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.

About the role

You will mentor a team of youth workers in providing purposeful support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in residential care, with high and complex medical needs. 

You will strive to enhance the lives of young people in the residential setting, incorporating a therapeutic, trauma informed approach within the daily structure and purposeful programming.  

There is a strong emphasis on leading your team to provide a secure base for our young people within the home, liaising with culturally appropriate services, and providing opportunities for the young people to connect with the culture in which they identify within.

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.

Key Responsibilities

• Developing and maintaining strong working relationships with identified service providers/Indigenous communities.
• Advocate for the best interests of the young people within the service, ensuring care is in accordance with legislation and relevant standards.
• Experience working with complex and challenging behaviours in response to traumatic life events.
• Ability to understand and work in accordance to our therapeutic framework CARE and Therapeutic Crisis Intervention.
• Develop individualised care plans implementing a strength based, trauma informed approach with client centred goals.
• Identifying risk harm and developing plans which assist to intervene and reduce the level of risk for the young people including cultural support planning
• Work closely with internal and external stakeholders as part of a Care Team. Liaise with key stakeholders and Program Managers through oral communication skills and strong interpersonal skills, including use of Microsoft Office packages.
• Knowledge of the Child Protection Act 1999 and QLD Youth Justice Court Orders.
• Work closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, considering culturally appropriate practice.

Skills & Experience

• Relevant Bachelor’s Degree or relevant Diploma working towards a Bachelor’s Degree
• Unrestricted drivers’ licence and own vehicle.
• Demonstrated experience in providing a creative and flexible approach to people with individual needs.
• Demonstrated experience implementing Individual client care plan goals.
• An understanding of child development and the impact on trauma on children and young people.
• Commitment to improving the quality of life, skills and independence of children and young people.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills including strong interpersonal skills, use of Microsoft Office packages. 
• Disability experience highly desirable

All positions within Life Without Barriers will be required to undergo probity checks including criminal record checks and working with children check (where relevant to the position).

Due to the operational requirements and nature of our services, it may be required for the incumbent to work outside the normal span of hours including responding to critical incidents and on-call.

Benefits

• Opportunity to work for one of Australia's largest social purpose organisations
• Attractive Remuneration Package with excellent tax benefits and monthly RDO
• Permanent Full Time Position with ongoing support and training

Life Without Barriers supports the Royal Commission into violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability. We believe people with disability need to be heard and for these experiences to influence how support services like ours are delivered. View our statement here.