Director of Child Welfare Services

Location

St Catharines, ON | Canada

Job description

Employer: Family and Children’s Services Niagara

Reporting to: The Executive Director

Location:St. Catharines, Ontario 

Salary: Competitive salary, benefits package and pension plan

Closing Date: March 1, 2024

WHO WE ARE

Family and Children’s Services has been making a positive difference in the lives of children, youth, and families in Niagara for more than a century. As a multiservice agency providing child welfare services, fostering and adoption, counselling, and childcare, the team at FACS Niagara works to keep children safe and families strong.

POSITION SUMMARY 

As a member of the Executive Team, the Director of Child Welfare Services is responsible for planning, organizing, directing and evaluating the delivery of child and family services in accordance with the prescribed guidelines and regulations of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act. They will provide leadership in the development of service policies and programs.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Implements the Service Plan ensuring the effective and efficient delivery of services to children and families.
• Ensures all necessary service models of care, policies, programs, and procedures are developed and implemented in accordance with relevant legislation, the service plan and best practices.
• Participates in the development of quality assurance measures for service provision and the establishment of quality improvement processes and activities 
• Ensures that child and family services and legal services roles and processes are clearly articulated and that service goals and standards are in place by which to measure outcomes.
• Implements recommendations and action plans emanating from internal and external reviews, MCFCS audits and provides periodic reporting on progress.
• Ensures compliance with existing and new requirements and standards of the CFSA and ministry regulations, including risk assessment and child protection standards services, children in care including foster care licensing, OPR foster and group care, residential licensing, Looking After Children, adoption and all such related requirements, including applicable municipal, health and safety and fire regulations.
• Responds to client complaints and documents steps taken and conducts or assists in reviews as required, and ensures follow-up on recommendations adopted by the agency.
• Ensures all staff receive sufficient service supervision of their cases and caseloads to ensure the legislation, regulations and policies of the Ministry and the agency are adhered to.
• Articulates and constantly monitors key metrics of Child Welfare Services and Legal Services to assess their efficiency and effectiveness to ensure the highest level of service is being provided.
• Assesses risks to the agency and takes appropriate action on cases to minimize and eliminate risks.
• Ensures the Executive Director is conversant with Child Welfare Service and Legal issues and information relevant to the Board’s activities and governance roles
• Ensures recruitment, performance evaluation, coaching, discipline and termination where necessary are according to Human Resources policy and within the context of the collective agreement.
• Provides supervision and management to all service staff and manages in a manner that motivates, guides and directs employees to the realization of FACS values, goals, objectives and performance expectations; ensures a work environment that expects fairness, consistency, respect and approachability while promoting staff participation, team work and positive employee relations; develops leadership skills and mentors those who demonstrate abilities for promotion.
• Ensures the effective and efficient distribution and utilization of department staff based on the established productivity levels, program goals and guidelines
• Holds people accountable to standards of performance including conducting annual performance appraisals that support staff in establishing and attaining performance goals.

EXPEREINCE AND EDUCATION 

• Masters of Social Work (MSW) required.
• Minimum 10 years’ experiences in progressive leadership roles which has included child welfare exposure and at least 2-3 years in a Service Director role in a Children’s Aid Society.
• Valid G Driver’s License and access to a reliable motor vehicle with appropriate liability insurance required.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES 

• Exceptional critical thinking skills.
• Exceptional ability to think analytically with attention to detail in highly important matters in the presence of frequent interruptions.
• Exceptional ability to make decisions of sound judgment, often in crisis or emergency situations and to manage the crisis situation appropriately.
• Advanced planning, time-management, multi-tasking and organizational skills.
• Exceptional written, oral communication and interpersonal skills providing articulate, constructive, meaningful and timely interaction at all levels with the ability to make complex issues understandable.

KNOWLEDGE

• Exceptional knowledge of legislation governing child welfare including CYFS Act and its regulations, Ministry standards, Children’s Law Reform Act, Foster Care standards and related statutes and OACAS Standards.
• Exceptional understanding of FACS programs and services and the evolving role of CASs within the child welfare sector and their impact on the development of FACS priorities.
• Exceptional understanding of FACS values, traditions and the diverse communities in the region.
• Exceptional knowledge of FACS business strategies, goals, priorities and programs, and related objectives and plans.
• A solid knowledge of industry software application including Frontline and Fast Track.

If you are interested and would like to see the full job description for this role, please reach out to [email protected]

Please apply with your cover letter and resume by March 1, 2024 to [email protected]

We thank all applicants however only those considered for an interview will be contacted.

Family and Children’s Services Niagara is an equal opportunity employer committed to inclusive barrier free recruitment and selection processes and work environments. We will accommodate the needs of applicants under the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) throughout all stages of the recruitment and selection process. Please advise the Human Resources Department to ensure your accessibility needs are accommodated through this process .

A lot has changed in our community and our world since the founding of Family and Children’s Services Niagara in 1898, but our organization’s commitment to safe kids and strong families holds true. Through an extensive portfolio of programming, including child protection, fostering and adoption, counselling, and childcare, FACS Niagara protects our community’s children, strengthens its families, and helps youth and adults achieve their full potential. In the Ministry of Community, Children and Social Services 2021 Annual Review, FACS Niagara was recognized for: 100% compliance related to children and youth placed in extended society care for 24 consecutive months 100% compliance related to all Indigenous service requirements

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