Aboriginal (Identified) Youth Officer - Riverina Youth Justice Centre (Wagga Wagga)

Division: Corporate Services
- Location: Wagga Wagga, NSW, AU, 2650
- Req ID: 72398

**Aboriginal (Identified)**Youth Officer - Riverina Youth Justice Centre (Wagga Wagga)**
- Ongoing and temporary roles
- Full-time equivalent, rostered shifts 24/7
- Paid training and development
- This recruitment is for the late April intake
- Salary package from $69,686 to $77,795 p.a., superannuation, plus shift allowances and penalty rates as applicable
- Applications close on Sunday, 23rd February 2025 at 11:59pm

**Important - Requirement for this position**

Applicants must be of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent through parentage, identify as being an Australian Aboriginal and accepted in the community as such. Authorised under s14 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW), Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander is a genuine occupational requirement for this position.

**Who we're looking for**

We are seeking Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cultural knowledge and life skills who can communicate well, remain calm under pressure and want to help young offenders make better choices.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Youth Officers provide cultural advice and support to young people, their families, colleagues and the community. The roles include positive leadership and supervision while assisting in the care, development and security of young people in custody in NSW.

**About Youth Justice NSW**

Youth Justice NSW is a division of the Department of Communities and Justice within the Stronger Communities NSW cluster. Formerly known as Juvenile Justice, Youth Justice NSW supervises and provides custodial and community-based services for young offenders under the _Children (Detention Centres) Act, 1987_. There are six Youth Justice centres across NSW which accommodate young offenders and offer health, educational and spiritual services - including individual case management, specialised counselling, and training in job and living skills. There are also 34 Youth Justice community offices that provide community-based intervention for young people who are at risk of reoffending. Youth Justice NSW aims to work with young people to reduce their reoffending, rehabilitate and return them to society.

**About Riverina Youth Justice Centre**

Opened in 1984, Riverina Youth Justice Centre is one of six Youth Justice centres across NSW. Riverina accommodates up to 45 low to medium risk males, predominately from the Riverina and South-Western areas of NSW, and offers a range of services, programs and interventions to address individual needs and reduce offending. Many of these young people come from traumatic backgrounds and can display unpredictable behaviour.

**About the role**

Youth Officers supervise and work with young people in Youth Justice Centres across NSW. It is a shift-work based role which includes night shifts and weekend work. Youth Officers are frontline staff and work within the secure residential units of a Youth Justice Centre.

**The role offers**:

- A culturally diverse workplace with equal opportunity
- Access to staff benefits
- Supportive team environment
- 5 weeks of full-time training to prepare you for entry-level duties
- A job that gives back to the community
- Help young people reintegrate back into society

**As an Identified Youth Officer you will**:

- Provide Aboriginal cultural intervention to young people
- Provide cultural advice and support to colleagues on working with Aboriginal young people, their families and communities
- Be involved in culturally responsive programs and activities
- Supervise young people in custody and ensure all their needs such as health, hygiene and wellbeing are met on a daily basis
- Respond to challenging situations
- Maintain a safe and secure environment for the young people and staff within the centre
- Proactively avert risk and solve problems
- Be a role positive role model who is willing to reinforce boundaries
- Work in accordance with relevant department legislation, policies and procedures
- Follow a structured routine and help young people adjust to the routine by role modelling and demonstrating expectations
- Communicate well and find common ground with others
- Remain calm in high pressure situations
- Be energetic and enjoy working as part of a team
- Be willing to facilitate and participate in programs to develop the skills of young people
- Be confident in managing conflict in a high pressure and fast paced environment
- Be resilient and flexible in your approach to working with others

**Requirements of the role**:

- Applicants must be of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent through parentage, identify as being an Australian Aboriginal and accepted in the community as such. Authorised under s14 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW), Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander is a genuine occupational requirement for this position.
- Possession of a minimum Provisional 2 NSW Driver's licence