Job Summary:

To provide child protection services to children and families within the Cheam First Nations community. The role of this position is under the direction of the Director of Programs /or Executive Director.

Reports to: Executive Director/Council

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Investigates complaints of child abuse and neglect by interviewing clients, observing and involving appropriate agencies in the investigation, evaluating risk indicators, validating the complaint, and determining a plan of action.
• Develops and implements a child protection plan by identifying client needs, establishing long- and short-term goals and developing a contract with clients and other resources.
• Ensures the ongoing management of cases by monitoring progress towards goals, coordinating services, consulting with other service providers, examining the terms of the contract and making referrals to other agencies.
• Prepares documentation for court, files documents and ensures legislative requirements are addressed and timelines for serving notice follow the Rules of Court.
• Prepares clients for court by explaining the purpose, ensuring client has access to legal counsel, informing the clients of other witnesses and explaining expected court behaviour and appearance.
• Prepares and presents evidence for Family Court, determines admissible evidence, instructs legal counsel regarding the type of court order sought, prepares for hearing, negotiates times and witnesses for hearing and presents testimony.
• Acts as the legal guardian by providing statutory services to feed, clothe, and house children, providing opportunities for the social, intellectual, and moral development of the child. Provides support for children’s identified needs.
• Develops Life Plans to reunite the child with the family or place the child into a family setting.
• Develop cultural plans.
• Authorizes expenditures for support services to families.
• Provides services to the family such as assistance with parenting skills, drugs, alcohol treatment and referrals.
• Works as a member of a team.

Job Requirements

• A Bachelor or Master’s Degree in Social Work or Child and Youth Care, or Masters of Educational Counselling or Masters of Clinical Psychology, or equivalent.
• Child Welfare Specialization, having worked in child welfare and/or at an Aboriginal agency for two recent (2) years within the last 5 years.
• MCFD Knowledge & appreciation of Aboriginal cultures and how these impact the development of individuals and communities
• Provincial Delegation Training.
• Practical knowledge of Provincial Aboriginal Operational Practice Standards and Indicators
• May be required to work evenings/weekends.
• Required to use own vehicle. Valid Class 5 Driver’s License, Driver’s Abstract and a reliable and safe vehicle.
• Successful completion of security screening requirements of Cheam First Nation, which includes a criminal records check, and/or Criminal Records Review Act (CRRA) check, police record checks, enhanced security screening and degree verification. Satisfactory proof of legal authorization to work in Canada.
• Carrying out special projects as required by Director of Programs /or Executive Director.

Job Skills and abilities:

• Excellent understanding and knowledge of Indigenous cultures, traditions, and socio-economic issues affecting urban indigenous families.
• Excellent oral, written, facilitation, interpersonal and communication skills
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Ability to work effectively with agency staff, volunteers and professionals from community agencies and partner organizations.

Additional Information:

• This position requires the ability to function independently while managing multiple projects and deadlines including effectively managing emergencies. Program delivery activities may require a moderate level of physical fitness to effectively carry out the position’s duties.
• May be required to work outside core business hours (evenings and weekends).
• Must be eligible to obtain appropriate Delegation and consideration will be given to those who already hold C4 Guardianship delegation and Adoption delegation.

Core Competencies:

Indigenous Relations Behavioural Competencies

• Cultural Agility is the ability to work respectfully, knowledgeably, and effectively with Indigenous people. It is noticing and readily adapting to cultural uniqueness to create a sense of safety for all. It is openness to unfamiliar experiences, transforming nervousness or anxiety into curiosity and appreciation. It is examining one’s own culture and worldview, and noticing their commonalities, and distinctions with Indigenous cultures, and worldviews. It is a recognition of the ways that personal and professional values may conflict or align with those of Indigenous people. It is the capacity to relate to or allow for differing cultural perspectives and being willing to experience a personal shift in perspective. Effectively to other people from diverse backgrounds with diverse views

Behavioural Competencies

• Results Driven concern for surpassing a standard of excellence. The standard may be one’s past performance (striving for improvement); an objective measure (achievement orientation); challenging goals that one has set; or even improving or surpassing what has already been done (continuous improvement).
• Teamwork and Co-operation is the ability to work cooperatively with diverse teams, work groups, and across the organization to achieve group and organizational goals. It includes the desire and ability to understand and respond effectively to other people from diverse backgrounds with diverse views.
• Service Orientation implies a desire to identify and serve members, who may include the public, co-workers, other branches, other ministries/agencies, other government organizations, and non-government organizations. It means focusing one’s efforts on discovering and meeting the needs of the customer/client.
• Seeking and Using Feedback involves recognizing that improving performance and authenticity can occur through a reciprocal relationship. This requires an acknowledgment that here is an opportunity for mutual learning and development and levels the field in what is brought to supervision. Reciprocal learning can require active listening and modeling personal change to foster trust.
• Reflective Practice is the ability to critically assess how one’s values, beliefs, ethics, and culture influence decisions and relationships. An ability to demonstrate exemplary behavior and curiosity regarding the perspectives of others results in appropriate boundaries and insightful practice.
• Responsive Learning is facilitated through multiple approaches to encourage a deepening and expanding of skill sets to continue to build expertise that results in improved individual and organizational outcomes.
• Information Seeking implies going beyond the questions that are routine or required in the job. It may include “digging” or pressing for exact information; resolution of discrepancies by asking a series of questions; or less-focused environmental “scanning” for potential opportunities or miscellaneous information that may be of future use.
• Planning, Organizing, and Co-ordinating involves proactively planning, establishing priorities, and allocating resources. It is expressed by developing and implementing increasingly complex plans. It also involves monitoring and adjusting work to accomplish goals and deliver to the organization’s mandate.
• Decisive Insight combines the ability to draw on one’s own experience, knowledge, and training and effectively problem-solve increasingly difficult and complex situations. It involves breaking down problems, tracing implications and recognizing patterns and connections that are not obviously related.

Interested applicants should email their resume (CV) attention: hr@cheamband.com

We would like to thank all applicants who express an interest in working with Cheam First Nation, however, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. We are excited to hear from all interested candidates, with a preference given to First Nation applicants.