• Hours: 0.8 FTE, 4 days per week
• Remuneration: $83,931.64 p.a. pro-rated, classified under the SCHADS Award at Employment Level 5.3
• YACVic pays above award rates, with generous T&C
• Status: This is a fixed term 12-month contract, with potential for renewal dependent on performance and funding
• Location: Melbourne, with occasional metropolitan and regional travel within Victoria

About the Youth Affairs Council Victoria (YACVic)

Youth Affairs Council Victoria (YACVic) is the peak body and leading policy advocate on young people’s issues in Victoria. YACVic’s vision is that the rights of young people in Victoria are respected, and they are active, visible and valued in their communities. YACVic is an independent, for-purpose, member-driven organisation that represents young people (aged 12–25 years) and the sector that works with them.

YACVic provides additional targeted advocacy and services through our key services, YACVic Rural and the Youth Disability Advocacy Service (YDAS), and our auspiced partner, the Koorie Youth Council (KYC).

Youth Disability Advocacy Service (YDAS)

The Youth Disability Advocacy Service (YDAS) is a core YACVic agency, with a service model which places the human rights and interests of young disabled people at the centre of its work. YDAS undertakes individual and policy advocacy, and builds the capacity of institutions and individuals, to support young disabled people to have a stronger voice, reduce the barriers that they experience, and improve their quality of life.

About the role

The Individual Advocacy Coordinator is a new role that will provide individual advocacy support to disabled young people, and leadership to the other members of YDAS’s small but dynamic individual advocacy team.

The Individual Advocacy Coordinator will ensure the provision of a high quality and client-centred individual advocacy service to disabled young people aged between 12 and 25 in Victoria. They will ensure that the human rights of the disabled young people are upheld, working with them so they can access services and participate as valued and respected members of their community.

The Individual Advocacy Coordinator will deliver individual advocacy support to disabled young people, and also lead, support and coach the other members of the small and dynamic advocacy team. They will work collectively with the team to action complex advocacy cases. They will set advocacy targets for the team and ensure that they are met in line with reporting and regulatory requirements.

In alignment with the YDAS service model, the Individual Advocacy Coordinator will ensure that disabled young people are supported to advocate for themselves where possible, empowering them and allowing them to develop self-advocacy skills.

The Individual Advocacy Coordinator will identify systemic issues prevalent in the individual advocacy caseload, and report those to the YDAS Manager, thereby influencing the systemic advocacy priorities of YDAS and allowing YDAS to implement strategies to address the systemic issues that have an impact on the lives of disabled young people.

They will also periodically consult and advise other individual advocacy organisations to ensure that the advocacy needs of disabled young people are met, particularly disabled young people who identify as being part of intersectional cohorts.

About the candidate

We are looking for someone who is flexible, motivated and willing to play an active part in a collaborative and close-knit team.

YACVic is an Equal Opportunity Employer. People with a disability, people from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are encouraged to apply for this position.

Employment conditions

YACVic promotes the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of all children and young people, including those with a disability, those who are Aboriginal or those from refugee or migrant backgrounds. We take child protection very seriously. All employees are subject to screening and assessment against child safety standards, including rigorous background, identity and reference checks. The successful applicant will require a current Working with Children Check and Police Check (costs reimbursed) and must agree to adhere to our child safe policy and code of conduct.

To be eligible to apply for this position you must be an Australian or New Zealand citizen, permanent resident or hold a valid work permit or visa.

Click the 'Apply Now' button to see instructions on how to apply for this role.

If you have any questions about the role, please contact Mija Gwyn, YDAS Manager, at [email protected], using the subject line: Individual Advocacy Coordinator enquiry via EthicalJobs or Steph Brenkovich at 0437 088 384.