Therapeutic Youth Worker. Permanent & Casual - Croydon

About the Organisation

Every day, Life Without Barriers provides support and care to children and young people, as we work collaboratively with families, carers, and communities, to ensure they have the environment they deserve to grow. With a focus on ensuring safety and respect, this is an opportunity to make a positive and meaningful difference in these young lives and help pave a brighter future.

Life Without Barriers is a leading social purpose organisation of 8,000 employees working in more than 500 communities across Australia. We support children, young people and families, people with disability, older people, and people with mental illness. We work with people who are homeless and refugees and asylum seekers. Join a community of people dedicated to breaking down barriers.

We want to employ people who reflect the diversity of our clients to ensure we can support each client's individual needs and wants. We encourage people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background and people with disability to apply.

About the Role

As a valued member of our Intensive Therapeutic Care team, you will provide direct care and mentorship to Children and Young People aged 12-17 years who will reside at newly established 24/7 care home in Croydon. Employing the Children & Residential Experiences (CARE) and Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) frameworks, you will provide support to young individuals who have likely faced childhood trauma, abuse, and/or neglect, and may also have mental health, intellectual, physical, or psychosocial disability.

These positions are available on a Permanent & Casual basis.

Learn more about Life Without Barriers services for Children, Young People & Families here: https://www.lwb.org.au/services/child-youth-and-family/

Key Responsibilities 

• Meet the day to day needs of children and young people and working within the legislative requirements and LWB initiatives, such as We Put Children First
• Facilitate activities that connect the child or young person with their family, community, and culture
• Support the child or young person to participate in school, vocational training or employment.
• Effectively advocate the views of the young people
• Supporting children and young people to develop and maintain positive family and kinship relations.
• Participate in team meetings, reflective practice and supervision, debriefing and various support activities
• Working within the scope of each child & young person individual plan to support them to achieve their identified goals. 
• Maintaining high quality record keeping and documentation

Learn more about Life Without Barriers services for Children, Young People & Families here: https://www.lwb.org.au/services/child-youth-and-family/

Skills & Experience

• Possess a relevant Diploma or bachelor’s degree level qualification OR
• Identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and have relevant work history related to role OR
• Have relevant work history and are willing to complete a Diploma of Child, Youth & Family Intervention offered by LWB (at no cost to you!) OR
• Have relevant work history and are currently completing a relevant Diploma or bachelor’s degree qualification.
• A current Provide First Aid (HLTAID003 or HLTAID011) & CPR (HLTAID001 or HLTAID009) Certificate/s
• A current NSW unrestricted Drivers Licence
• Experience supporting children and young people (Including those with disabilities) within an out of home care setting
• The ability to form and maintain professional, nurturing relationships with Children & Young People
• Willingness to assist with activities of daily living, including personal care (if required)

Successful candidates will be required to clear probity checks including National Criminal History Record Check and NSW Working with Children Check.

To be considered for and appointed to a position at Life Without Barriers, you must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with a minimum of two (2) doses or hold a valid medical exemption certificate, in accordance with Life Without Barriers Employee COVID-19 Vaccination Policy. You will be required to provide evidence of your vaccination status during the recruitment process.

Benefits: 

• Hourly rate from $35.14 + super dependent on qualifications and experience
• Paid face to face training within your first 12 months of employment including TCI & CARE Training
• 8-day induction program
• 24-hour management support with a National After-Hours Service team
• Generous Salary Packaging benefits - $15,900 per year, tax free!
• Employee benefits program, including access to wellbeing support, discounted health insurance, car servicing and travel club membership.

How to Apply 

Include your resume and covering letter in one document, click ‘Apply’ and follow the prompts. For any enquiries including persons with disability that require adjustments, contact Kristy Crowe at recruitment@lwb.org.au  

Applications close at midnight on Sunday 17th March 2024

Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as applications are continuously reviewed prior to the closing date; and as such the closing date is subject to change without notice.

We are dedicated to playing our part to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and bring continuity of care and support to our clients. With this in mind, if you are successful, we will discuss with you an alternative to a face-to-face interview.

Life Without Barriers supports the Royal Commission into violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability. We believe people with disability need to be heard and for these experiences to influence how support services like ours are delivered. View our statement here (https://bit.ly/2GzZGWA)