Point Cook Senior Secondary College is looking for a Youth / Social Worker.

This is a full time, ongoing position - 38hr week, working for the Education Department, Level 1 Range Classification 3 as per VGSA.

The Youth / Social Worker will join a team that includes the Student Wellbeing Leader, Student Engagement Coordinator and Psychologist. Situated in the school’s wellbeing hub, the youth/social worker acts as the first point of contact for students seeking immediate wellbeing support, triaging them to the relevant member of the wellbeing team as appropriate.

The Youth/Social Worker will take a case management role with students identified as needing support to achieve success. Students are referred by teaching staff or self-refer to the wellbeing team and are allocated a member of the wellbeing team to manage their case file based on individualised suitability. The Youth/Social worker will work with students and liaise with teachers, families, and external support agencies to best support students to achieve social and academic success.

The Youth/Social Worker works with the wellbeing team and year-level coordinator to identify the needs of specific cohorts and groups within the school. They take a proactive role in engaging external agencies to provide support for these groups. For example: Engaging, coordinating, and supervising the delivery of the La Mana program for Pacifica Islander students.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Liaise effectively with external service providers and assist teachers, students and their families to access these services.
• Support the Wellbeing Team to monitor the social, emotional, and learning progress of students and provide reports the Student Wellbeing Team and other relevant members of staff.
• Implement and evaluate intervention programs to support school curriculum and the needs of identified groups of students.
• Provide or facilitate counselling and guidance to students.
• Work with students and their families to develop pathways to success at school.
• Ensure the safety of the young people whilst under their supervision.
• Facilitate and assist young people to develop skills and achieve goals.
• Support and advocate for young people to progress and move towards success.
• Engage young people in activities that are of both a social and learning opportunity to advance their skills.
• Assist in creating an environment that facilitates learning, growth and change.
• Use appropriate boundaries, processes and structures that allow young people to learn from their experiences and choose appropriate ways to meet their needs.
• Perform duties in accordance with DE guidelines, accepted practice and College policy being respectful of confidentiality, mandatory reporting requirements and observing necessary boundaries.
• Be responsible to the Wellbeing team in the development of programs and in the day-to-day identification of students in need, and of caseload management.
• Be a team player who has excellent communication skills (written and verbal) and ability to develop positive working relationships with students, especially those at risk.
• Work with students individually, and in groups, to encourage emotional intelligence, interpersonal skills and a social awareness.
• Identify students who need to be referred on to other services and work within school processes to take appropriate action to make referrals.
• Work as a mentor where appropriate, modelling appropriate positive behaviours and relationships.
• Provide information and feedback to Advisory teachers, Leading teachers and Principal class regarding individual needs, issues, concerns and assist in the development of effective learning programs that can be implemented for students at risk.
• Develop links with Students Support Services, school networks and relevant support agencies with a view to optimising and coordinating service provision to students as risk.
• Provide regular confidential feedback and updates to the Principal, Assistant Principal and team leaders regarding students being assisted.
• Implement and evaluate intervention programs to support school curriculum and the needs of identified groups of students.
• Other duties as directed by the Principal or Business Manager.

You can apply for this position via Recruitment Online (ROL), job #1351097, via the Apply Now link.

Alternatively, you can contact [email protected], using the subject line: Youth / Social Worker enquiry via EthicalJobs, if you need assistance with the application method and require an alternative method.  

Please attach a cover letter, your resume and address the selection criteria. Follow the video link guide below for Recruitment Online.

A selection criteria is attached.

 Job#1351097.