About Uniting

At Uniting, we believe in taking real steps to make the world a better place. We work to inspire people, enliven communities and confront injustice. Our services are in the areas of aged care and disability, community services, and chaplaincy and we get involved in social justice and advocacy issues that impact the people we serve.

We commit to respecting children and take action to keep them safe. As an organisation we celebrate our diversity and welcome all people regardless of lifestyle choices, ethnicity, faith, sexual orientation and gender identity.

We are bold, imaginative, respectful and compassionate.

About the opportunity

This role is responsible for working with young people from 16 – 21 years who are in Uniting’s Permanency Support Program (PSP) to facilitate a seamless transition from care to independent living.

This coaching role is part of a dynamic team across NSW, implementing a new program and a new way of working with young people. An Advantaged Thinking approach will support the development of young people’s self-determination and will enable a transition to independence that promotes the individual dreams and aspirations of young people enrolled in the program.

As the Youth Development Coach, your role specifically will:

• Engage with young people 15 and up in the Permanency Support Program to establish a trusted relationship built on the principles of Advantaged Thinking
• Work collaboratively with PSP staff and management during the leaving care phase
• Provide a critical relationship and point of contact before, during and after the young person’s transition from care
• Provide tailored and structured coaching and learning experiences for young people using the Advantaged Thinking approach
• Facilitate access to education and employment opportunities
• Directly provide and facilitate access to independent living skills learning opportunities
• Provide support to actively build family and community connections and to build cultural connections where appropriate
• Contribute to the development of the young person’s leaving care plan in collaboration with the PSP case worker
• Facilitate the implementation of the young person’s leaving care plan post 18 years
• Assist the young person with developing strategies to manage a range of relationships, change and crisis
• Support the young person to establish, navigate and use support networks and the mainstream service system for identified needs
• Actively participate in the implementation and evaluation of a new program

We are looking for Youth Development Coaches in the following areas: Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Dubbo and Parramatta.

Qualifications and Experience

Typically, this role will require four or more years’ experience in your field of expertise.

You will have excellent written and verbal communication skills, be organised, systematic, thorough, accurate and disciplined. You will be continuing to develop in your area of expertise and be expected to provide innovative ideas to solve problems in your discipline.

It is expected that you will possess good skills at navigating a complex organisation, forging relationships, and managing through influence rather than direct authority as required.

You will also have:

• Demonstrated passion and commitment to working with young people
• Knowledge of the issues and barriers that impact young people leaving care and the multiple service systems they navigate
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain positive, honest and productive relationships with young people
• Demonstrated commitment to working with young people in a collaborative way, driven by their goals and aspirations for their future
• Ability to initiate and develop positive connections with relevant agencies, programs and services in local communities and facilitate young people’s access to these as required
• Excellent communication skills including advocacy, mediation, conflict resolution, and written skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, willingness to be trained in a data collection system
• Ability to work cooperatively in a team and support other team members; managing time and administration responsibilities
• Ability to facilitate and deliver learning opportunities to young people to develop their independent living skills
• Ability to contribute to program development and evaluation
• Willingness to work flexible hours