Youth Justice Worker

Location: Melbourne | Western Metropolitan

Job type: Not provided

Organisation: Department of Justice and Community Safety

**Salary**: $72,751 - $83,662

Occupation: Prison and Corrective Services

Reference: DOJ/YJW2CHRYCK

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 change from the inside out.**
- **Bring your therapeutic skills to our new state-of-the-art facility**:

- **Earn from $72,751 up to $92,712 including penalty rates and overtime + super**:

- **Full training provided including a fully funded Certificate IV in Youth Justice**

Right now, we are recruiting for **part-time **and **full-time **roles at our state of the art, purpose built Cherry Creek Youth Justice Precinct.

Set in a picturesque part of Victoria close to Werribee, 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.

At Cherry Creek, we want young people to return home with the confidence that they can thrive in their own communities. Young people live in four-bed and eight-bed units across different neighbourhoods. Each unit is equipped with a kitchen, living and outdoor area 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 at Cherry Creek also support the delivery of specialist 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, psychiatric nursing or alcohol and other drugs.**

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.

**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 passport is required as proof of eligibility, or
- A permanent resident of Australia, or
- A New Zealand citizen who has entered Australia on a valid passport, or
Eligible to work in Australia for a period of more than six months.

To become a youth justice worker, you will also need to pass a health and fitness assessment. To find out how your current fitness levels match up and the best ways to prepare,