Team Leader – Children & Families Intensive Support Program
Position Objective
This position provides leadership to Waltja’s Children and Families Intensive Support (CaFIS)
fieldworkers in the delivery of our new CaFIS program on remote Central Australian
communities.
This CAFIS program ‘Holding Our Families Together’ will support the Eastern Arrernte, Anmatjere
and Alywarre communities of Atitjere, Engawala, Bonya, Laramba, TiTree, and Utopia
Homelands. This is a five year program, with strong community and organisational support, and
with a successful community-based model of practice developed by Waltja over the past 25
years.
The Team Leader will coordinate the activities of the CaFIS team, and will provide support,
monitoring and guidance to ensure that program delivery and documentation is consistent with
program requirements and with Waltja organisational values, policy and procedures.
The CaFIS program will provide case management support to Aboriginal families concerned for
the welfare of their children and youth. The program team will work closely with community
elders and young leaders, provide case management and/or community workshops and
activities, and will advocate for children/youth and their families access to, and appropriate
response from, appropriate services. All team members must be committed to the selfdetermination of Aboriginal people, and to a strengths-based approach to Aboriginal community
development.
The Team Leader will provide line management to the fieldwork team, and will be directly
accountable to the Waltja management team. The fieldwork team comprises up to 4 community
development fieldworkers, and 2 Aboriginal fieldwork trainees. The Team Leader will also
provide guidance to the fieldworkers on how to mentor and work well with Aboriginal
Community Workers – people employed on a casual basis to facilitate program engagement on
their communities. Case management specialist support for the team will be provided by a parttime Case Management Consultant.
The CaFIS Team Leader will be based in Alice Springs with regular travel to communities as
required to actively guide and monitor team performance and to support program activities.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Support the CaFIS fieldworkers to undertake community engagement, case management
and all program activities in accordance with Waltja organisational values, CaFIS program
requirements, and the Waltja CAFIS Practice Framework. - Support the CaFIS team members to consistently work towards the self-determination of
Aboriginal people, and in accordance with the principle of Aboriginal self- determination. - Support the engagement of Aboriginal people from each community as advisors and coworkers to assist with Waltja’s service delivery and program evaluation; support skills
development of community members related to the program objectives; support skill
development of CaFiS field workers in working in partnership with community members. - Ensure that the CaFIS program activities and outcomes are documented by fieldworkers
according to Waltja protocols and DSS program requirements, including travel forms,
community visit reports, and DEX reporting. - Assist Management Team with regular reporting to and liaison with the DSS CaFIS
Funding Agreement Manager. Prepare annual CaFIS Activity Work Plans and AWP reports. - Support each CaFIS fieldworker to access monthly individual supervision (according to
ASWA protocols) and to access external or on-the-job training as appropriate. Participate
in regular reflective practice supervision sessions with the Case Management Consultant. - Manage and maintain positive working relationships with stakeholders, referring agencies
and associated services and networks. - Facilitate regular CaFIS team meetings and client case reviews; conduct continuous
program evaluation in consultation with the Management team, the CaFIS fieldworkers
and Aboriginal community advisers. - In consultation with the Management team, undertake or manage the planning,
submission, delivery, evaluation and acquittal of short-term, small project and quick
response grants, developed in response to community-initiated activity ideas. - Work collaboratively with other staff, Management and elected Board Members. Support
and mentor junior staff. Participate in Waltja events and meetings as directed. - Represent Waltja at Conferences, Seminars, Meetings, and Committees and in other
community forums as required. Be proactive in networking with related services and
organisations. - Identify training and professional needs/opportunities, and undertake training as directed
by Management Team. - Work within Waltja’s organisational values, code of conduct and policies and procedures
