Come Work With Us

“When people feel empowered to create their own ideal work-life balance, they bring the best of themselves into the care of participants.”
— Gwen Hamers

Hamers Edge is always looking for highly skilled and experienced Senior Social Workers and Support Coordinators who share our values and are comfortable working in neuroaffirming ways.

Just as our work is unique, so is our approach to ‘employment’. At Hamers Edge, we work solely with independent contractors, as we believe this provides the best outcomes for participants, the contractors themselves and the business.

In the NDIS Sector, therapists and support coordinators who are employed are generally subjected to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Companies use these KPIs to ensure that the employee brings in enough money to cover their salary and the company’s overheads. Although this is an understandable practice, it is often experienced as a source of stress by employees. There is generally limited to no control over assigned caseloads, and employees are often expected to take on an increased caseload before the company can justify bringing in an additional worker. Frequent working above capacity and the pressure of KPIs can easily result in burnout, high staff turnover, and the potential for a toxic workplace environment.

Hamers Edge values that we live in new and exciting times where we are no longer confined to a life of school, followed by study, followed by working for a boss Monday to Friday from 9 to 5. In our ‘About Us’ section, we tell participants that we focus on assisting them in exploring how life best works for them instead of making them fit into a narrow societal expectation. We take the same approach with our team as we firmly believe that when people feel empowered to create their ideal work-life balance, they bring the best of themselves into the care of participants.

    • Full control over your workdays/hours.
      Create a work-life balance that works for you. You may have small children, you may be a caregiver, you may have a pet who requires you home a bit more, you may do your best work in the evenings, you may want to have time during the day to attend personal appointments or do your grocery shop. Whatever it is, you decide when you work, which may differ each week.

    • Full control over your caseload.
      You decide which referrals you accept. You may prefer to only work with participants who live within a certain radius of your home, or maybe you are passionate about supporting people with a certain disability/presentation. You may want to steer clear of certain complexities due to personal trauma/triggers. You are in control.

    • The opportunity to work with/for other employers.
      Some of our contractors work solely with Hamers Edge, while others are employed elsewhere or contract to other organisations. Some choose this to mitigate some of the potential drawbacks of contracting, and others choose this to expand their practice and areas of expertise.

    • 24/7 Access to a well-equipped clinic in Midland.

    • Access to our easy-to-use client management system and Microsoft Office products.

    • Access to a Lone Worker alarm linked to a 24/7 call centre.

    • Generous compensation, including superannuation.

    • Feel part of a wonderful team of ‘colleagues’ and get invited to fun team days.

    • Access to free monthly group supervision (non-compulsory).

    • No stability of income.
      Your income will vary each week as you are paid for the billable work you complete. Hamers Edge cannot at any time guarantee the number of referrals that are offered to you. We recommend that only persons with a stable financial home situation take on a contracting position.

    • Supply of own equipment and checks.
      As a contractor with Hamers Edge, you are required to supply your own equipment, such as a laptop, reliable vehicle, petrol, phone with work number, (digital) notebook, etcetera. You furthermore are responsible for the cost of checks such as the NDIS Worker Screening Check and Working with Children Check. These items are (partly) tax deductible. Please check with your accountant for further information.

    • Invoices & Taxes.
      As an independent contractor, you are required to provide invoices to Hamers Edge and are responsible for paying your own taxes. You can use an accountant for support with this, or companies such as ‘Hnry’ and ‘Rounded’ who provide easy accounting and tax automation for sole traders.

    • Insurances.
      Hamers Edge covers all independent contractors through Workers Compensation insurance. However, contractors are required to have their own public liability and professional indemnity insurance. Social Workers registered with AASW have their insurance included in their membership.

    • Memberships, Professional Development and Clinical Supervision.
      As a sole trader, engaging in professional development, such as training, workshops and seminars, is at your own cost. The same goes for clinical supervision and the cost of professional memberships. However, these costs are considered in the higher compensation that a contractor receives versus an employee. And again, these costs are (partly) tax deductible. Please check with your accountant for further information.

    • A minimum of 5 years of post-graduate experience as a Social Worker (Bachelor or Master).

    • A strong commitment to the development and recognition of the Social Work profession.

    • Honest and transparent communication style.

    • Assertive and self-motivated.

    • A positive and creative mindset - Thinking out of the box.

    • Experience working with individuals and families where neurodiversity, FASD and/or mental ill health is present.

    • Ability to provide person-centred and neuroaffirming therapeutic social work.

    • Strong report writing skills including the ability to collate and reference evidence to justify recommendations.

    • Accredited member of the AASW.

    • Knowledge of the NDIS is preferred, or commitment to upskill in this area.

    • A minimum of 2 years of experience as a (Specialist) Support Coordinator.

    • For Specialist Support Coordination, we require an Allied Health background or a minimum of 4 years of experience in the WA Disability Sector in a similar role (such as an old DSC Local Area Coordinator).

    • Honest and transparent communication style.

    • A positive and creative mindset - Thinking out of the box.

    • Assertive and self-motivated.

    • Experience working with individuals and families where neurodiversity, FASD and/or mental ill health is present.

    • Ability to work person-centred and neuroaffirming, understanding the importance of dignity of risk and assuming capability.

    • Strong report writing skills.

    • Ability to work with a team of providers and respectfully ascertain your position as coordinator.

Hamers Edge welcomes applications from anyone who fits the above criteria, regardless of sex, gender identity, cultural background, disability or age.

If you would like to work with us as an independent contractor, please contact recruitment@hamersedge.com.au.