Eoi - Fostering Support - Youth Worker (Bridgês)

**Fostering Support - Youth Worker (BRIDG**êS)**

**Churches of Christ, Children Youth and Families, South West Region**

**Expressions of Interest for Casual Opportunities Only**

**Commencing early 2025**

**Imagine a career with Churches of Christ**
- Established in 1930, We are one of Australia's largest and most diverse not-for-profit organisations. Active in the areas of children, youth and family services; community housing; retirement living; home care; and residential aged care services, we provide care and compassion to vulnerable people at different stages of their life journey. With over 200 Services in more than 100 communities, we positively impact around 45,000 lives a year._

**Employee Benefits**:
As a not-for-profit entity, our employees can package up to $18,549 p.a. of their taxable income before your income tax is calculated. Up to $15,900 p.a. on everyday expenses (such as mortgage payments, rent, groceries, bills and insurance) plus up to $2,649 p.a. on meal/entertainment benefits.

To find out what salary sacrificing can mean for you click here.

By being such a large organisation, we are also able to offer a range of compelling benefits. Including but not limited to:

- Salary-packaging benefits that can increase your take-home pay;
- Five (5) weeks of annual leave and the ability to purchase more;
- Grants (for eligible employees) to assist in formal study;
- Employee Assistance Program;
- A work culture that values you.
- Discounts through our large network of retail partners including:
- JB Hi-Fi,
- The Good Guys,
- Goodlife Health Clubs,
- Bupa Health,
- Plus many more;

**Highlighting the importance of this role for our team**:
Here at Churches of Christ, we help more than 2,200 Queensland families to become happier, safer, healthier and stronger through our intervention and support services. Currently, there is an opportunity for you to become a part of this initiative.

Working as a Foster and Kinship Care Youth Worker will see you encourage children and young people with high complex needs to achieve the best outcomes.

You will join a newly formed team of youth workers dedicated to supporting young people and their carers for a pilot program BRIDGêS. You will report directly to the Service Manager.

This collaborative team will work together to establish core values that reflect their commitment to the youth they serve. By sharing both positive experiences and challenges, team members will support one another in creating a nurturing and effective environment for everyone involved.

**About the Role**

As a Youth Worker, through relationship-based connections with children, young people and carers, we deliver home support, education support, social skills development, transportation assistance and facilitating family contact. Your role will be vital in providing the additional support they need to thrive, remain safe, secure and nurtured.

There is an opportunity to take on additional work during school holidays, and while weekend shifts are required, they will not be every weekend.

**About you**

You are passionate about the welfare of children and achieving the absolute best outcomes for them. You offer patience, trust, resilience, flexibility and humour and the ability to easily establish and build rapport with people, in addition to being a naturally caring and positive individual.

This is a role working with people and as such, you should really thrive on those daily interactions. With strong communication, organisational and problem-solving skills, you are capable of cultural competence, crisis management, building advocacy and collaboration when liaising comfortably with a range of internal and external stakeholders.

To be suitable for this position, your qualifications skills and experience will consist of:

- A Certificate IV in a relevant child welfare course or enrolled and working towards completion;
- Demonstrated experience and knowledge working in residential care; and/or working with young people in a child protection or community service context;
- Solid experience working with young people who have significant emotional and psychological support needs;
- Current Driver’s Licence;
- Possess or have the ability to obtain a National Police Check, Blue Card (Working with Children) and a Licensed Care Services (LCS).
- Importantly, you will be someone who closely aligns with our organisational values of: _**_Unconditional Love, Continual Innovation, Mutual Trust, Wise Stewardship and Safety._**

**Statement from a Current Youth Worker**
- Just as I have grown alongside the organisation, I've grown alongside the young people we support. The bonds forged through shared experiences, the laughter, the challenges, and the triumphs have all contributed to a profound sense of connection. Each step of the journey has etched lessons into my heart that textbooks and classrooms could never impart._
- My driving force, my passion, has always been centred around shatterin