Kinship/connection Worker

The Kinship/Connections Worker is primarily responsible for the delivery of Kinship Services, Kinship in Care Services, Customary Care Services, and child specific and family finding recruitment with the goal of helping families create safe, sustainable, and culturally appropriate permanency plans for children. The Kinship/Connections Worker is also responsible for reaching out to the child’s cultural community to engage them in planning and support for the child and family. The Kinship/Connections Worker is intended to play a significant role in helping to create a system of supportive adults and community around the child for lifelong connections. For children/youth who are placed in an out of home placement with Kin, the worker will carry the Kinship Service and Provider files and support both the child/youth and the caregivers in accordance with all legislation, standards, policies, procedures, and guidelines. This position may be responsible for providing family finding support to Integrated Protection and Out of Home Services, as required.

**We thank all applicants for their interest in this position, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.**

**Background/Education/Experience**
- Education**:Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, (Master’s Degree in Social Work is an asset)**
- **Minimum 2 years’ experience in the role of Authorized Child Protection Worker**
- Satisfactory Police Records Check and Vulnerable Sector Screening.
- Valid Driver’s License, and access to a reliable motor vehicle with business use automobile insurance and, where appropriate, the OPCF 6A rider (“Permission to Carry Passenger”).

**Functional Duties**
- Provide support to Family and Children’s Services of Lanark, Leeds and Grenville (FCSLLG) in all aspects related to family finding and building community and cultural connections.
- Carry a caseload of Kinship Service and Kinship Provider files (including Other Child Welfare cases), completing all administrative tasks set out in the Kinship Standards, policies, procedures and guidelines, including CPIN business practices
- Use the methods and strategies from the family finding model to locate and engage the relatives and cultural community of children/youth in out of home care or at risk of entering care so that every child may benefit from lifelong connections that only a family provides.
- Using technology, file research, genograms, family research tools, interviews, and connection to cultural communities, the Kinship/Connections Worker will seek out kin and community to a) build on existing relationships and enable continuity of relationships, b) assist with long-lasting safety and permanency planning for the child/youth, c) find viable alternative options other than admission to care, and d) promote stability and a sense of belonging for children and youth
- Maintain the integrity of children/youth’s connections to Indigenous and other relevant cultural groups.
- Collaborate with FCSLLG employees, First Nation Band Representatives, and other cultural communities to ensure that all relevant information is gathered and explored.
- Lead and participate in case conferences, family circles, family network meetings, and permanency planning meetings.
- Educate staff and community members about family finding and widening family and community participation.
- Acts as a liaison with Elders, Service Providers and First Nation Communities as required.
- Contribute to the creation of fulsome cultural plans for children in kinship placements or those who have been referred to the program for consultation.
- Support the organizational goals and objectives related to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity
- Understand and comply with all corporation policies, procedures, programs, practices, guidelines, and work routines including but not limited to:

- Assuming case responsibilities as directed
- Signs of Safety practice framework
- Working with children and families in a goal-directed manner, which may include assessment of service needs and the coordination of service delivery
- Conducting regular forensic, clinical, and supportive interviews of children and caregivers to ensure that safety, permanency, and wellbeing is adequately assessed and the child/youth’s voice is included in planning
- Engage the extended family and/or community in permanency planning early in the process and explore opportunities for lifelong connections for older youth in need of support.
- Conduct thorough reviews of relevant case files to assist in identifying family members or other key people in the child/youth’s natural network who may be options for placement, permanency planning and/or supporting lifelong connections.
- Work closely with members of the child protection team related to permanency planning goals, case trajectories and parenting time/access related issues (this includes working with other agency teams if there are shared kinship service or provider f