Brenda Anning
HELENA VALLEY,WA
Summary
Professional with strong background in child welfare and protection. Adept at assessing risk, conducting investigations, and implementing safety plans. Known for fostering collaboration within multidisciplinary teams and maintaining flexibility in dynamic environments. Skilled in crisis intervention, case management, and advocating for children's best interests.
Child protection professional with strong foundation in managing sensitive cases and ensuring children's safety. Known for effective collaboration and achieving results under challenging circumstances and in a crisis driven environment. Reliable and adaptable, with skills in risk assessment and crisis intervention.
Developed range of skills in child welfare environment, ready to transition into new field. Demonstrates expertise in communication and crisis management, with focus on advocacy and support. Aims to leverage these transferrable skills to make meaningful impact in new role.
Compassionate child protection worker highly skilled in responding to needs of children and families regarding reports of child neglect and abuse. Strong communicator with in-depth knowledge of protection legislation at both state and federal levels. Comfortable working with clients of all social, economic and cultural backgrounds.
Diligent child protection worker with solid background in child protection and family services. Demonstrated ability to manage sensitive cases, ensuring safety and well-being of children. Proven expertise in risk assessment and crisis intervention.
Experienced with handling sensitive child protection cases, ensuring safety and well-being of children. Utilizes effective risk assessment and crisis intervention techniques to address complex situations. Knowledge of collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to achieve positive outcomes.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
Work History
Child Protection Worker – Intensive Family Support
Department for Communities Child Protection and Family Support
10.2009 - Current
- In October 2009 I was initially offered a three month contract with Department Child Protection and was placed in an Intake and Assessment team.
- I underwent training in ASSIST and Objective data bases, Start-up and Child Interviewing before being allocated cases
- In2010 I was made permanent and have gained considerable knowledge in legislative requirements of the Community and Children Services ACT and their application in case practice
- I have consolidated my knowledge and experience in the delivery of child protection services and have gained experience in the preparation and submission of legal documents in accordance with relevant sections of the Act including placing children into Provisional Protection and Care
- In November2010 I was transferred internally to the Duty team for a three month period
- During this time I gained experience in assessing initial concerns reported to DCP, determining if the concerns required additional assessment and if so progressed the enquiry to the interaction stage
- If it was felt that a more thorough investigation was warranted the initial enquiry was then progressed to a safety and wellbeing assessment and the case was then handed over to the Intake and Assessment team
- As a result of having worked on Duty I gained an appreciation of, and experience in, critical decision making and assessments
- Between the periods of November 2011 and August 2012 and May to June 2013 I was appointed as Acting Senior Child Protection Worker in Intake and Assessment
- This acting opportunity enable me to mentor, guide and support staff, and to participate at a higher level in decision making in collaboration with management
- Tasks: In my capacity as a child protection worker over the past 15 years I have successfully achieved the following
- Applied on behalf of parent’s escaping Family Domestic Violence for the Escaping Violence payment
- Made referrals to, and liaised with, drug and alcohol treatment services
- Applied for funding for my clients through the Wearne Trust
- Made referrals to women’s refuges
- Contacted schools and assisted with enrolments
- Registered children’s births
- Referred parents to Ngala for parenting support
- Submitted legal requests (S.23) seeking information in relation to family’s I case managed
- Contacted and liaised with Child Development services
- Provided submissions for ‘at risk’ young people to enter Secure Care services
- Made referrals for parent’s to parenting programs
- Supported with the acquisition or registration of legal documentation
- Liaised with prisons to arrange official visits with clients and to facilitate contact visits between parent’s and their children
- Obtained documentation from relevant agencies such as immunisation records, birth certificates, health and medical records, mental health, criminal history records, immigration etc
- Arranged mental health assessments and visits to mental health facility such as Grayland's
- Referred perpetrators of Family Domestic Violence to Family Domestic Violence providers and monitored their engagement and progress for the purpose of assessing on-going risk to victims and children
- Liaised with schools including supporting parents at meetings
- Assisted with application for community housing including Homeswest
- Provided references to clients (rental applications) when requested and appropriate
- Facilitated meetings between parents and support services and agencies
- Liaised with mental health providers for both adults and children
- Facilitated and accompanied children to the Child Protection Unit at Perth Children’s Hospital
- Liaised with police and attended joint home visits for the purpose of assessing risk and safety
- Made referrals to Safe at Home
- Liaised and worked collaboratively with King Edward Memorial Hospital’s social work department in relation to the pre-birth planning to determine if a newborn is safe to go home with the mother or if he/she would be taken into care
