Kinship Finding Practitioner – Sunshine Coast

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.