Carers WA values its dedicated and skilled employees and aims to create a flexible, supportive and family and carer friendly workplace. Carers WA actively supports diversity and inclusion, and we encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally diverse backgrounds, LGBTIQA+ people, neurodiverse people, carers and people with disability to apply.

We want to provide a space for everyone to have the best experience through the recruitment process, please tell us how we can best support you.

About Carers WA:

Carers WA is the peak body representing the needs and interests of carers in Western Australia and is part of a national network of Carers Associations providing a range of support services, supporting Carers across Western Australia. Carers provide unpaid care and support to family members and friends who have disability, mental health challenges, a chronic condition, terminal illness, an alcohol or other drug issue or who are frail aged.

Carers WA will support and provide you with:

• In-house monthly group or individual Clinical Supervision
• Training and development opportunities, pertinent to your role
• Work/life balance
• Career progression opportunities
• A competitive salary, including salary packaging and added leave (5 weeks annual leave and 2 wellness days p.a.)
• A friendly, supportive and collaborative workplace environment

About the role:

The Young Carer Needs Assessment & Planning Officer with Carers WA is a full-time fixed-term position to 30 June 2026. The position attracts a salary of $92,696 p.a., plus super and salary packaging, 5 weeks annual leave (with17.5% leave loading on annual leave days) and two wellness days per annum.

The role is predominately outreach facing, supporting young carers aged 8-25 years in Western Australia, primarily in the Perth Metro areas, with additional telephone advice and information provided to young carers and their families living in regional and remote parts of the state.

The role's primary function is to liaise with young carers and their families to undertake a holistic Youth Needs Assessment, to measure the impact of the caring role on the young carer. This includes environmental scanning of existing education providers and community services involved in the family, as well as identifying any gaps in services. When appropriate to do so, a youth friendly Carer Star assessment and action plan is undertaken, and is driven by the young carers needs. This process assists in determining the young carer’s social, emotional, physical and psychological wellbeing needs, in the context of their caring role as it impacts on their ability to thrive in their home, education, work life and social groups.

The Team work from a strengths-based approach to empower young carers to make decisions about their current and future needs, maximising their potential to maintain and improve their personal wellbeing in the context of their current and future aspirations, and establish sustainable supports.

The role requires the ability to work cohesively with the other members of the young carer team, while being confident, competent, and motivated to work compassionately with young carers and their family.

Periodically the role may be involved in the development of other parts of Carers WA business as well as submissions to government to seek funding for enhanced or new services for carers.

Carers WA promotes a workplace free of physical and psychological harm, however, acknowledges that some roles and inherent actions of our business mean there may be exposure to traumatic narratives. In these instances, and where possible, Carers WA will mitigate the impact of this exposure. Typical stressors associated with this role may include exposure to traumatic narratives and difficult situations.

Essential Selection Criteria:

• Previous professional experience working with vulnerable and disadvantaged children (from the age of 8yrs), youth and families.
• Experience in providing advisory, assessment tools and/or planning processes.
• A broad understanding of the mental health, support service and education systems within WA and knowledge of relevant child, youth and family legislation.
• Demonstrated capacity to develop and maintain effective relationships with a range of internal / external stakeholders.
• Ability to advocate on behalf of the young carer (aged from 8yrs) adhering to Rights of the Child and National Principles of Child Safe Organisations and work from a trauma informed and strengths-based practice model.
• Ability to work within the Code of Ethics and Practice for their relevant association and the appropriate legislative requirements commensurate with the profession and service delivery standards.
• Well-developed problem solving, negotiation and boundary setting skills.
• Demonstrate Cultural competency in working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family’s as well as the LGBQTIA+ and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse community’s.
• Ability to travel within Perth Metro to meet young carers and family in their safe space of community (library, café, park), school /education facility, work or home (safe home visiting policies must be adhered too).
• A relevant tertiary (degree) qualification in a related field preferably Social Work with a minimum of 18 months professionally paid experience in a related field is desired. However, those with a tertiary qualification in Community Mental Health, Youth Work or similar may also be considered if 18 months professional practice and experience in formal case management of families with complex needs can be demonstrated.
• Current Working with Children’s Check (or able to attain one).
• Current C class Drivers Licence – unrestricted.
• National Police Clearance issued within the last 3 months (to be provided upon employment).

Desirable Criteria

• Applied Suicide Intervention Skills
• An understanding of family / unpaid carers related issues and needs – Carers Recognition Act 2004.
• Experience working for a not for profit organisation

Please note: Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for an interview.

Carers WA reserve the right to begin the recruitment process and withdraw the position prior to the close date/time.

Applications must include a covering letter addressing the selection criteria, Curriculum Vitae and contact details of two professional referees. Applications can be submitted online via the recruitment platform.

Position description for this role is available upon request from [email protected] using the subject line: Young Carer Needs Assessment & Planning Officer enquiry via EthicalJobs.

Carers WA is a Carer Friendly Accredited organisation and supports a zero harm workplace culture to all internal and external stakeholders.

To learn more about working with Carers WA, we encourage you to visit our website www.carerswa.asn.au