- I also worked collaboratively with the Mother and Child unit and WANDAS clinic
- Arranged formal and informal Signs of Safety meetings between agencies, CPFS, parents, extended family and key stakeholders
- Conducted regular home visits for the purpose of monitoring and assessing safety concerns for children
- Contacted and liaised with prisons and Immigration Detention Centres
- Conducted, in line with compliance requirements, High Risk Infant weekly sighting of at risk children and writing comprehensive HRI assessments and reports
- Arranged on site and telephone interpreter services
- Consulted with Aboriginal Practice Leader (APL) workers in relation to Aboriginal family’s and cultural matters
- Arranged inter-agency meeting to discuss service provision, support for family’s and progress and engagement
- Arrange and participated in Multi Agency Community Meeting’s (MACM’s)
- Made referrals to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Services for migrants
- Liaised with child lawyer in relation to culturally sensitive reports and concerns (e.g., forced marriages)
- Referral to CALD services for mental health and practical supports for clients
- Conducted planned and unplanned home visits
- Consulted with specialist staff in regards to case direction and/or cultural matters
- Enrolled and participated in training to up skill and build on my practice knowledge, current trends, and industry experience
- Provided and complied with legislation requests from the Family Court (Form4) in relation to applicant and respondent requests regarding access and custody of children
- Investigated, reassessed and evaluated if a Person accessed as having been Responsible (PR) for causing harm to a child by their parent with an outcome based on the investigation and evaluation of relevant objective information at the time of the assessment thus resulting at the time of overturning of the original finding and lifting of the classification by CPFS
- Attended daily briefings aimed at planning effective case management and delivery of service
- Liaised with my team leader and other specialist staff in relation to engagement with clients and services providers and service delivery
- Completed and submitted legal paperwork and applications (Warrants and Affidavits) within time critical time frames and within legal compliance requirements
- Engaged effectively and meaningfully with clients to address child safety concerns
- Recommended and implemented legal interventions for the purpose of keeping children safe by removing them from the parent/s care under a S.37 or S.35 of the act where necessary
- Worked intensively with parents and extended family to address safety risks to vulnerable children with an aim of building the capacity of care givers
- Attended court as an applicant and witness in child protection proceedings
- Undertook relative family carer assessments S.79 (2)(b), wrote cultural plans and monitored placements of children in the care of the Department
- Made referral to DOCH when there was alleged abuse in care allegation by a child
- Provided reports in response to Ministerial complaints
- Undertook forensic investigation and analysis in relation to child abuse allegations
- Wrote case closure assessments and reports
- Arranged Multi Agency Combined Meetings (MACM) for the purpose of combining shared knowledge and planning when working with high risk families and individuals
- I carried out annual carer assessments (relative and foster carer’s) and reviews as per industry and compliance requirements
- Liaised with foster carer’s and placement services (HUB)
- Supported colleagues on a daily basis
- Participated in internal mappings
- Arranged Signs of Safety meetings with parents, their family and support network, and external agencies
- As an experienced mature aged worker I often mentored and supported students on practical placement and new workers
- My aim was to share my experience and knowledge in the industry and through life experiences to help them to navigate child protection and its complexities and challenges
- Attended team building outings and activities
- Attended monthly supervision with my team leader for the purpose of up dating her/him on case progress, concerns and case direction
Coordinator – Job Network
Communicare
06.2006 - 05.2009
- In March I was asked if I would Manage Job Network Services at the Belmont branch
- Within 1 month of appointment I was able to reduce both ISCA1 and2 pending lists of clients awaiting engagement through implementing changes in processes which ensure good attendance and engagement
- The initial focus was to get the long term unemployed signed up so that their needs could be assessed and start to put achievable strategies in place which would assist them re-enter sustainable employment
- These clients were the most challenging due to the complexities of their barriers to employment
- I combined this new role whilst still managing the Work for the Dole program across three sites
- I attribute the success of both positions to strong leadership and sound management of both contractual processes and capable staff who were willing to embrace changes to operational processes and procedures
- Program Manager – Work for the Dole
- In June2006 I was contacted by Communicare Inc and asked to conduct a full financial and contract audit on their Work for the Dole program as there was concern that the level of service delivery was not meeting either the organisation’s or government’s minimum requirements
- Initially my appointment was for a six month contract period only
- Once I had completed my analysis I presented my findings to the Chief Executive Officer and General Manager in a formal document
- The evidence presented to management supported their concerns regarding the performance of the program
