Role title: Aboriginal Palliative Care Senior Social Worker
Role type: Permanent, full time
Role grade: Social Worker, level 3
Department and location: Sacred Heart, St Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst
Salary: $116,892.00 - $120,680.00 + Super + Salary Packaging
Better and fairer care. Always.
We are St Vincent’s Health Australia, Australia’s largest not-for-profit provider of health and aged care services.
Founded by The Sisters of Charity in 1857, our +30,000 healthcare superheroes operate public and private hospitals, residential aged care, community and virtual care, and outreach programs.
About the role
Deliver high-quality palliative care social work to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as well as other community members accessing palliative care services at Sacred Heart.
Provide care through biopsychosocial and risk assessments to guide care planning, and facilitation of end-of-life care, including advance care planning, family conferences, and bereavement support for patients, families, and carers.
Provide individual and family counselling for adjustment to illness, end of life concerns, grief and loss, relationship issues, carer stress, existential concerns and meaning of life issues.
Manage complex cases and coordinate care, including discharge planning, referrals, advocacy (e.g. guardianship, NDIS, My Aged Care), and support for diverse and underserved populations.
Collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary teams and external agencies, acting as a key resource for psychosocial and end of life care.
Maintain professional standards through ethical practice, documentation, supervision, education, research, and participation in service development and on-call services.
Provide clinical leadership through supervision, education, and contribution to quality improvement and service development initiatives.
About you
Hold a degree in Social Work and be eligible for membership with the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), with demonstrated clinical experience in a tertiary hospital or health-related setting.
Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures as well as an understanding of the health and welfare needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Demonstrated expertise, skills and/or experience in critical illness, end of life care, domestic violence, child protection, elder abuse, Guardianship, NDIS, sudden and unexpected death and the coronial process.
Demonstrated competencies in psychosocial assessment, crisis intervention, counselling, short term solution focused intervention, grief and loss work and discharge planning in a health setting.
Experience working in multidisciplinary teams in complex, high-demand environments, with skills in leading and contributing to research projects, quality and education activities, and strong communication and negotiation abilities.
Ability to participate on the St Vincent’s Hospital after hours Social Work On Call roster.
Candidates who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.
Why work at St Vincent’s?
Join us on our mission to provide care to all, including the most at-risk people in our community
Discounted access to many gyms for you and your family with Fitness Passport
Access to discounted private health insurance with Medibank
Access to a government salary sacrifice program. Make a proportion of your salary tax-free
Committed to financial support for educational development, scholarship programs, paid study leave
About the hospital
In this role you will be based at St Vincent’s hospital, Darlinghurst.
A busy inner-city hospital in a beautiful location
Surrounded by great cafes, galleries and theatres, parks, nightlife, and nearby glorious beaches
A place of expert clinical care for at-risk people
Closely partnered with universities & affiliated research institutes, many of which are located on-campus
Centres of excellence include heart & lung transplantation, bone marrow transplantation, cardiology, cancer care, AIDS/HIV, respiratory medicine, mental health, homeless health, drug & alcohol services, and correctional health
Sponsorship / work rights for Australia
Please note, visa sponsorship is not available for this position. For this role you must be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or have an Australia visa that grants you the work rights necessary for the role.
Pre-employment checks
Your employment is conditional upon the completion of all role-required pre-employment checks, including relevant immunisations.
Equal opportunity
We celebrate diversity & inclusion and are committed to equal employment opportunity for everyone.
As part of our commitment to reconciliation, we encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to apply and join us in delivering care that heals body, mind, spirit and community.
How to apply
The closing date for applications is 13th May 2026.
Please submit your resume and a brief cover letter highlighting how your interest, skills, and experience align with each of the things listed in the About You section of this job advert.
Respectfully, this role is not open to recruitment agencies.
At St Vincent's we acknowledge the importance of creating a work environment that is welcoming, safe, equitable and inclusive for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Employees. As part of our Commitment to Reconciliation and Closing the Gap in employment related outcomes, we encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
For further information, visit https://www.svha.org.au/about-us/reconciliation or get in contact at indigenouscareers@svha.org.au
View Reconciliation Action Plan