• Hoppers Crossing location
• 1 year contract, at 0.6FTE for 3 days per week at 22.8 hours per week with potential for increased hours
• Great salary packaging options
• Flexible work environment

THE ROLE

As part of the H3 (Health Homelessness and Housing) Alliance, Whitelion Youth provide housing-focused and targeted interventions assisting young people aged 16-24 years old by:

• supporting them with securing housing options,
• advocacy with service coordination,
• assistance with applications and budgeting required for housing options, 
• assisting with, and exploring avenues of community support as appropriate,
• supporting access to short-term/crisis housing options as required, and
• establishing strategies to ensure housing is sustainable and maintain independence once attained.

This is an outreach-based service, and Whitelion can also work to address other contributing situational and co-existing factors to homelessness or housing instability such as mental ill-health, AOD and unemployment or education disengagement. Your day to day responsibilities will include:

• Providing individualised support (intensive case management and coordination, brief intervention and assertive outreach.
• Community engagement and capacity building. 
• Stakeholder and partnership engagement, particularly to improve access to housing pathways.
• Community-based outreach.  

You will be based in our Hoppers Crossing office, however will be expected to be available to work across multiple sites within the Wyndham LGA as required. There may be some after hours and weekend work required.

ABOUT YOU

You're passionate about working with and supporting young people, you see the unique potential and perspective that they bring and you deeply understand the relationship between school, community and family in bringing out their full potential and realising opportunities. Your role responsibilities will include:

• Seek and coordinate referrals into Whitelion programs and deliver high quality and individualized care and support
• Engage with young people via an intake process, to assess needs and develop and implement individual support plans supporting housing-focused outcomes. Ensure regular review of plans and effective exit planning
• Leverage existing local networks and resources and source new relationships within the community (government, non-government, business, philanthropic) to create safe, diverse and sustainable opportunities - Actively participate in stakeholder engagement activities with identified partners (H3 Alliance, WLASN, SAFY), as well as supporting the development of new stakeholder relationships, including allocated co-location opportunities
• Maintain appropriate files and records to facilitate good case coordination, accountability and manage all team and service user outcomes and relevant reporting requirements
• Ensure that the standards required by relevant legislation and organisational policy are maintained

Your role requirements:

Experience

• Extensive experience in working with young people at risk, community, and demonstrable skills in engaging and supporting young people at risk of or experiencing homelessness
• Previous experience providing individualised support (intensive case management) in a community service environment, preferably working with at risk and vulnerable young people and assertive outreach
• An understanding of and experience working with the issues confronting vulnerable young people (including, family violence, substance abuse, child abuse and child safety, mental ill-health and relationships) and their families
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in addition to a high level of interpersonal, liaison and negotiation skills in order to build rapport and trust with various stakeholders
• Confident with using Microsoft Office suite and learning new digital software applications. Knowledge of SHIP or SRS is desirable, though not mandatory.

Qualifications

• Current Working with Children card and willingness to undergo a Criminal History Check (and every 3 years thereafter)
• Hold a current driver’s license and be prepared to drive
• A tertiary qualification in youth work, social work, community services or other relevant discipline and/or proven experience in the delivery of services to young people experiencing complex behaviours

General Conditions

All Whitelion staff and volunteers must also adhere to the following requirements:

• Whitelion is committed to preventing any danger to children and young people who engage with our services. We do this by constantly working on creating a safe, empowering and respectful culture.
• All reasonable Health and Safety guidelines, policies and directions.
• Demonstrate the skills and knowledge to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in a culturally safe way.
• Undertake a police check prior to commencement and every 3 years after.

WORKING WITH US

At Whitelion Youth, you will be part of a supportive team environment driven by our collective purpose and shared values (commitment, collaboration, inclusion & accountability). Our leaders are committed to a culture in which you can thrive, and we want you to always bring your unique creativity to deliver on your role in the best way you know how! You will also benefit from:

• Advanced internal systems and technology which support significant organization efficiencies, allowing you to spend more time on the high value work.
• A first-class online learning platform offering huge range of professional development opportunities.
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

APPLY NOW

We welcome applications from all suitable applicants and request that you provide a resume and a cover letter (of no more than 1 page) telling us why you would like to work with us and highlighting your suitability based on the role requirements.

Applications can be addressed to: Jayne Bot - Manager Case Coordination.

We may close early if a suitable candidate is found so please apply now.

Whitelion acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which it is situated, and we pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge and respect the continuation of cultural, spiritual, and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples across the nation. Whitelion commenced its Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan in 2020.

Our vision at Whitelion Youth is for a world where no young person is left behind and where all young people have the right to equitable opportunities to reach their potential. Our staff and volunteers work to support young people at risk to build positive connections and meaningful pathways to work.