Work with us

Are you passionate about creating safe, nurturing homes for children? Do you have strong assessment, support, and review skills, and thrive in a collaborative environment? Join us as a Family Based Care Practitioner, where your work will directly support and strengthen foster families and the lives of children in their care.

About the Role:

As part of our Uniting Communities Foster Care Program, you’ll play a vital role in supporting specialist long-term and respite foster carers. Your work will ensure safe, stable, and enriching environments for children, aligned with the Department for Child Protection (DCP) approved assessment models. A key aspect of this role includes conducting meaningful and timely annual carer reviews, providing insights that inform carer development and placement stability.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Embedding child-focused, trauma-informed principles in all aspects of your work
• Engaging sensitively and effectively with carer applicants throughout the recruitment and assessment process
• Conducting comprehensive carer assessments, identifying support and training needs
• Delivering high-quality initial and ongoing carer training
• Matching children with carers thoughtfully and in close collaboration with DCP
• Offering responsive in-home and on-call support to promote placement stability
• Leading clear, constructive, and compassionate annual carer reviews that acknowledge strengths, highlight progress, and identify further supports
• Contributing actively to DCP-led case planning and maintaining strong, respectful professional relationships

About You:

You’re a relational and reflective practitioner with a heart for supporting families and children. You balance warmth and empathy with a strong practice framework, and you’re committed to continuous quality improvement in out-of-home care.

You will also bring:

• A tertiary qualification in Social Work, Psychology, or a related Behavioural Science discipline
• Experience working with children, families, or carers, particularly within child protection or out-of-home care
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with confidence in writing reviews, reports, and assessments
• Confidence engaging with carers and professionals in a supportive and collaborative manner
• A current unrestricted South Australian Driver’s Licence and a Working with Children Check (WWCC)
• Lived experience as a foster carer or in the disability/support sector (desirable but not essential)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply.

What we offer:

• Generous salary packaging benefits to boost your take-home pay
• Paid Maternity Leave, Cultural Leave, and Community Engagement Leave
• Career development opportunities in a values-driven, inclusive workplace
• A chance to be part of a service built on kindness, boldness, and genuine connection

About Uniting Communities

We’re a leading not-for-profit organisation working alongside more than 80,000 South Australians each year. Our services span disability, aged care, mental health, family support, and community development—driven by the belief that everyone deserves to live their best life.

How to Apply:

Please submit your cover letter and resume, including contact details for two referees (one being a current or past supervisor).

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, so don’t wait to apply!

As an organisation, we are committed to protecting children, young people and vulnerable adults.  All staff are required to work within our code of conduct and undergo relevant pre-employment checks.

UC acknowledges that community, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, culturally diverse, gender diverse, disabled, older people, and those who have experienced social factors including a history of living in out of home care have experiences to offer. Please contact us if you have questions about your suitability for a role, because we want you here.