Youth Justice Worker

Location: Melbourne | Western Metropolitan

Job type: Other

Organisation: Department of Justice and Community Safety

**Salary**: $73,842 - $84,917

Occupation: Prison and Corrective Services

Reference: DOJ/YJW2CC

At the Department of Justice and Community Safety, we are looking for people who want to make a difference. People who take pride in their work. People who get things done. People who are committed to making Victoria a safer place.

We embrace diversity and strive to have a workforce that reflects the community we serve. We’re all about recruiting the best people, regardless of gender, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation or cultural background. If you think you can do the job and would be a good fit for our department, we’d love to hear from you.

The department is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and recognises that children’s rights need to be respected, their views welcomed and valued, and their concerns taken seriously and acted upon.

For more information on working with us and our recruitment process, please visit justice.vic.gov.au/careers

We are proud of the important work we do across Victoria. Want to be part of it?

**Build better futures for young people. **Create positive change from the inside out.**
- **Bring your passion and therapeutic skills to our new state-of-the-art facility**:

- **Earn up to $92,712, with a base salary of $73,842 including standard penalty rates and overtime**:

- **Full training provided including a fully funded Certificate IV in Youth Justice**:
We're currently recruiting for **casual, part-time and full-time** roles at our new state-of-the-art, purpose-built Youth Justice Precinct at Cherry Creek, just outside Werribee.

Set in the picturesque area of Little River, Cherry Creek is a safe and secure place where young people can work on getting their lives back on track. Their efforts are supported by evidence-based programs and services.

We want young people to return home with the confidence that they can thrive in their own communities so young people live in four-bed and eight-bed units across different neighbourhoods, each equipped with kitchen, living and outdoor areas to support independent living skills.

**The role of a youth justice worker at Cherry Creek**

Youth justice workers empower young people to steer their lives in a positive direction. They work in a safe and secure custodial environment and act as part of an extended network of care for young people in custody, helping them work to a daily structure, achieve key goals and develop life skills.

Youth justice workers also support the delivery of specialist rehabilitation programs and services.

We look for:

- **passion and empathy** - the willingness to work with children and young people while still setting boundaries
- **life experience** - the ability to adapt and manage challenging situations
- **dedication and resilience** - maintaining positivity and commitment even after setbacks
- **teamwork** - the ability to be a natural team player and work well with a close team
- **verbal and written communication skills** - report writing will be part of your job
- **proactivity** - the skill for solving challenges and complex issues with bright ideas.

We also value qualifications or experience in the following areas:
**Case management, youth work, community services, social studies, education, criminology or allied health practices such as psychology, speech pathology, occupational therapy, mental health, psychiatric nursing or alcohol and other drugs outreach.**
- These capabilities will enable you to actively participate as a keyworker in a young persons' care team to monitor progress against identified goals and support rehabilitative outcomes through the delivery of structured programs and co-facilitating psychosocial programs.In partnership with rehabilitation and behaviour support services, you will also implement strategies that address and manage challenging behaviours and escalating issues.

As part of our multidisciplinary team, you can look forward to ongoing professional development. Once a fortnight, youth justice workers at Cherry Creek have a crossover day with supervisors where they focus on training and development needs, supervision and team building.

**Feel like a change of scene?**

**If you're open to relocating, up to $10,000 is currently being offered to cover expenses in moving from your current home to within a 60-minute drive of our facilities. This reimbursement can be used for moving costs, travel costs, removalist hire or temporary accommodation so talk to our recruitment team when you apply.**

**Career information sessions**

It's a great opportunity to ask questions about day-to-day work at our youth justice precincts and the career pathways available.

**Eligibility**

To be considered for a youth justice worker role you must be either:

- An Australian citizen - a birth certificate, citizenship certificate or current