Senior Youth Worker

The Hester Hornbrook Academy; Geelong; On-site; AUD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Hester Hornbrook Academy in Geelong invites an experienced Senior Youth Worker to deliver daily wellbeing support for students on campus and through outreach. You will lead staff and collaborate with care teams to ensure learning and wellbeing goals are met.

You will engage with families and external partners, manage priorities, and contribute to safeguarding and compliance within a dynamic, multidisciplinary environment at the Geelong Campus.

Qualifications

• Qualification in Youth Work, Social Work or Community Development or equivalent experience.
• Experience delivering outreach support to disengaged young people.
• Experience leading staff and managing competing priorities.
• Strong risk and needs assessment skills in educational settings.
• Ability to support incident management as directed by campus leadership.
• Experience with diverse groups including Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, LGBTQIA+ and other cultures.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate within a multidisciplinary hub to create a safe, engaging learning environment prioritising wellbeing and learning for wellbeing.
• Provide outreach support on campus and through outreach with families, carers and community partners.
• Lead staff supervision and reflective practice; support daily operations for onsite leadership.
• Contribute to whole-school activities, meetings, timetables, and reviews aligned with strategic plans.

Skills

Youth Work

Social Work

Community Development

Outreach Support

Risk & Needs Assessment

Education

Youth Work/Social Work/Community Development qualification

Tools

Canvas

Sentral

Microsoft 365

Job description

Summary

• A full-time ongoing role at our new Geelong Campus
• Make a positive impact in the lives of young people with visible impact
• Join our supportive and collaborative multidisciplinary hubs

About the Opportunity

Senior Youth Workers provide daily wellbeing support to students to enhance their capacity to engage in learning both on campus and via outreach. This also includes being responsible for making referrals and engaging with key stakeholders including care teams and families.
In addition, Senior Youth Workers form part of the Hornbrook Wellbeing Leadership team and will undertake a range of functions requiring a high level of knowledge and skills, within wellbeing, to achieve results in line with the organisations strategic and annual implementation plans.
Senior Youth Workers provide onsite leadership and expert advice to Youth Workers, Educators and Education Support staff around enhancing students Learning for Wellbeing and Wellbeing for Learning.

What a day in the role looks like:

• Create and advocate for students’ wellbeing and learning by collaborating within a multidisciplinary hub to co-design and maintain a safe, respectful and engaging learning environment that prioritises both wellbeing for learning and learning for wellbeing, across both face-to-face and virtual contexts.

• Engage professionally with students, colleagues, families, carers and community by providing flexible and holistic evidence-based support both on campus and through the facilitation of outreach. Provide leadership by facilitating regular formal supervision and reflective practice to identified staff at each campus and engage in all wellbeing leadership opportunities and providing daily operational support to onsite leadership team as required.

• Providing general administration and support by participating in the life of the school including, timetabled duties, camps and excursions, regular supervision, scheduled whole school and campus meetings, the performance review processes, professional learning and a culture of continuous review, improvement of student learning outcomes and achievement of the Hester Hornbrook Strategic Plan (SP) and Annual Implementation Plans (AIP).

• Show a detailed understanding of the current NCCD guidelines to ensure that all staff practices are aligned to providing the required evidence to document the support that is provided to each individual student.

About you

We are looking for someone who has:

• A qualification in Youth Work/Social Work/Community Development or significant demonstrated experience in both classroom and outreach.

• Proven ability to provide outreach supports to disengaged young people to enable them to develop educational knowledge and skills to transition to the classroom.

• Demonstrated experience in leading staff and managing day‑to‑day competing priorities.

• Highly developed skills and experience in risk and needs assessment risk management as related to an education setting.

• Ability to support with incident management, as directed by Campus Leadership.

• Proven experience working with young people with complex needs, or have experienced barriers to education such as trauma, mental health challenges, or out‑of‑home care.

• Proven ability to support unique needs of diverse groups including Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Island peoples, those who identify as LGBTQIA+ and those from diverse cultural backgrounds.

• Understanding of day‑to‑day operations of a school or similar education setting.

• Understanding of the effect of trauma and its effect on the capacity of young people to engage with education and learning.

• Understanding of the interface between the education and welfare sectors. Including understanding the differing functions and priorities of the education and welfare sectors.

• Demonstrated experience in fostering collaborative working relationships with families, external stakeholders, including convening care team meetings.

• Sound knowledge of relevant legislation and compliance requirements, including the Victorian Child Safe Standards, VRQA and the VCAA expectations for senior secondary settings.

• Demonstrated ability to use digital platforms such as Canvas, Sentral, Microsoft Suite (i.e. Word, PowerPoint and Teams) for feedback, and maintaining accurate records.

• Ability to engage students in digital learning environments and support consistent documentation and communication across teams.

• Ability to use technology and resources to effectively perform the role.

• Show a detailed understanding of the current NCCD guidelines to ensure that all staff practices are aligned to providing the required evidence to document the support that is provided to each individual student.

Screening Criteria:

• Proof of Identity Check

• National Police check

• International Police check

• Current Victorian Working with Children Check (Employee) or willing to obtain

• Current Victorian Drivers Licence

• Right to work in Australia

About Hester Hornbrook Academy:

Hester Hornbrook Academy is a multi-campus Special Assistance School providing flexible education for young people aged 15-25. Our programs are driven by students' individual strengths, interests and goals. We offer a range of pathways, including VETiS, Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC), and the VCE Vocational Major (VM).
Our Healing Orientated Program of Education (HOPE) integrates learning, wellbeing and life skills to support students to re-engage with education and achieve meaningful outcomes. Teachers, Youth Workers and Education Support staff work collaboratively to create safe, supportive learning environments and help students overcome barriers, build strengths and pursue their chosen pathways.
Learn more at: www.hhacademy.vic.edu.au.