And loving it

Michelle Grant loves to watch things blossom and reach their full potential. So it’s not so surprising that after completing a degree in Social Science, she moved from a job tending flowers on her family’s commercial farm to working with the NSW Department of Community Services (DoCS).

“While studying, I had several career options to consider,” Michelle says. “People don’t always think of DoCS when they are doing their degrees, but I looked into the Department’s work and their requirements in becoming a caseworker and I found my degree was one of the many that they accepted.”

DoCS employs people with a range of tertiary qualifications - from social work, psychology, social
science and many other degrees, if combined with the relevant training and experience.

After four years at DoCS, Michelle definitely feels as though she has made the right career choice. “Working as an early intervention caseworker allows me to help families with their problems early on, so that they don’t reach a crisis point,” she says.

“I wanted to make a positive difference in children’s lives and this role allows me to see some fantastic changes in families’ relationships – it is incredibly rewarding.

”I also love that I may be preventing families from entering the child protection system altogether. There is no doubt in my mind that early intervention helps in developing stronger and more resilient families, which results in kids being happier and stronger.”

With a range of positions available in early intervention, child protection and out-of-home care, DoCS
caseworkers are able to experience the many facets of casework, allowing graduates the opportunity to learn where their passions lie.

Michelle believes that if graduates are considering a career in casework, they will need to genuinely like working with children.

“I really care about kids and love working with them,” she says. “For me, they are the central most important part of the job and help me to stay focused on what is important when dealing with a challenging case.

“That said, there are many other parts of the job I get a lot out of. Every day is different, because every family and every child is different.

“It makes me think creatively as I work together with different families to find solutions for each of them. I am yet to have a boring day at work!

“I would also say to graduates that it is important to have good communication, organisational and timemanagement skills because on any given day you could be out visiting a family, called to an emergency or in the office preparing plans for families.

“DoCS is a great place to start your career or to come to if you’re looking for a career change. Senior staff are very supportive of new starters and there are lots of additional training opportunities to learn new skills.”

To complement their degree, new caseworkers are provided with extensive training to help them understand the requirements and processes they need to best protect children and young people.

All caseworkers within the Department have ongoing professional training and supervision to keep them
up to date with new programs and services based on international research and best practice.

DoCS offers flexible working conditions, including a regular working week and generous recreation and study and maternity leave arrangements. The Department is the leading community services organisation in NSW and, with approximately 4,000 staff, the largest child protection agency in Australia.

With more than 80 Community Services Centres, the geographical spread of the DoCS office network means
staff can choose between a city, coastal or regional location such as Michelle did on the north coast.

DoCS is currently recruiting early intervention, child protection and out-of-home care caseworkers in many areas across NSW.

To learn more about a career with DoCS, visit www.community.nsw.gov.au/careers.