Complete Winning Selection Criteria Example
Winning Selection Criteria Example
The following is an example of a winning selection criteria which successfully made it to interview. For more examples or to access our DIY Selection Criteria Writing Kit for only $19.95 please visit us here.
Knowledge and
understanding of the principles of client centred case management and
demonstrated ability in applying such principles.
I’ve previously worked in multiple case management positions
with a focus on the strengths and needs of each individual client. For example,
as a Fostering Case Worker with Isa, I managed a case load of
Foster Carers and the children in their care. A critical component of the role
was to complete regular strength and needs assessment for the children in care
to identify their needs moving forward on a case by case basis. Prior to this I
worked in a case management role with Skills Development Scheme to manage a case load of 50+ ‘at risk’ clients aged between 15 and 21. These
clients had multiple non-vocational barriers including drug and alcohol abuse,
juvenile justice issues and homelessness. Many of these clients were also victims
of sexual, domestic or physical abuse and had significant trauma related
issues. I completed the initial assessments for clients entering this service
to identify these barriers and create a case management plan to address these
issues – taking the clients wants and needs into priority at every step of the
consultation process.
Knowledge of issues
facing young people who are facing severe barriers to achieving stability and
security in their personal lives.
As a result of my employment with SDS I offer a significant
understanding of the issues facing young people. One of the main referrers to
my case load was the Juvenile Justice section of the Northern Territory Police.
For example, one of the clients they referred was a young man aged 15 with
multiple barriers to achieving stability and security in his personal life. The
client had lost his father two years earlier and as a result had started to
abuse drugs and alcohol. He also developed a significant criminal history
during this time for motor vehicle theft. Further, the client had dropped out
of school which had limited his employment prospects moving forward. In
consultation with NT Police and the client, it was identified that the two main
issues facing the young man were the unresolved grief over the death of his
father and bleak employment prospects. I referred the client to one of the
counselling services in the area to resolve his emotional issues and arranged
for the client to participate in work experience at a local mechanical workshop
as the client expressed a keen interest in all things mechanical. As a result,
the client obtained an apprenticeship with the same company and successfully
exited our program six months later with no further D&A or legal issues
reported.
Sound understanding
of child protection systems, mandatory reporting requirements and available
supports and interventions.
My understanding of the Child Protection System and
Mandatory reporting was developed as a Fostering Case Worker for Isa. In this role I supported and assessed foster carers in the region as well
as completing the matching process of children in care with the most suitable
carer based on the matching criteria. This included regular home visits to
assess household safety and the reporting of any issues to the Department of
Communities (DOCS). For example, during a safety inspection at a carers home, I
identified that although the carer had a (3) bedroom house, one of the rooms
was used for storage (full to the roof) and unsuitable as any sort of living
space. This posed a significant concern as the carer had (6) children in her
care based on the expected availability and use of all (3) bedrooms. As a
result, all (6) children in her care were staying in the one room of various
aged and sexes. I immediately reported my concerns to our Service Manager who
notified DOCS. We held an urgent meeting between the carer, DOCS and our
service to voice our concerns and find an acceptable solution. The carer was
not willing to utilise the 3rd bedroom so a decision was made to
remove (3) of the children and find an alternative placement based on the
individual needs of each child.
Skill in developing
rapport and communicating with young people, families, volunteers, students,
relief staff, staff, management and colleagues from community agencies,
including people from diverse cultural backgrounds, government and
non-government organisations.
While working for SDS, I maintained a wide network of
referral partners including but not limited to crisis support services, mental
health professionals, NT Police, Youth Homelessness Services, Refugee Support
Services and Community Legal Services. For example, I had strong ties with one
of our local accommodation services that worked with young women to source
transitional accommodation. This relationship was originally built through a
community networking meeting and became one of our number one referrer based on
our track record of success in assisting our mutual clients. One of these
clients was a young woman aged 17 who was residing in one of their ‘transition
to independence’ homes. This client had previously worked with both our other
case workers with no success and had been transferred to me as a result. I was
able to build a rapport based on general topics of communication and gain the
clients trust. The client had a long history of verbally abusing Case Workers,
however due to my approach (seeking first to understand, before being
understood) I never had any issues. The client identified that her lifelong
dream was to backpack around Scotland, however her substance abuse issues, lack
of financial resources and lack of employment prospects made this unattainable.
I was able to secure the client a much-wanted six-month contract on a remote
Northern Territory Cattle Station which limited her access to D&A, provided
employment and allowed her to save for her dream. At the exit interview (3)
months later (via phone due to remote access), the client stated she had nearly
saved the money she needed for the trip, had stopped abusing D&A and was
looking forward to fulfilling her dream.
Ability to negotiate
and advocate on the client’s behalf.
