social work, disability support, case management or a closely related welfare role.

• Degree in Community Services, Social Work, Disability Services or a related field.

• Working knowledge of the NDIS and of how plans, providers and support coordination operate in complex situations.

• Practical familiarity with housing and homelessness pathways, mental health services and alcohol and other drugs programs in South Australia.

• Demonstrated ability to complete assessments, write support plans, manage a caseload and keep reliable records.

• Strong spoken and written communication, and the ability to advocate calmly and clearly with external agencies.

• Resilience, cultural sensitivity and a trauma-informed approach to people in crisis or with complex needs.

• Membership of a relevant professional body such as AASW or ACWA is preferred.

Mandatory Requirements

• Right to work in Australia.

• NDIS Worker Screening Check.

• Working with Children Check (DHS).

• National Police Check.

• Current First Aid and CPR.

• Valid full Australian driver’s licence, a reliable vehicle and comprehensive car insurance.