Youth Advocate. Maximum Term

**Job no**: 500279

**Employment type**: Part Time

**Location**: Gold Coast

**Categories**: Child, Youth & Family
- Please note_: _To be considered for and appointed to a position at Life Without Barriers, you must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or hold a valid medical exemption certificate. You will be required to provide evidence of your vaccination status during the recruitment process._

**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**

**About Youth Advocates**:

- Youth advocates mentor and champion young people who might need a bit more help to achieve their personal goals. They come with their own life experiences, which means they never give up on young people but still hold them accountable for their actions. They believe wholeheartedly that with a bit of help and determination, any young person can succeed. They work closely with family and local communities to connect young people to the supports they need to achieve their goals.

**Why LWB is excited about YAP - **LWB is so excited to partner with young people, families and our local community members and agencies to implement YAP on the Gold Coast. YAP is a great fit for young people who need a bit of help to break bad habits and cycles, and we love its focus on personal goals, mentoring, partnering with families and community and the ‘never give up’ approach.

We have two **12-month maximum term** contracts available. We have 30 hours per week available, with days to be negotiated with the successful applicants. These roles will be based from our office in Robina.

**Key Responsibilities**
- Engage weekly with our clients and their support network in an outreach capacity.
- Under the Program Manager’s supervision, involve appropriate community professional resources as determined by the client’s individual needs and the service plan.
- Follow the CARE therapeutic framework during assessment, planning, implementation, monitoring, and review of young people’s Individual Support Plan. Follow the TCI framework in response to behaviours of concern.
- Work with young people and their care team to complete intake process, assessments, goal planning and development of Individual Support Plan.
- Provide support which addresses an individual’s particular needs and work with them to reduce the likelihood of re-offending behaviour. This may include compliance with direct support, advocacy, and referrals.
- Monitor & maintain high quality record keeping relating to service delivery including intake, assessment, goal planning, review, and progress reporting documents.
- Support and promote the work of Life Without Barriers, maintaining a positive image of the organisation in accordance with the level of position.
- Comply with all Life Without Barriers policy, code of conduct, procedures and practices, external funding body requirements and legislation.

**Skills & Experience**
- Diploma in a relevant field or similar, or relevant experience and skills to undertake the position.
- Demonstrated ability to use initiative and to work both individually in supporting clients and as part of a team.
- Demonstrated experience developing positive professional relationship with clients and the ability to support their Service/ Case Plan.
- High level communication skills including the ability to develop and maintain good working relationships with young people, their parents or other family members and internal and external stakeholders.
- Commitment to the values of dignity, respect, inclusion, empowerment, confidentiality, and strength-based practice.
- Ability to maintain client privacy and confidentiality.
- Current Senior First Aid Certificate.
- Current Driver Licence.

**Benefits**
- An attractive remuneration package will be offered to the successful applicant, including non-for-profit tax reduction options.
- A fantastic, positive, and supportive team culture.
- Growing organisation with great career opportunities.
- Ongoing training and mentor