Family Peer Support Worker

The Hospital:

The Royal Children’s Hospital’s (RCH) vision is to be a great children’s hospital – delivering Great Care.

RCH is a cornerstone member of the Melbourne Children’s Campus, partnering with Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, The University of Melbourne Department of Pediatrics and The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation.

RCH has cared for the children and young people of Victoria for more than 150 years since it was founded in 1870. A full range of paediatric and adolescent health services are provided plus tertiary and quaternary care for the most critically ill and medically complex patients in Victoria. Tasmania, southern NSW and other states around Australia and overseas. The Hospital has more than 6,000 staff, a budget of $850M, 12 wards and 350 beds. Annually, the RCH has 300,000+ Specialist Clinic appointments, 90,000+ Emergency Department presentations and 20,000 elective surgeries.

The RCH is committed to the Child Safe Standards. 

RCH enjoys high employee engagement and is committed to staff safety and a positive culture through enactment of our Compact.

For further Information on RCH is available here.

Banksia Ward - Mental Health

Banksia - Mental Health Ward is a 16-bed inpatient unit where young people aged 13 to 18 years are assessed and treated for a range of mental and psychological disorders. The Ward provides the least restrictive environment possible while remaining compatible with the needs and safety of young people and staff. It also aims to promote community management wherever possible.

Banksia Ward uses a multi-disciplinary approach to assess and treat young people admitted to the Ward. The team is comprised of consultant psychiatrists, registered nurses with mental health qualifications, a psychologist, social worker, psychiatry registrar and teachers with special education qualifications.

The Role:

As a result of the final report from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, the RCH Mental Health Service is going through an exciting period of transformation that will enable us to help more infants and children, and deliver a best practice, person-centred contemporary model of care. At the heart of this transformation is valuing the preferences, insights and expertise of people with a living or lived experience of mental health challenges and recovery, as well as families, carers and supporters who have cared for them. People with a lived experience will be valued in our service in leadership, strategy, organisational planning and service delivery roles.

This role in the Banksia Ward, will be a key part of the transformation at our service. Working as an equal and valued member of a multi-disciplinary team you will provide direct service delivery to families of the young people that are receiving treatment, care and support.

You will work alongside other members of the team to best support the family including orientating them to the service, understanding the challenges being experienced and their needs, preferences and strengths, consulting with other people in the young person’s learning and social environment, and working with the family and individual family members on their own wellbeing, resilience and support strategies.   

Use your own lived experience and professional expertise to share your skills and learning, increase problem solving capabilities and provide emotional support, information and practical assistance to families in a way that is tailored to meet the needs of each family.  Within a relationship of mutuality and information sharing, you will promote choice, self-determination and greater opportunities for families to be heard and be active participants in the treatment, care and support provided.

The salary range for this position is $59,589.60 to $72,693.60 per annum - pro rata (based on experience)

Please note: This is a designated lived experience role and is only open to people who have a lived experience of caring for an infant, child or young person who is or has experienced a mental health challenge (specific disclosure is not required). The successful applicant is expected to utilise their own lived experience and professional expertise in lived experience in the direct service delivery to the families we are supporting. Ideal candidates will have completed a Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work and have previous experience in peer support work with families (although candidates that do not have this qualification and/or experience are very welcome to apply, and training and development opportunities can be discussed).

To view the Position Description, please click here

For further information about this role contact Adam Blake, Nurse Unit Manager, Banksia Ward Ph: 9345 9608 

Why work at the RCH?

RCH enjoys high employee engagement and is committed to staff safety and a positive culture through enactment of our Compact. We offer the opportunity to work in world-class facilities,  surrounded by Royal Park and only a short tram trip from the heart of Melbourne city.

We also offer discounted staff parking, salary packaging, and an award-winning health and wellbeing program.

The RCH is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally and/or linguistically diverse background,  all members of the LGBTQI community and people with disability.

It is a requirement of your employment that you be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, and Influenza annually for Category A and B roles, in compliance with any public health orders in place at the relevant time, unless you have a medical exception in line with those public health orders, which has been accepted by The Royal Children’s Hospital.  Applicants will be required to provide their Australian Government Immunisation History Statement, it is a requirement of the RCH to collect, record and hold vaccination information.

It is also a requirement of your employment that you comply with any direction given by The Royal Children’s Hospital that you be vaccinated against, or prove immunity to, any other disease, unless you have a relevant exemption

Are you ready to join our team? 

 Apply online by clicking on the “Apply” button

Applications close 25 December 2024