Child and Youth Specialist Worker

Who we are

Women's Community Shelters is a network of eleven shelters for homeless women with or without children across NSW. We are recruiting for a Child and Youth Specialist Worker to join our team. Parramatta Women's Shelter is a crisis accommodation service for women with dependent children, who are experiencing homelessness due to domestic violence or family violence. In 2024, PWS opened its first Core & Cluster service that provides independent living for families. During 2025, we will open a new shelter, and we are looking for a team to join that service.

The shelter is staffed weekdays with some weekend work, and after-hours on-call service(reporting to the EO of Client Services) . Staff rotate the on-call service on a rostered basis.

Parramatta Women's Shelter is dedicated to supporting and empowering women to take back their control and move forward with their lives, free from violence. Our families are supported with client-centric and trauma-informed case management where we work collaboratively to secure more permanent housing solutions.  Some of the areas our Child and Youth Specialist workers provide support with include:

• Legal support for Family Court
• Mental and physical wellbeing
• Psychosocial education
• Early Education and school engagement
• Reconnection and attachment
• Recreational interests
• Individual child and youth tailored case plans
• PWS internal school holiday program
• Facilitate sensory play activities that encourage self-regulation
• Movement based play and creative art sessions

About the role

Parramatta Women's Shelter (PWS) provides crucial supported accommodation services to women with children who are at risk of homelessness and have experienced domestic and family violence. Our team provides skilled case management while families stay with us in crisis accommodation. PWS also provides outreach support for families who move on and are still living within our local area. We are building on our current team and looking for a Child and Youth Specialist Worker to join us at our Core and Cluster site in the Cumberland LGA.

An understanding of the homelessness sector, awareness around current issues and practice in domestic and family violence are key skills for this role. A commitment to working with children and young people, using innovative and creative ways of connection is essential for achieving sound outcomes.   The ability to work an on-call roster including some weekend work is required.

Essential Skills

• Qualifications in Social Work, Psychology, Community Services and/or a related Human Services field. Prior experience in a domestic and family violence service or child and youth related role is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated understanding of client-centred and trauma-informed practice.
• The ability to work with limited supervision and exercise judgement and initiative in a new role with developing practices and processes.
• A demonstrated understanding of the varying needs of women and children who come from diverse backgrounds and present with multiple and complex needs.
• Experience in providing case management and coordinated services for children and young people with complex needs.
• Knowledge and understanding of domestic and family violence and homelessness, including the legal and social impacts on children and young people.
• Knowledge and understanding of NSW Office of Children's Guardian Child Safe Standards.
• Strong administrative skills, including excellent written and oral communication skills and confidence with the MS Office applications.
• High-level organisational skills, the ability to be flexible and set priorities and ensure adherence to service standards in a fast paced and changing environment.
• Ability to think innovatively and creatively to develop tailored solutions and programs for children and young people.
• Ability to work autonomously and as a part of a multidisciplinary team.

Essential Requirements

• Current first aid certificate or capacity to acquire one before commencement.
• Current NSW driver's License.
• The right to live and work in Australia with Ability to provide proof of Eligibility to Work in Australia
• National Police Check
• Working With Children Check
• COVID-19 vaccination

Desired Skills

• Experience in the Not For Profit sector.
• Ability to use online case management system CIMS.

What's on Offer

• Purpose with a mission to help shape and lead a positive impact on women, children and young people.
• A supportive workplace.
• Salary Packaging and Fringe Benefit available.
• Supportive learning culture with career development and training opportunities.
• Access to free counselling through our Employee Assistance Program.
• External Team Supervision bi-monthly, additional support when required. Internal monthly supervision.

How to Apply

• Please send us your resume and cover letter to addressing the essential skills (as above).

Applications that do not have a cover letter and address each point of the essential skills will not be considered.

• Applications will be reviewed as received and interviews will be scheduled accordingly.
• Employment is subject to satisfactory background checks, which include National Police Checks, Working with Children Checks and Reference Checks.
• We seek a workforce that is as diverse as our society, in race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexuality and cultures that will reflect the communities we work in. We strongly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to apply. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require a copy of the position description.
• We consider being a woman is a genuine occupational qualification for this position under section 31 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW) and sections 30 of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth).
• Application closing date: 20th November 2025.