Afterhours Social Worker - Level 3

Employment Type: Temporary Part Time Until June 2027
Position Classification: Social Worker Level 3
Remuneration: $116,892 - $120,680 + Super + Salary Packaging 
Hours Per Week: 26
Requisition ID: REQ663414
Closing Date: Sunday 7th June 2026

Interview Dates : Thursday 11th June and Friday 12th June 

Location | John Hunter Hospital 

 Are you an experienced and compassionate Social Worker looking to make a meaningful impact in acute healthcare? Join the dedicated Social Work team at John Hunter Hospital and play a vital role supporting patients, families, and multidisciplinary teams during critical and complex presentations.

Working independently on the Afternoon Shift from 4:00pm – 10:30pm, you will respond to urgent referrals across both adult and paediatric hospital settings, providing high-quality psychosocial assessment, crisis intervention, and trauma-informed care.

The Social Worker Level 3 – Afternoon Shift position is responsible for responding to complex clinical presentations including:

• Trauma and critical care presentations
• Unexpected and sudden deaths
• Child protection concerns
• Family and domestic violence referrals
• Mental health and psychosocial crises
• Grief and bereavement support

You will work closely with multidisciplinary teams across Emergency Department, ICU, Child Protection, Maternity, and other acute care areas to ensure safe, coordinated, and patient-centred care.

• Deliver a range of social work interventions including:
  • Crisis intervention
  • Trauma-informed practice
  • Bereavement counselling and support
  • Psychosocial assessment
  • Advocacy and safety planning
  • Safe discharge coordination
• Prioritise workload in line with Social Work and Hospital guidelines, with a focus on:
  • Sudden death responses
  • Child protection matters
  • Domestic and family violence
  • Safety and risk assessments
• Support timely and effective discharge planning, particularly within the Emergency Department
• Facilitate referrals to appropriate community and support services

About You 

You are a highly skilled and resilient Social Worker with a passion for supporting individuals and families during times of crisis and vulnerability. You thrive in fast-paced clinical environments and are confident working autonomously while collaborating effectively within multidisciplinary teams

• Experience working within acute health, emergency, crisis intervention, child protection, or trauma-informed settings
• The ability to independently assess and respond to complex psychosocial presentations
• Strong understanding of risk assessment, safety planning, and crisis management
• Confidence supporting presentations involving sudden death, grief and bereavement, domestic and family violence, and child protection concerns

Essential Criteria 

• Must hold as a minimum a bachelor's degree in social work which provides eligibility for membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers, or other qualification deemed equivalent by the employer.
• Minimum of 3 years full time clinical experience and demonstrated extensive Social Work experience working in an acute hospital setting.

What We Can Offer You

At Hunter New England Health enjoy a career where you're challenged by interesting work and surrounded by spectacular locations. Join the team enriching health in millions of ways every day:

Sustainable Healthcare: Together towards zero

• 4 weeks annual leave (pro-rata for part time employees)

   

• Paid parental leave (for eligible employees) - giving you the opportunity for true Worklife balance
• Salary packaging options - up to $11,600 plus novated lease
• Fitness Passport for health and well-being - discounted gym options for you and your family

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for staff and family members

   

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Need more information? 
  1) Click here for the Position Description 
  2) Find out more about applying for this position
For role related queries or questions contact Sarah Mccubbin on sarah.mccubbin@health.nsw.gov.au

Additional Information:

✅ Hunter New England Health is dedicated to fostering a child-safe environment that respects and upholds the rights of children and young people, aligned with NSW Health’s commitment to implementing the Child Safe Standards. We aim to ensure that children and young people feel safe, supported, and included in their care. All current and prospective staff are expected to prioritise the safety, welfare, and well-being of children and young people, actively working to protect them from harm and abuse.
✅ At Hunter New England Local Health District, we are an inclusive employer dedicated to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming workplace. Our commitment to a workforce that reflects the community we care for is essential for delivering the highest quality healthcare to our community. We encourage people with diverse lived experiences to apply. If you require any accommodations or adjustments to the recruitment process, please let us know when you apply or at any stage of the process. We will work with you to meet your needs and create the best possible experience. Please contact HNELHD-Diversity@health.nsw.gov.au for confidential support. 
✅ An eligibility list will be created for temporary part time vacancies.

Information for Applicants:

Applicants will be assessed against the essential requirements and selection criteria contained within the position description (link below). For assistance addressing selection criteria visit: https://bit.ly/3vL5fq2 
 
Stepping Up Website is a resource designed to help indigenous job applicants apply for positions in NSW Health. For more information, please visit: https://bit.ly/HNEHealthSteppingUp 
 
This is a Category A position. Recommended applicants will be reviewed for compliance with NSW Health policy directive PD2024_015: Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination against Specified Infectious Diseases for Category A positions prior to offer. All new employees must agree to comply with the requirements outlined in the policy. 

Salary Packaging: is beneficial to most Hunter New England Health employees and may increase your take-home pay! Salary package a range of personal expenses including novated motor vehicle leases, relocation expenses, and HECS/HELP debt. Find out more by contacting SalaryPackagingPLUS! via nswhealth@salarypackagingplus.com.au or 1300 40 25 23. 

Hunter New England Health employees may be eligible for a range of benefits such as allocated days off (ADO) for full time employees, long service leave, paid maternity leave, and salary packaging options including meal expenses.  
 
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