- Through comparative performance data against industry peers I was able to show where the organisation’s program was underperforming and therefore put forward a number of recommendations which were aimed at improving performance in the immediate future as well as recommend some key ‘Best Practice’ strategies they could implement in the future
- From this analysis, plus my extensive experience and knowledge having worked in management roles and the industry for many years previously, I was asked if I would take over the management of the program
- Immediately upon my appointment as Program Manager, and with the full support of the CEO and GM, I set about implementing procedures and practices which ensured contractual compliance as well as secured our position as strong contenders for ‘Best Practice’ providers
- Within less than1 year of my appointment Communicare’s Work for the Dole program achieved top provider status nationally with a number one star rating twice since 2006
- This outcome was achieved through sound leadership, strong management, and dedicated and committed staff
- More importantly however, through these changes those referred to the program were ensured of receiving a quality service that was committed to assisting them through the program to make changes which would help to better their lives in the future
Director of Employment
Fremantle Education Centre
03.2004 - 02.2006
- I was employed by Fremantle Education Centre to administer the federally funded Work for the Dole program
- On my appointment the program was at risk of not meeting its KPI’s and required outcomes
- Since my commencement the program has achieved National recognition as a Best Practice Work for the Dole provider
- The program continually met KPI’s and is frequently commended by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations for our work
- Recently we were audited by the Department and were awarded with a clean report
- This was achieved by implementing new strategies within the program
- Under the new government initiatives where all income recipients from Centrelink must do Mutual Obligation, we have been recently targeting a select cohort
- This has been very successful and we achieved the desired outcome by marketing our program, attending and arranging expos in the metropolitan area
- I am also responsible for liaising with stakeholders, one in particular is Centrelink
- Daily I would be contacting them to discuss compliance requirements from our clients, this would be checking for eligibility and assessing if there are any social barriers to participation
- SKILLS EVIDENCED
- Responsible for Strategic Planning
- Liaise with Government and Non-Government Agencies
- Staff Training and Program Development
- Resource Management
- Policy Development and Implementation
- Relationship Building and Networking
- Report Writing – Management Reports
- Program Auditing and Financial Acquittals
- Prepare Budgets
- Assess and Develop Performance Measures
- Manage Contract Compliance
- Chair Meetings and Staff Team Building Exercises
- Developed high-performing teams by providing mentorship, guidance, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Managed budgets effectively to ensure optimal use of resources while maintaining financial stability.
- Cultivated a positive work environment that fostered employee engagement, increased retention rates, and boosted overall team morale.
- Implemented innovative solutions to solve complex problems, resulting in increased productivity and streamlined operations.
- Trained and guided team members to maintain high productivity and performance metrics.
- Identified and qualified customer needs and negotiated and closed profitable projects with high success rate.
- Strengthened financial health with rigorous cost control measures and revenue enhancement strategies.
- Enhanced stakeholder satisfaction with timely and transparent communication strategies.
- Achieved remarkable turnaround of underperforming divisions through strategic leadership and restructuring.
- Pioneered adoption of sustainable practices, leading to industry recognition and awards.
- Self-motivated, with a strong sense of personal responsibility.
- Skilled at working independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
- Proven ability to learn quickly and adapt to new situations.
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
- Worked well in a team setting, providing support and guidance.
- Demonstrated respect, friendliness and willingness to help wherever needed.
- Assisted with day-to-day operations, working efficiently and productively with all team members.
Work for the Dole Coordinator
Communicare
06.1999 - 03.2004
- In June 1999 I was approached by the manager of Communicare Inc to head up and undertake the coordination of a Work for the Dole program
- As the initial incumbent I was required to set up office practices, assist in the recruitment of staff and meet with stakeholders regarding the program
- I was responsible for the implementation of the contract and the compliance under the terms of the contract
- Communicare was a leader in the Work for the Dole Program and was also recognised for Best Practice Awards
- Communicare was short listed for Best Work for the Dole activity in2003 at the National Awards in Canberra
- SKILLS EVIDENCED
- Manage Government Contract
- Supervise Staff – team of6
- Liaise with Government/Non-Government Agencies
- Administer Program Finances/Manage Budget
- Organise and Deliver Seminars
- Negotiate Contracts & Prepare Submissions
- Report writing – Board Reports
- Attend Conferences as a guest and as a speaker
- Gathered and organized materials to support operations.
- Entered data, generated reports, and produced tracking documents.
- Enhanced operational workflows by maintaining well-organized documentation systems and updating records accurately as needed.
- Enhanced customer satisfaction by responding promptly to inquiries and addressing concerns professionally.
