Youth Engagement Practitioner

**About the Program**

Embedded Youth Outreach Program (EYOP) is s a Victoria Police led program, designed to support young people who come into contact with police.

This includes young people who are:

- in custody or have a history of offending,
- disengaged from school, peers and family,
- involved in high-risk behaviours,
- victims of crime.

Engagement with the EYOP starts at first police contact with at-risk youth. The EYOP aims to engage with these at-risk young people and their families to assess their needs, before further offences or serious crimes take place.

The program provides young people with support and referrals to services tailored to their individual needs. It also refers young victims of crime to support services and works with them to reduce the likelihood of future victimisation.

**About the role**

Day to day work includes 2 main areas of practice, operational and non-operational shifts.

**Operational shifts** involve working from **3.00pm to 11.00pm** within the Shepparton police station itself. When Victoria Police members attend calls to young people, the aim of the role is to attend alongside collaboratively and provide engagement.

The idea is to help engage with a more youth focused approach, to help de-escalate situations and provide better engagement. This can allow for proper assessment, working out what the young people might need in terms of wider support and in cases where young people are new to police, intervening early to reduce the likelihood of future contact with the justice system.

**Non-Operational Shifts** involve working from **10.00am to 6.00pm** from home and are the shifts where the aim is to undertake short term case management, assessments and work through referrals to appropriate services that might help the young people. This is also time to work through admin, team meetings and collaborate, debrief and get supervision and support from the EYOP Coordinator.

The role has a primary focus on the young people however there may also be an element of family engagement to help ensure that support provided is holistic and takes into account family dynamics and circumstances.
- EYOP Practitioner and Police work side by side Victoria Police member say: _**_“...the EYOP Youth Practitioners way of thinking helps us, for example, different approaches can help with some kids the fact that they (the EYOP Youth practitioners) don’t have that ‘copperish’ approach, can assist in that engagement ”_**

**The logistics**:
There are 3 positions available, each rostered position has a different fixed fortnightly working pattern as below:

- **Role A** - 5 operational shifts 3pm - 11pm including 1 weekend each fortnight, 3 non-operational shifts 10am - 6pm. 60.8 hours per fortnight.
- **Role C** - 4 operational shifts 3pm - 11pm no weekends, 2 non-operational shifts 10am - 6pm. 47.6 hours per fortnight.
- **Role D** - 3 operational shifts 3pm - 11pm including 1 weekend each fortnight, 3 nonoperational shifts 10am - 6pm. 41 hours per fortnight.

**Demonstrated experience and qualifications**:

- Qualifications in social work, community services or youth work.
- Solid, demonstrated knowledge and experience engaging with young people.
- Understanding trauma, family dynamics, offending behaviour, victimisation, high risk behaviours and the challenges faced by young people today.
- Knowledge of the supports available to young people to help support them in the long term.
- Prior case management, administrative, communication, and collaboration skills.

**What we offer**:

- SCHADS level 5 positions with all the penalty rates associated to shifts outside of normal hours,
- Base hourly rates of $47.50 per hour, see above for hours,
- Fixed roster providing ongoing stability and ability to manage work life balance,
- Shepparton based location, with operational shifts worked from the police station and non-operational shifts worked from home (scheduled face to face team meetings, collaboration and supervision will be conducted out of local office space in Shepparton)
- Salary packaging is available up to $15,900 plus an entertainment card,
- Ongoing rostered fortnightly supervision,
- Ongoing training opportunities including opportunities to undertake free Therapeutic Crisis Intervention training,
- 24/7 out of hours support offered by the AV after hours program,
- A diverse and inclusive workplace for you to feel safe, acknowledged and included.

**Ready to take the next step**:
Closing date is Sunday 12th May.
- Please Note: It is mandatory for the successful applicant to hold a current Working with Children Check and be prepared to undergo a National Criminal History Check prior to commencement._
- Anglicare Victoria acknowledges Aboriginal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which we operate. We commit to working respectfully to honour their ongoing cultural and spiritual connections to this country._
- Diversity and inclusivity are important to Anglic