Guardianship Social Worker, Term

**Status : Term Full-time (18 months)**

**Hours of Work : 8:30 - 4:30 Monday to Friday**

**Delegated Program: Guardianship**

**Location: 3284 East Broadway, Vancouver BC**

**Classification: Delegated Social Program Officer, 21-24 (+1 Temporary Market Adjustment)**

**Salary: $ 69,760.70 to $ 89,268.45 annually which includes a 1 Grid Temporary Market Adjustment**

**Competition Number: 24-G-893**
- Use your child welfare expertise to make a lasting difference in Vancouver’s Indigenous community
- Receive a competitive salary of **$69,760.70 to $89,268.45** annually PLUS a comprehensive benefits package
- Take on a challenging role that provides membership in the Public Service Pension Plan

At VACFSS, we ensure that the rights, safety, well-being and spirit of Indigenous children and families are upheld, honoured and protected. We strive to eliminate oppression, discrimination, and marginalization within our community. We acknowledge and honour the inherent wisdom, capacity, and resourcefulness of our community in designing programs and services to care for our own children and families. Accordingly, we are dedicated to planning, developing, and implementing creative and innovative Indigenous programs and services in collaboration with members of our community and other agencies.

The VACFSS Guardianship program is responsible for the care and well-being of Indigenous children under a Continuing Custody Order. Our approach is situated in a model of the child in the center of their circle of support, surrounded by family and community. The Guardianship program focuses on developing holistic care plans with an emphasis on connection to family, culture and community.

**PURPOSE OF POSITION**

Reporting to the Guardianship Team Leader, the Guardianship Social Worker carries out guardianship responsibilities for children in continuing care of the Director of Child and Family Services and secures culturally appropriate, child specific, permanent or adoptive homes. The Guardianship Social Worker is responsible for the day-to-day care of the child throughout the child’s stay in care. The worker develops and supervises the comprehensive plan of care and deals with issues related to placement and permanency planning. The worker has delegated responsibility for ensuring that the child’s rights under the Child, Family and Community Service Act (CF&CS) are met, and for exercising the Director’s authority under the Act by providing services to children in care in accordance with legislation, guardianship standards and VACFSS policy.

**FUNCTIONS**:.**
- The Guardianship Social Worker works with the child’s circle to complete holistic and balanced care plans that honours their cultural identity, views their family and community as active members in their Circle, and supports healing and growth.
- Supports children and youth to have an active and engaged circle of care around them.
- Ensures strong collaboration between those in a child’s circle, and advocates for additional culturally relevant supports and services.
- Supports continual exploration of the child’s Circle to provide care for the child, with a focus on return to family and community.
- Supports young person to plan for independence through a holistic model that insures youth are ready to enter the community as young adults.
- Demonstrates an in - depth knowledge of First Nations and cultural groups in Canada as well as protocols associated with accessing community contacts and Elders. Develops meaningful long term therapeutic relationships with children, youth and their families that are trauma informed, and strength based.

**Key Competencies**:

- Relational Engagement
- Leadership
- Collaborative Planning and Decision Making
- Emotional Competency
- Resilience
- Cultural, Spiritual Expression

**QUALIFICATIONS**:
**Education and Experience**:

- A Master of Social Work (MSW) or Master in a related human services field or;
- A Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or;
- A Bachelor degree specializing in a related human services field plus two years of related experience in child and family services
- C4 delegation (to be provided)

**Job Skills and Abilities**:

- Solid understanding of the Child, Family and Community Services Act
- Awareness of resources available to Indigenous clients, and knowledge of the referral process
- Demonstrates the ability to maintain controlled emotional involvement in dealing with self and with others.
- Ability to form therapeutic relationships with difficult to engage with children and youth.
- Demonstrated ability to work from a trauma informed practice.
- Applies the Indigenous concept of relational engagement to persons-served, to other employees and to the land from an Indigenous Worldview.
- Utilizes Indigenous values and models of leadership which are entrenched in traditional Indigenous leadership views (Siiyamints) to provide leadership to persons-served, agency employees and others under their sphere o