Employment Consultant
Communicare Employment and Training INC
04.1998 - 03.2004
- I was initially employed by Communicare Employment and Training as an Employment Consultant
- I was responsible for a caseload of150 clients whom I was required to assist in dealing with social issues and find employment
- Many clients had multiple barriers to employment including substance abuse problems and financial problems, mental health issues, social and personal problems, numeracy and literacy problems all of which impacted significantly on the person’s capabilities to engage in sustainable employment
- One of my main responsibilities was to run a Intensive Jobsearch program where I addressed these issues and provided strategies in how to overcome these barriers
- I was repeatedly commended on my customer service skills and am still contacted by clients whom I have helped in the past
- SKILLS EVIDENCED
- Interview and liaise with clients
- Assess client needs
- Liaise with potential employers
- Assist clients explore employment options
- Assist client prepare for job interviews – interview techniques
- Educate clients in presentation
- Write referrals for clients
- Advocate on behalf of clients – assist in financial counseling
- Liaise with agencies– welfare services and government departments
- Conduct job search training
- Offer counseling when appropriate
- Maintain a high standard of administration – reports and file notes
- Work with long term unemployed – motivation training
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
Murdoch University
Perth, Western Australia01.1995
Skills
- Bachelor of Arts Psychology - Murdoch University
- Certificate4 in Career Development
- Mental Health First Aid Course
- Management skills – extensive experience in leadership, management, mentoring and supervisory positions
- Contract management – able to meet KPI’s
- Competent in interpreting and applying legislation
- Contract budgeting – able to manage budgetary requirements
- Sound Interpersonal skills – able to work well in a team situation
- Take personal pride in a high standard of work
- Computer Literate – familiar with many popular computer programs including the Microsoft Office suite of programs incorporating Microsoft Vista, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, ASSIST, Objective data bases and Teams
- Word processing skills – management reports, legal documentation, safety plans, case notes, referrals, applications, requests for information
- Problem Solving skills – able to think quickly and deal with crises
- Able to negotiate when dealing with aggressive clients
- Analytical skills – able to determine appropriate solutions
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Possess a current C Class Drivers License
- Dedicated and loyal – strive to achieve
- Proven competency in responding to crisis driven situations and events
- Case management and assessment
- Knowledge of legislation
- Experience in preparation of legal documentation
- Experience in child interviews
- Excellent report writing
- Strong communication and networking skills
- Good understanding of process and procedure
- Commitment to building strong working relationships
- Complex decision making
- Sound investigative skills
- Strong leadership and teamwork skills
- Ability to work autonomously
- Document management
- Recordkeeping
- Strategic planning
- Meeting coordination
- Multitasking and organization
- Customer service
- Data entry
- Decision-making
- Work Planning and Prioritization
- Relationship building
- Discretion and confidentiality
- Presenting ideas and plans
- Database management
- Regulatory compliance
- Information collection
- Report writing
- Professional networking
- Writing requirements
- Time management
- Attention to detail
- Clear communication
- Team collaboration
- Verbal and written communication
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Deadline management
- Conflict resolution
- Documentation and recordkeeping
- Conducting interviews
- Multicultural awareness
- Client interviewing
- Case management
- Community referrals
- Professional demeanor
- Problem-solving aptitude
- Trauma informed care framework
- File management
- Client needs assessment
- Written communication
- Time management abilities
- Continuous improvement
- Adaptability
- Professionalism
- Interpersonal communication
- Analytical thinking
- Goal setting
- Interpersonal skills
- Self motivation
- Client advocacy
- Task prioritization
- Excellent communication
- Organizational skills
- Reliability
- Problem-solving abilities
- Multitasking Abilities
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Multidisciplinary collaboration
- Child advocacy
- Data collection and analysis
- Family support
- Goal setting and achievement
- Child protection
- Community outreach
- Cross-departmental collaboration
- Cultural sensitivity
- Community networking
- Child development
- Deescalation techniques
- Ethical practice
- Crisis intervention
- Confidentiality adherence
- Substance abuse awareness
- Family assessment
- Caseload management
- Child welfare laws
- Behavioral observation
Hobbies and Interests
Spending time with family and friends., Health and fitness
Timeline
Child Protection Worker – Intensive Family Support
Department for Communities Child Protection and Family Support
10.2009 - Current
Coordinator – Job Network
Communicare
06.2006 - 05.2009
Director of Employment
Fremantle Education Centre
03.2004 - 02.2006
Work for the Dole Coordinator
Communicare
06.1999 - 03.2004
Employment Consultant
Communicare Employment and Training INC
04.1998 - 03.2004
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
Murdoch University
Similar Profiles
Vicky ZhaoVicky Zhao
Child Protection Worker at Department of Communities Child Protection and Family Support Services - Central Intake Team -SRRSChild Protection Worker at Department of Communities Child Protection and Family Support Services - Central Intake Team -SRRS
Christine WilliamsChristine Williams
Parent Visitor at Department Of CommunitiesParent Visitor at Department Of Communities
Angie DawsonAngie Dawson
Family Support Officer at Department of Child Protection and Family SupportFamily Support Officer at Department of Child Protection and Family Support