169832 - Social Worker (Children's Services) - Department of Social Development and Seniors - Temporary

The Department of Social Development and Seniors is committed to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility. Our goal is to build a public sector workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve and to promote welcoming, diverse, inclusive, respectful workplaces that are accessible to all. We welcome all interested individuals including Indigenous People, persons with disabilities, Black, racialized, ethnic and culturally diverse groups, as well as people regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identities, and gender expressions. Those looking for more information are invited to visit our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy.

Children’s Services Social Workers (CSSW) provide services to children who have been found in need of protection, and their caregivers, for their safety and wellbeing, with the objective of permanency. _Through a thorough and comprehensive training and on-the-job evaluation, they are delegated by the Director of Child Protection (DCP) to have _“the power to provide child protection services and the ability to exercise specified powers and duties of the Director in accordance to the Child Youth and Family Services Act”. They may also be authorized under the Adoption Act, with the authority to do “placement counselling, assessment of placement risk, placement of children for adoption, monitoring placements, prehearing adoption studies, and obtaining of consents”. CSSW must also act within multiple pieces of related provincial and federal legislation and policies related to children, youth, parents, families and Indigeneity.

**Duties will include but are not limited to**:

- Make clinical assessments of the needs of children in care utilizing the Child Strengths and Needs Assessment to create appropriate plans of care;
- Complete clinical assessments regarding educational, social, cultural, developmental and emotional needs for children who are, or have been, in need of protection from their parents;
- Use standardized, validated tools to inform assessments of children in care and care providers, interpret and use results to help guide next steps;
- Conduct risk and home assessments of potential foster families, kin placements, and adoptive families for children from other provinces and territories as per Interprovincial Agreement;
- Gather and complete background history of children in care and birth parents for adoption placement and finalization to provide information about a child’s life in the birth family and while in care, to help the adoptive family provide answers and information to the adopted child as they age and seek to understand their history;
- Implement plan of care with children in care, monitors progress, revises plan as situation changes or if it is not producing benefits. Gives due consideration to growth and developmental stage of the child and associated needs (educational, social, cultural, developmental, and emotional), impact of trauma, physical and mental health, other pertinent considerations;
- Develop positive relationship with children in care;
- Complete documentation including evidence of professional observations, family’s or child’s perspective, any competing evidence, support for assessments, and prioritization of needs;
- Ensure necessary written correspondence is provided to families such as changes in service such as a family being “on hold” or service closing;
- Maintain statistical information as required;
- Ensure confidentiality and security of all client-related information;
- Knows and acts within these and other pieces of legislation: Child Youth and Family Services Act; Adoption Act, An Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Metis Children, Youth and Families; Child and Youth Advocate Act, Judicature Act (regarding Office of the Children’s Lawyer), Family Law Act;
- Provide on-call evening and weekend coverage in addition to full-time work week. Frequency depends on staffing;
- Other related duties as required.

**Minimum Qualifications**:

- A Master of Social Work degree or a Bachelor of Social Work degree with considerable experience. Experience required in Social Work and prior experience in child protection is preferred;
- Eligible for registration with the PEI Social Work Registration Board and for delegation under the _PEI Child, Youth & Family Services Act_; Eligible for adoption authorization under the _Adoption Act_;
- Excellent oral and written communication skills;
- A valid PEI driver’s license with access to a reliable vehicle;
- A good previous work and attendance record and acceptable Criminal Record Check, Vulnerable Sector Check and Child Protection Record Check;
- Knowledge of child development, family dynamics, impacts of abuse and neglect on children, community resources, systems that children interact with (education, criminal justice, health including mental health and addictions, etc.), trauma and its effect on children’s well-being, mental health and addictions issues and their impacts, loss a