My negotiation and advocacy skills were on display when a
voluntary client requested my assistance at SDS. The client was a 17-year-old
girl with an obvious intellectual impairment. The client had heard about me
from a friend and presented in my office in a distressed state. The client
stated that she was pregnant and that her parents were trying to force her to
have an abortion based on her disability. The client stated she had run away
from her family and was currently hiding in a motel where she exchanged
house-keeping for room and board. The client allowed me to call her mother to
let her know that she was safe, however refused to return home. Her family was
quite adamant that she must terminate the pregnancy stating that she had a
medical condition (not related to her disability) that would make a full-term
pregnancy extremely dangerous. They stated that the client had been assessed as
having the intellectual capacity of a six-year-old which made them the legal
decision makers. I had some concerns about the assessment of the client’s
capabilities as she was maintaining employment, living independently and
transporting herself around the city on public transport however our service
was not a specialist organisation in this area and we always referred disabled clients
to a sister disability organisation with more experience in this area. I
referred this client to our sister organisation however they were unable to see
her that week and the situation was an urgent priority. I contacted a legal
service that specialised in disability and expressed my concerns who arranged
an emergency meeting with the client to resolve the situation. The legal service
arranged a mediation between the client and her family and a joint decision was
reached. The client transitioned to our sister service, however frequently
called into my office to up date me on her life. At our last contact she was
back living with her family and had obtained employment stacking shelves at
Woolworths.
Ability to respond
appropriately and in a timely manner to crisis situations.
I frequently responded to crisis situations as a Fostering
Case Worker with ISA. In this position, I was on a rotating on-call basis
to answer our emergency number after hours. Usually the crisis line resolved
around medical emergencies or sick children, however on one occasion, a Carer
called and stated that one of the children in her care had gone missing. This
child had been placed in her care less than 24 hours earlier on an emergency
basis. I immediately notified the DOCS
emergency line and the Police and drove to the carer’s house. The child was (3)
years old and had gone to bed at a reasonable time with the doors locked. The
carer also had a six-foot fence with a locked gate surrounding the property so
the likelihood of the child being outside of the yard seemed unlikely. We
searched the property while waiting for the Police to arrive however there was no
sign of the child, although we could see that she had pushed the screen window
out. The child was found by a passer-by a short time later walking up the road.
DOCS later informed us that the child had a history of absconding (including
being able to climb high fences) however it had not been reflected in the
initial intake report due to the abrupt placement of the child with the carer.
Moving forward, we were able to obtain funding for locks on the windows which
prevented the situation from reoccurring.
Demonstrated ability to work as part of a professional team.
My ability to work as part of a professional team had been
evident in all my past roles, however a specific example occurred at SDS. I
was initially employed as a Junior Case Manager and I was expected to hold this
position for a period of 12 months so I could obtain the skills required to
manage an independent case load. However, after two weeks in the position, both
my Team Leader and the other Case Worker came down sick at the same time and both
were off work for the same period of time (approx. 1 week). The CEO was also on
leave at this time, so there was no-one at the service aside from our
Administration Officer. I managed the
case loads of the Team Leader and the other staff manager during this time,
including our intake assessments and any community meetings in the Team Leaders
calendar. On her return both my Team Leader and the CEO were surprised to see
that the service had met all its targets, all the files and notes were up to
date and the reports due had been completed as well as every client being
serviced. The CEO called me to her office and immediately offered me a
promotion to Senior Case Manager as a result – stating that it was clear to her
that no further training was required.
Well-developed verbal and written communication skills.
As a Case Worker I offer strong written skills with the
ability to complete and report on multiple assessments and reports including
but not limited to intake assessments, strength and needs assessments and
government funding compliance. I was specifically asked to assist with our
external audit while employed with SDS to audit other Case Workers files due
to my track record of exceeding case note and reporting requirements at the
service. Regarding verbal communication, a specific example occurred at SDS
with a client who spoke limited English. Her English was so limited that I
needed to use a translating service during our meetings (phone translator on
speaker). Despite the communication issues, I was able to achieve a positive
outcome for the client, referring her to a suitable accommodation service and
enrolling her in an English course run through the local TAFE.
Ability to operate Windows applications at an Intermediate
level, including the following Microsoft applications: Word, PowerPoint,
Outlook, Excel; or the ability to rapidly acquire these skills within one month
of commencement.
My experience with Windows Applications is at a high level.
I have used the following programs as part of my employment history:
·
Word: draft documents, case notes, reports.
·
Excel: track expenditure and client information
and statistics.
·
Outlook: diary management and email.
·
PowerPoint: develop presentations.
·
ESS: develop case notes, write client resumes,
complete assessments.
·
Sharepoint: store and receive documents and case
notes.
Experience,
Qualifications and Other Requirements
Tertiary qualification in social science, counselling,
mental health, Child and Family Intervention, social work or community work;
and/or equivalent level of case management experience.
I am currently studying an Introduction to Psychology
through Macquarie University with a view to enrolling in a Bachelor of Arts
(Psychology) on successful completion of my current unit. I also offer formal
certification in Domestic Violence and have completed a multitude of courses
and professional development including Youth Friendly Practice. I can obtain a
Blue Card, have a Drivers Licence and can obtain all required Police and Suitability
checks.
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