Nambour Community Centre (NCC) employs around 16 staff, has ~20+ volunteers. Our programs include: Multicultural Connections Sunshine Coast, Thriving Families and Community Development which are currently funded by: Local State and Federal government departments.
The centre and its management committee provide a team focused, supportive environment that aims to enable staff and volunteers to reach their own professional goals while also working towards to the goals of the organisation.
NCC Inc is an Equal Opportunity Employer, adheres to Workplace Health and Safety Regulations, is a Child Safe Organisation and operates under Social Justice Principles.
NCC won the inaugural Neighbourhood Centre Community Impact award at the 2023 QCOSS award ceremony.
Purpose - Social Connection Worker
The Social Connection Worker role is part of a youth focused social prescribing pilot program funded by the Queensland Government, in response to Recommendation 7 from the Inquiry into Social Isolation and Loneliness in Queensland. This recommendation calls for a state-wide trial of the social prescription model.
The small JOIN team supports young people and their families and empowers them to nurture their health and wellbeing by engaging in community activities and services that resonate with their values and interests.
JOIN Workers use their experience, training, and interpersonal skills to build rapport and work respectfully with program participants. They take a strengths-based approach and apply trauma-informed care to co-design goals and deliver services that reflect the personal preferences and aspirations of individuals within the family.
This work is guided by a Community Development Framework, which ensures that all engagement is by invitation and also supports reflective practice, celebration of progress, and ongoing adaptation based on community insights.
We are looking for a Social Connection Worker who can bring positive energy to the project and can contribute to a fun and enthusiastic team. Social Connection workers are skilled communicators with the capacity to assess, advocate, facilitate, empower, and coordinate on behalf of young people and their families. They will perform duties in line with Nambour Community Centre and Thriving Families practice framework, policies, and procedures.
Key Responsibilities
Community Engagement
* Map local strengths, stories, and aspirations—especially from families and teens.
* Leverage existing Neighbourhood Centre infrastructure and networks to identify community assets and record options for social prescription referral pathways.
* Build and maintain a comprehensive and up-to-date directory/database of local resources, activities, community groups and assets (free or low cost) to support social prescription referrals, and identify gaps in existing services or activities.
Invite and Empower
* Ensure families and teens are actively invited to participate, with involvement that is voluntary, meaningful, and built on trust, active listening, and mutual respect.
* Utilise local networks, creative methods, and relational approaches to connect with young people and their families in the community.
* Invest time listening deeply, holding a light agenda, and managing expectations.
* Co-design pathways, define success collaboratively, and link them to existing services.
* Support the development and distribution of marketing materials for the project.
Intake, assessment, relationship building and client management.
* Conduct holistic assessments to understand each family's unique experience of social isolation and/or loneliness, alongside any coexisting social, health, and wellbeing concerns.
* Undertake risk assessments and make referrals to other services when needs extend beyond the scope of social prescribing or require specialist intervention.
* Support young people and families in promoting lifestyle changes through motivational interviewing.
* Co-produce personalised plans to alleviate social isolation and/or loneliness by facilitating connections to community groups, services, and activities, encouraging self-referrals where appropriate.
* Provide continuity and a personalised, coordinated experience of care, remaining a consistent point of contact throughout the social prescription journey.
* Engage in outreach work, meeting young people and families in homes, schools, or public spaces.
* Allocate brokerage funds to help families access social prescribing services, activities, and supports when existing resources are insufficient.
Working with Young People from a Community Development Lens
* Approach young people and families as active contributors to community life, not passive recipients of services.
* Facilitate opportunities for young people to shape local initiatives, ensuring their voices are heard and valued in decision-making processes.
* Encourage peer-led activities and youth-driven projects that build confidence, leadership, and belonging.
* Strengthen intergenerational connections by creating spaces where families and young people collaborate with community members to share skills, culture, and stories.
* Apply reflective practice to continually adapt approaches based on insights from young people and families, ensuring the program evolves with community needs.
* Celebrate progress and achievements publicly, reinforcing the role of young people and families as vital assets within the community
Fostering positive team culture
* Nurture a positive culture and environment where innovation and new ideas that improve service delivery can be constructively explored, encouraged and implemented.
* Provide practical administrative assistance in the office, such as filing, and ensuring information and forms are updated. This also includes taking phone calls, recording messages.
Quality, risk and compliance
* Participate in WH&S safety audits and HSQF (Human Services Quality Framework) audits and ensure that any minor non-conformances are quickly addressed and closed-out.
* Contribute to the safe working requirements and procedures of TF.
Governance and reporting
* Support the maintenance of NCC policies and procedures.
* Working closely with the department's evaluation partner to support monitoring, and evaluate participant and program outcomes – this includes capturing client data and feedback from clients, attending meetings related to the monitoring and evaluation of the trial and producing reporting on learnings and outcomes at the place-level.
* Participating in a community of practice with the other Social Prescribing Link Workers employed across the state as part of the Trial.
Staff Reporting to role: None - you will be part of a small dedicated team.
Operating budget: Oversee utilisation of project brokerage budget.
Decision Making Authority
Policy: NA
Staffing: NA
Delegations: NA
Key Skills, Experience and Qualifications
Qualifications
Must be completing or have completed a Bachelors Degree or equivalent in social work, human services or similar.
Experience with Families, Children & Practice Approach
Experience working in groups with families and children.
Minimum 1-2 years experience working with families and children in a group setting.
Excellent family and child, holistic assessments and consultation skills.
Experience providing empowering support to families, children and young people in a planned and structured way to improve health and well-being outcomes.
Ability to manage and prioritise workload and client demand, in accordance with community needs, priorities and any urgent support required by individuals.
Cultural Safety & Practice
Must be confident in working respectfully and confidently with diverse families including First Nations families, multi-cultural families and families with disability.
Has knowledge and understanding of feminist-based practice and have a social justice mindset.
Child Safety
Proven understanding of safeguarding for children and vulnerable adults.
Ability to implement relevant policies and procedures for triage, risk assessment and referring clients to other services to address primary health or social needs.
In particular, child safety risk assessment and referral pathways into secondary and statutory child protection services.
Community Development and Social Prescribing understanding and practice
Understanding of community development frameworks and methods of practice.
Understanding of the local community service system and local community groups/networks or ability to quickly gain this knowledge.
Understanding of social prescribing, well-being and ability to provide motivational and behavioral techniques.
The ability to keep fidelity to the model and purpose of a Social Prescribing Link Worker as an enabling and capacity building function, not a complex case worker.
Communication & Digital Skills
Must have strong interpersonal skills, verbal and written communication skills including a working knowledge of Excel and Word and be willing to learn how to use CANVA.
Proven experience in record keeping, supporting client data capture and recording outcomes and learnings at an individual and program level.
Personal attributes
Proactivity and finding innovative solutions to barriers or problems
A learning and development mindset
Highly organised, with the ability to work autonomously and to plan, prioritise work under pressure and adapt to new models of working
The ability to work closely with Coordinators and team members to achieve agreed goals.
Passion for working with families and children and for community engagement and development
Other
Must hold a current Blue Card
Current C Class drivers license essential
Please provide an up to date resume, cover letter and address the Key Skills, Experience and Qualifications in no more than two pages.
For more information please contact Caz May Coordinator Thriving Families via email on
Note: This position will close on Monday 12 January or will stay open until a suitable candidate is found.
Commencement date will be once a suitable candidate is found and available to start.