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Join our Social Work and Counselling Services Team

Work alongside multidisciplinary teams to lead complex discharge planning for patients whose social, psychological, and care needs require coordinated, considered solutions.

About the role: 

Reporting to the Manager of the Social Work and Counselling Service, this role is integral to the delivery of high quality services to patients on acute wards.

Duties for the role will include:

• Conducting psycho-social assessments and intervening with complex patients admitted to FMC using a range of well-developed therapeutic social work skills.
• Working with the multi-disciplinary team, patients and their families to achieve timely, safe and effective outcomes for patients including discharge plans for patient with complex psycho-social factors that impact on discharge.
• Developing and maintaining systems for the early identification of long stay, complex patients at FMC
• Identifying barriers to discharge and working to resolve these barriers in partnership with staff both internal and external to the hospital
• Regularly reviewing complex cases with ward social workers, the interdisciplinary team and other hospital staff to progress issues in a timely manner, identifying barriers to discharge and work to resolve these
• Providing leadership, consultancy and advice to management and other health professionals on service delivery, development and practice within Social Work and Counselling Services.
• Mentoring and coaching social workers, welfare/placement officers and reception staff in the management of complex cases.
• Participating in the recruitment and selection of staff.
• Lead and coordinate a high-quality, evidence-based service by driving continuous quality improvement, developing best-practice policies and programs, supporting multidisciplinary collaboration, and using data, research, and evaluation to enhance patient outcomes and service delivery.

About you:

• Appropriate Degree or equivalent qualification which gives eligibility for full membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers. 
• Extensive experience working with patients and families as a social worker in a specialty area within the Acute /Sub Acute Care setting
• Demonstrated well developed interpersonal skills that foster trust, respect, confidence and cooperation with colleagues, patients, families, multi-disciplinary team members and, senior staff
• Demonstrated ability to develop a range of partnerships, networks and relationships with key stakeholders within and external to the organisation to address complex psycho-social issues and achieve desired outcomes
• Demonstrated ability to demonstrate leadership skills by thinking and working strategically, proactively and independently to develop creative and effective solutions to problems and issues that can be evaluated
• Extensive experience in providing clinical management to complex and difficult casework

Please see the attached Role Description for additional information.

Want To Know More? Contact: Amelia Agar, Acute Social Work Manager, 8204 4144, Amelia.Agar@sa.gov.au

Application Closing Date: 11.55 pm Thursday 18 June 2026

Attachments:

• Senior Social Worker - Complex Transitions Consultant Role Description
• Australian applicant guidelines
• International applicant guidelines

Applicant Information:

• We also offer salary sacrifice benefits which provide the opportunity to save money by paying for some of your everyday expenses from your salary before it is taxed. Click here to find out more about salary packaging.
• The South Australian public sector promotes diversity and flexible ways of working including part-time. Applicants are encouraged to discuss the flexible working arrangements for this role.
• Appointment will be subject to a satisfactory Criminal History Check and Immunisation compliance as indicated on the Role description.
• SA Health Services are required to implement the Addressing vaccine preventable disease: Occupational assessment, screening and vaccination policy in the workplace.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants are encouraged to apply.  Job ref: 940070