About Brave Foundation

Brave Foundation is an Australian not-for-profit that equips pregnant and parenting young people with resources, referral, and education opportunities to facilitate happy, healthy and skilled families over time.

Our vision is to see future generations thrive.

Our mission is to collaboratively build a village of support, by creating a network of meaningful connections to ideas, people, services and resources.

We are a national program and located in various locations across Australia.

About the role

As a professional Brave Foundation Mentor, you are a central figure within Brave that works with young people participating in the Supporting Expecting and Parenting Teens (SEPT) program. The SEPT program supports expecting and parenting young people with their goals by partnering with them to navigate multiple service providers across the complex service landscape, emphasising collaboration with existing government and community service providers.

As a Mentor, you walk alongside program participants to collaboratively develop an individualised ‘Pathway Plan’.

This interactive, flexible plan is designed to help participants identify, explore, and advance their goals, including connecting to opportunities and support services. Some areas of support include, but are not limited to, workforce readiness and training, parenting support and skills-building, health and wellbeing, finance and housing, and educational prospects within their local communities. With goals identified, the Mentor will have meetings with the participant to address key priorities and support them in connecting with relevant support services.

The SEPT ‘Pathway Plan’ is regularly reviewed by the Mentor and participant to see how the participant’s identified goals are progressing, and to assist with identifying further areas of support that may be required.

Position Type

.8 FTE, approx. 4 days per week

Fixed term contract (6 months, until 30th June 2024)

Location: Logan, Brisbane area and surrounds

Our Values and Diversity Statement

At Brave, we welcome all people to be unapologetically themselves. We are not the same and that is our greatest strength. It is the collective sum of our individual differences, beliefs, experiences, self-expression, and talent that enables us to live out our purpose which is to back local change.

Brave is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion across the organisation and all our operations.

We have four guiding principles by which we approach our hiring process:

• We are a Child Safe Organisation and apply rigorous recruitment practices to embed a culture of child safety across all aspects of our work.

• We embrace flexible work arrangements, built on trust and respect.

• We encourage applicants from all cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds.

• We have a strong focus on diversity, inclusion, gender equity and gender equality across all our operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Advocate for participants as needed and identify and facilitate referrals to support developing a pathway plan.

• Understand contexts and address barriers that young parents experience.

• Work within a participant led framework. This allows participants to develop their own goals and plan for their future.

• Ensure professional boundaries are consistently upheld.

• Meet with each participant formally at minimum once a month.

• Identify new stakeholder relationships and opportunities to promote Brave and the core program.

• Establish and maintain working relationships with community groups and other stakeholders, to develop strong referral networks.

• Participate in appropriate community networking meetings.

• Maintain accurate records of stakeholder engagement.

• Maintain accurate and up to date participant files.

• Provide participant data and information to team leader as requested.

• Contribute to special projects as requested, for example the continuous improvement working group, wellbeing initiatives and the reconciliation working group.

• Demonstrate a growth mentality and continue to develop professionally and personally.

• Attending scheduled coaching and development and review meetings with team leader.

• Contribute to an effective and respectful system of communication with all participants and fellow employees at Brave Foundation.

• Live Brave’s purpose and values, build meaningful connections, include, inspire, and empower fellow mentors and participants of the SEPT program.

Key Selection Criteria

Essential

• Relevant qualifications and/or demonstrated experience in community services, youth work, education, or primary health care setting.

• Ability to build respectful and trusting working relationships and work with young people from various backgrounds to identify and understand their needs, rights, strengths, lived experience and opportunities.

• Understand the responsibilities associated with working with young people including, boundaries, confidentiality, duty of care, relevant legislation, common law obligations and professional conduct.

• An understanding of the complexity of youth issues including homelessness, mental health, service systems, and trauma.

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

• Ability to negotiate and contribute to decision making both with internal and external stakeholders, participants, and colleagues.

• Ability to work independently and autonomously in a fast-paced, dynamic enviroment

• Ability to work effectively within the team, remotely or in person.

• Ability to work effectively with a range of stakeholder groups, including adolescents, families, professionals, and other personnel from a wide range of social, economic, and cultural backgrounds and linguistic needs.

• A current and valid Working with Children Check and National Police Check.

• Excellent written and verbal communication, time management, and problem-solving skills.

• A flexible, calm and empathetic nature – with a great sense of humour.

• High level proficiency in MS Office software (e.g., Teams, Word, Excel, Power Point).

• Willingness and capacity to use own vehicle to attend participant and stakeholder meetings (policies and procedures in place regarding reimbursement and vehicle suitability).

Desirable

• Knowledge of issues associated with teen pregnancy and parenthood.

Personal Attributes

• High emotional intelligence and accountability.

• High level of professional maturity and adaptability.

• A passion for working with young parents to make a difference to their life chances.

• A high degree of self-awareness and respect for own health and wellbeing.

Time Commitment and Travel

Occasional interstate travel may be required. Some mentor roles require regular travel to and from participant and stakeholder meetings using their own vehicle. This is dependent on location. Brave reimburses mileage at the SCHADS prescribed km allowance.

In some circumstances it may be appropriate to transport a participant and/ or visit their home. This would be guided by a discussion with the Team Leader and conducted in accordance with the Policies and Procedures that Brave has in place.

Brave’s standard working hours fall between 8am – 6pm (in each local timezone).

Application Process

Please submit a cover letter addressing “Key Selection Criteria” together with a current CV via the SEEK platform, or to [email protected]

Please include in the subject line of the email ‘Logan, Brisbane Mentor Position’.

Applications close COB Friday Monday 20th November.

Applications will be processed, and candidates interviewed as applications are received. We encourage you to apply early.