About the Role:
We are seeking an experienced and passionate senior practitioner ready to step into a rewarding clinical leadership role at Launceston General Hospital (LGH). As the Social Work Clinical Lead, you will provide expert clinical leadership to a trauma‑informed, patient‑centred, and family‑sensitive Social Work service across acute and sub‑acute hospital settings. This role offers a genuine opportunity to make a meaningful difference to patient care at critical points in people’s lives.
You will play a key role in shaping high‑quality clinical practice, mentoring and developing a skilled Social Work workforce, and working in close partnership with multidisciplinary colleagues within a supportive, values‑driven environment. This is an ideal opportunity for a senior clinician seeking to expand their leadership influence while maintaining a strong and active clinical focus.
The Team:
Launceston General Hospital is the largest public hospital in Northern Tasmania and a major referral centre for the region. Located in Launceston, LGH delivers a comprehensive range of acute, specialist, and community health services, including emergency care, medical and surgical services, maternity, mental health, oncology, rehabilitation, and intensive care.
As part of the Tasmanian Health Service, LGH is a teaching and training hospital with strong links to the University of Tasmania. The hospital offers a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment committed to delivering high‑quality, patient‑centred care to the Northern Tasmanian community.
The Responsibilities:
The Social Work Clinical Lead is a senior clinical position providing leadership, expertise, and professional direction within the Social Work service at Launceston General Hospital. The role supports excellence in patient‑centred care across acute and sub‑acute settings and is central to strengthening clinical practice, workforce capability, and positive patient outcomes.
Key responsibilities include:
- Providing senior clinical leadership and expert Social Work practice across acute and sub‑acute hospital settings, promoting trauma‑informed, strengths‑based, and culturally safe care for patients and families with complex needs.
- Delivering professional supervision, mentoring, and clinical guidance, supporting staff development, reflective practice, onboarding, and the delivery of consistent, high‑quality services.
- Leading advanced psychosocial assessment, care planning, and intervention for complex and high‑risk presentations, working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and external stakeholders to ensure safe, coordinated, and effective care.
- Strengthening practice and patient outcomes through risk mitigation, safeguarding, safe work practices, incident response, and continuous quality improvement, while contributing to workforce development in psychosocial assessment and treatment planning.
Our Ideal Candidate:
It is preferable that the successful applicant has:
- Extensive experience as a practising Social Worker, with advanced knowledge of social work theory and high‑level clinical practice in a complex acute hospital environment.
- Proven strategic, analytical, and conceptual skills, with the ability to understand and navigate clinical, organisational, social, and policy contexts, and to develop, implement, evaluate, and advise on policies, protocols, and procedures.
- Highly developed interpersonal, negotiation, conflict‑resolution, and communication skills, enabling you to lead, influence, and collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary and senior stakeholder environments.
- Demonstrated capability in providing professional leadership, supervision, and education to Social Workers and students, supporting workforce capability, reflective practice, and clinical excellence.
- A strong understanding of research, quality improvement, and professional development, alongside sound knowledge of human resource management principles, including Work Health and Safety, Equal Employment Opportunity, and relevant legislation, policies, and codes of practice.
Note: Applicants are encouraged to refer to the Statement of Duties for the full selection criteria and ensure these are clearly addressed in their application.
Why Tasmania:
The Department of Health Tasmania oversees various hospitals across the state, including the Royal Hobart Hospital, Launceston General Hospital, Northwest Regional Hospital, and Mersey Community Hospital, as well as district hospitals and ambulance services. Additionally, it provides community health, mental health, and primary healthcare services to the Tasmanian community through more than 300 sites.
Tasmania, Australia's only island state, offers unparalleled natural beauty and a luxurious lifestyle. Pursuing your health career in Tasmania’s public health system means building strong connections with colleagues and patients. It also means embracing a lifestyle where you can enjoy extraordinary experiences outside of work while making a significant impact on the community during work.
Details of appointment:
Permanent, part time, day worker position, working up to 60.8 hours per fortnight, commencing from a mutually agreed upon date.
*notwithstanding hours to be negotiated with the successful applicant.
Applicants should note that, for a period of twelve months from the date of publication, this selection process may be used to fill subsequent or similar full time, part time, and casual vacancies.
Salary: $123,717 to $134,336 per annum (Pro rata). Our Employer 12% superannuation contribution is on top of this amount.
- Salary range is in accordance with Allied Health Professionals Public Sector Unions Wages Agreement 2022
Salary Packaging:
You’ll have access to salary package a range of benefits including living expenses up to $9,010 + $2,650 in meal entertainment each FBT year + other benefits if eligible.
Allowances:
- Please note that access to salaries beyond $130,900 is subject to qualifications and/or application to the personal upgrade scheme
In addition, the following allowances calculated on the salaried incremental point may be available:
- Professional Development Allowance of up to $1000 per annum
Benefits available to eligible candidates:
- Travel and relocation assistance support available up to $15,000 for eligible appointees from overseas, and up to $10,000 for appointees from interstate.
- Professional development and accelerated pathways.
- A range of leave entitlements, including study leave and Professional Development Support.
- Fitness Passport – You, and your family can access 40+ fitness facilities across Tasmania for just $14.50 per week per person, or $28.05 for a family.
More information about our Employee Benefits can be found here
Eligibility:
Successful applicants will be required to meet the essential criteria.
Applicants should note the following criteria are desirable:
Note: - Please refer to the Application Guide for more information of pre-employment check.
Download the Statement of Duties and any Associated Documents
We encourage you to review the Statement of Duties, Applicant Guide, prior to applying for an overview of the duties, program, selection process and application guidance.
Statement of Duties:
Application Guide:
How to apply:
Apply Online. Please click the "Apply" button on this screen to ensure that important questions about you are answered.
You will be prompted to complete a 1-2 page application detailing your experience, skills and knowledge as they relate to the attached Statement of Duties. A separate statement addressing the selection criteria in the Statement of Duties is not required.
*Applications from Recruitment agencies will not be accepted for this role
For more information:
Applicants who require further information are encouraged to contact the Contact person for detailed information about the vacancy.
Name: Sue Vucak
Position: Head of Department Social Work
Phone number: 0467172001
Email address: sue.vucak@ths.tas.gov.au
What it is like working at the Department of Health?
Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Excellent are the key values to work in Department of Health. Listen to some of the lived experiences from within the department through some of our wonderful staff and hear about their journey in relocating to Tasmania!
Make It Tasmania | Move for a great lifestyle
One Health Podcast - Spotify
One Health Podcast - Apple
Tasmanian Health Careers | Tasmanian
Department of Health has achieved the “Carer Accredited Employer Status” providing support to employees with caring responsibilities. (Find out more under the Carer Recognition Act 2023).
Respecting diversity is the foundation of everything that Department of Health do. This allows us to instil trust and collaborate through honest and fair communication and helps cultivate an environment of growth and innovation. We strongly encourage applicants from key communities including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, LGBTIQA+ people, and people living with disabilities.