• Are you a highly experienced youth worker with a background in student wellbeing and a passion for social justice and inclusive education?
• Are you looking for a vibrant and dynamic educational setting that is working towards creating positive systemic change in education to support our most vulnerable children and young people?
• If you are, THEN THIS IS WHERE YOU WANT TO BE!

ABOUT US

Banksia Gardens Community Services is a vibrant community service charitable organisation operating in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. Our programs focus mainly on education and training, young people, early childhood, environmental sustainability and community participation and advocacy.

An exciting position is available in our Project REAL, a re-engagement program integrated in the Northern Centre for Excellence in School Engagement (NCESE). Project REAL is dedicated to the re-engagement in education and learning of primary school-aged children who show clear signs of disengagement, potentially as a result of exposure to early adversity or trauma.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Project REAL is a re-engagement program for 9-12 year-olds who have disengaged from mainstream education. It aims to support children, their families and schools to develop skills that foster positive school engagement.

Project REAL is a Flexible Learning Option (FLO) for Tier 3 students ages 9-12 from schools. Commenced in 2017, Project REAL has undergone extensive evaluation, and is now regarded as a benchmark of effective practice in the FLO space. Project REAL accepts 6-7 students per annum, for 3 days per week at school, and provides 1:1 teaching and learning with the Department of Education and Training registered teaching and learning staff, as well as family support services.

For the duration of students’ enrolment at Project REAL, our team provides intensive family or caregiver support, including referrals and collaboration with community agencies and allied health professionals, coaching to referring schools, and professional development on key areas of our practice.

It is through a holistic and collaborative approach with students, families, mainstream schools, Project REAL and community organisations that we achieve the best outcomes for children and successfully re-engage them back into their mainstream schools.

The rationale of the program is based on a solid body of research (ARC, TIP) into the importance of repairing self-regulatory abilities in ensuring educational engagement of young people who have experienced complex trauma and/or high levels of adversity and stress.

Banksia Gardens Community Services is the lead agent in delivering Project REAL. We do this in partnership with The Gateway School, Outer Urban Projects, DPV Health, the Department of Education and Training, Roxburgh College and fourteen local primary schools.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Project REAL (Re-engagement in Education and Learning) employs a multi-disciplinary team to work with young people using a therapeutic framework, with the ultimate goal of re-engaging them into their school by achieving the following objectives:

• Increase the child’s sense of self-esteem and agency;
• Establish positive relational experiences;
• Apply the latest evidence to aid in the repair neurobiological damage caused by traumatic experiences;
• Maintain and improve community connections with school and circle of friends;
• Help participants to develop constructive interests and hobbies;
• Build a body of knowledge that can help build our capacity to effectively work with severely disengaged youth.

The Project REAL Youth Engagement and Learning Mentor will work collaboratively to support the teaching team in delivering programming requirements for Project REAL, with a specific focus on supporting students' learning, and their social and emotional development, while maintaining an environment conducive to achievement and personal development.

The purpose of this position is to provide support to the Project REAL team with the daily operational requirements of the program. This support will involve: (i) assisting the teaching team to plan and deliver Project REAL learning activities and prepare the Project REAL space for the day; and (ii) supporting staff and students during learning activities and breaks by attuning and responding to students’ needs, and by maintaining a safe, calm and nurturing learning environment.

We are seeking a committed, qualified and experienced worker, with tertiary qualification in youth work, community development, psychology or other relevant tertiary qualifications, and significant experience working with highly disenfranchised children and families.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT

• Project REAL
• Northern Centre for Excellence in School Engagement

ABOUT YOU!

• You are a trauma informed, passionate and innovative Youth Worker with significant experience in student wellbeing and engagement programs.
• You are able to work collaboratively to help inspire a high performing team to continue delivering high-quality engagement and learning programs in a fast paced, dynamic educational setting.
• You are committed to reflective practice and rigorous evaluation and capable of building the capacity of other teachers and schools to better understand and meet the complex needs of our students.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• A flexible part-time flexible position.
• Join a passionate and dedicated team making a positive difference in our community.
• Encouraged work-life balance and a broad range of leave entitlements, including annual leave, personal leave, purchased leave, leading paid parental leave, study leave and paid family and domestic violence leave.
• Access to a range of mental health and wellbeing supportive initiatives, including confidential counselling services and education programs, through our Employee Assistance Program.
• Salary packaging and novated lease arrangements on offer with leading provider, AccessPay, reducing your tax.
• Access to a range of ongoing learning and development opportunities that will benefit and support you in your role.

A full position description is attached below.

To learn more about our organisation and this job opportunity, please download the Position Description attached to this advertisement for more details.

Alternatively, feel free to contact Jaime de Loma-Osorio Ricon [email protected] or Seral Fehmi - Project REAL Lead Teacher [email protected] using the subject line: Project REAL Youth Engagement and Learning Mentor enquiry via EthicalJobs.

Our organisation is proud to serve the City of Hume, one of the most culturally diverse places in the whole of Australia. BGCS is committed to human rights, gender equity and fundamental freedoms, in particular the rights of minorities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the LGBTQIA+ community.

We genuinely acknowledge and respect everyone’s individual values, beliefs, efforts, ideas, language and cultural and religious backgrounds and we encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply.

BGCS is a child-safe organisation and is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children and young people with zero tolerance for child abuse. All successful applicants will be required to undertake a National Police Record Check and provide VIT registration.

A position description is attached.