About the Organisation

Life Without Barriers is a leading social purpose, not for profit organisation of 7,000+ employees working in more than 440 communities across Australia. We support children, young people and families, people with disability, older people and people with mental illness. We work with people who are homeless and refugees and asylum seekers.   

We want to employ people who reflect the diversity of our clients to ensure we can support each client's individual needs and wants. We encourage people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background and people with disability to apply.

About the role

A fantastic opportunity exists for Disability Support Workers to join the Child, Youth and Family Services team based in Devon Park.

You will be responsible for the direct care of young people in placement with a wide range of responsibility for program activities including preparing young people with disability for transition from out of home care to independent and/or supported accommodation. This program delivers services to young people aged 15-17 years. 

Key responsibilities:

• Provision of daily care, supervision and transport of young people in residential care within a therapeutic framework.
• Contribute to the home being a place that is emotionally and physically safe, nurturing, and appropriately engaging and stimulating, to foster growth and resilience.
• Undertake activities in accordance with the care plan/case plan/support plan/Aboriginal Cultural Support plan/Cultural Support plan as directed by the Case Manager, Leaving Care Coordinator, or Clinician.
• Maintain high quality written and electronic documentation relating to care / case plans, progress notes and other documentation.
• Support the routines of young people through assisting and supervising wake-up, bedtime, personal care routines, completion of chores and laundry, meals, meal preparation, recreational activities, homework supervision and assistance.

You will have the ability to build relationships, engage with people from diverse backgrounds and work in partnership to ensure young people in care build practical independent living skills (e.g., budgeting, self-care) and are able to locate and engage with relevant community supports and services (e.g. health, education, employment and housing).

 Skills & Experience

• Certificate III in Disability Services or equivalent
• Understanding of adolescent development
• Understanding of the importance of family/kinship connections to children and young people in placement
• Ability to form and maintain professional, nurturing relationships with young people
• Demonstrated ability to support the learning of a broad range of skills including those related to emotional regulation, age appropriate activities and competencies and living in a home like setting.
• Demonstrated empathetic understanding of complex trauma and its effects on children and young people and how this impacts on their placement.
• Demonstrated ability to record case notes on an electronic data recording system
• A current drivers licence
• Current First Aid Certificate

Successful candidates will be required to clear probity checks including National Criminal History Record Check and Working with Children Check.  A DCP Psychological Assessment is part of the recruitment process.

Benefits

• Opportunity to work for one of Australia's largest social purpose organisations
• Excellent tax benefits 
• Growing organisation with great career opportunities