Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Residential Youth Worker - Part time

At Stepping Stone House we truly believe in inspiring youth to build their future and be the very best they can be!

We are currently a seeking passionate and enthusiastic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Youth Worker for the Bawaga program. Bawaga house is an ATSI program and we aim to have an ATSI team to best support the young people in the program.

This is an exciting and challenging role where YOU can make a difference. The position is located in Dulwich Hill.

About Stepping Stone House

Stepping Stone House is a not for profit charity that provides accommodation and personal development for children and young people aged 12-25 years old who through no fault of their own find themselves homeless, at risk of homelessness or unable to live at home.

To be successful in this challenging role – you will need to be hard working, have a sense of humour, be flexible in your approach, be enthusiastic, resilient and show empathy and respect for the people you work with. You will need to be a self- starter, be honest in your approach and have passion for working with adolescents.

About the Role

Stepping Stone House has developed an exciting new program designed to meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth who require residential support to become successfully independent. This role will network with other services to locate and match appropriate young people for the program, as well as using your cultural knowledge to help inform and shape service delivery within our new program.

What you will be doing – Key responsibilities

• Maintaining a homelike environment for young people
• Develop rapport and have meaningful relationships with young people
• Have strong involvement in supporting and implementing case plans, Cultural plans including administration tasks
• Assist young people to achieve responsible independence
• Manage the dynamic of the young people – group and individual
• Organising, plan, facilitating, engaging in and supervising recreational activities.

And a great deal more – remember this is an exciting and challenging role.

Selection Criteria: CANIDATES MUST ADDRESS THE ESSENTIAL AND DESIRABLE CRITERIA BELOW WITH THEIR APPLICATION.

Essential Criteria

• Aboriginality (Aboriginality is considered a genuine occupational qualification and is authorized under section 14 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977)
• Qualifications in youth work, community studies, social work or related fields. Equivalent experience will be considered.
• Experience working with disadvantaged young people 12 to 25 years in a residential youth settings or similar field.
• Experience in engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander , Organisations, people’s and communities.
• Ability to communicate cross culturally with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
• Develop and maintain networks with Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Community orgs, Elders and community
• Experience in working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait young people and an strong understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, societies and communities.
• Working with Children Certification
• A current driver’s license
• In depth understanding of homelessness, the impacts and trauma of being removed from the family and the experiences of young people in a residential setting.
• Demonstrated evidence of working with young people with challenging behaviours and the strategies you use.
• Demonstrated experience and or understanding of Trauma Informed Care and willingness to work within a therapeutic framework.

Desirable criteria

• First aid Certificate or willingness to obtain.
• High level of computer literacy including Microsoft products
• Drivers License
• WWCC
• Police Check

Person Specifications:

• Professionalism and a passion for working with young people
• Emotional intelligence and maturity
• Honest and trustworthy
• Adaptable
• A willingness to align with SSH mission and values.
• Must be highly organized and able to work well with others
• Ability to think and act calmly, deal with distressed young people sensitively and confidently and with dignity and respect
• Collaborative working style and ability to build good working relationships in a team
• Networking skills to liaise with relevant organizations

Stepping Stone House provides regular supervision and support for all staff and opportunities for professional development. Salary and Conditions of employment are based on the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Award Level 3. Salary Packaging is available.

Stepping Stone House is a Child Safe Organisation and puts the safety and welfare of our young people first in all the work we do. All safety checks will be prioritised through the recruitment process.

If you are interested in this exciting opportunity to join Stepping Stone House and have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young people – please email your resume and covering letter addressing how you meet the essential and desirable criteria to [email protected]

Please note: If your application is successful, you will be required to obtain a Working with Children Check and a Criminal History Check.