When disasters strike, children are always the most vulnerable. That’s why 54 reasons stands ready to deploy, providing immediate support and staying as long as it takes to help children and families recover from their losses, restore their lives and build their resilience for years to come. Our new Bushfire Recovery Project works with community partners to deliver services to address social recovery and resilience needs of children, young people and families experiencing ongoing trauma from the 2019/20 bushfires. Our services are led by local practitioners who are professionally trained in managing child trauma. We need you to support the wellbeing of children and families and give them an experience of quality recovery services.

54 reasons is Australia’s leading child rights organisation – no ordinary not-for-profit.

Proudly part of the Save the Children Australia Group and global movement, we’re here to make sure that everyone understands their rights. So that children and young people have their rights met and thrive, in all their diversity.

We champion the children, young people and families we work with. We are inspired by the curiosity and creativity of children and motivated by the love of those who care for them.

With the child’s voice at the centre, we provide quality services to children and their caregivers, advocating with them so that children develop, learn, and are connected, safe and confident. Our people are proudly local, reflective of the communities we serve – in every state and territory, and across regions, remote areas and capital cities.

Where you come in:

In this full time, fixed term position (through to February 2024, strong potential for extension), you’ll work with children, young people and families across the Journey of Hope and Mobile Youth Outreach services, as components of the Bushfire Recovery Project. You’ll deliver mobile programs that provide school based psychosocial support, assertive outreach, after school programming and community events in the Shoalhaven region. Reporting to the Team Leader, you’ll utilise group facilitation skills, engage with the local community and develop their confidence in the support network we are proud to deliver.

You will make an impact by:

• Delivering Journey of Hope sessions to pre-school, primary and secondary school-aged children in the allotted geographical area, as well as running sessions with caregivers, and Mobile Youth Outreach afterschool programming and community events
• Providing community-based groupwork and casework support with families
• Building meaningful, respectful connections with children, young people and families, including those from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds
• Ensuring quality service delivery in-line with program guidelines, contractual requirements and stakeholder expectations
• Ensuring families are connected with appropriate support services as needed
• Consulting regularly with local communities, professionals, service providers and referral services to ensure our services are meeting local needs

Does this sound like you?

You are truly passionate about standing up for children. You respond calmly to crisis situations, and your background is ideally in Social Work, Psychology, Human Services, or a similar field. You enjoy being out in the community and thrive on meeting new people and building relationships. You have strong cultural knowledge which helps you to engage with families and promote family wellbeing. You’re proactive and creative and comfortable working with children of all ages. Finally, you’re an independent self-starter who is happy to work remotely when not delivering programs.

This role requires:

• Demonstrated experience in working with children and families who have experienced trauma
• Demonstrated experience in working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families
• Experience working in stressful and changing environments
• High level of communication and organisational skills
• A degree or diploma qualification in a relevant field would be desirable
• Valid driver’s licence and willingness to travel in the region to deliver programs
• Strong data collection and case noting skills

Working at 54 reasons is more than just a job.

We are a learning organisation that invests in the development and wellbeing of our people. Our workforce is 680+ people strong, and proudly diverse, whether in race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexuality, cultures and beliefs. We are creative, connected and accountable, bringing energy, guts and ideas to all we do to champion children in Australia and partner with families, communities and partners to bring about change.

Our people work from both home and office, with important moments held in-person to foster belonging and support professional development. Our leave provisions include personal, ceremonial and family violence leave as well as the ability to purchase additional leave.

Other benefits include:

• Award rate salary (SCHADS Level 4.1) plus full salary packaging benefits
• Festive leave in addition to regular leave benefits
• Individual learning plans to assist in your career development
• Friendly and flexible work environment
• Internal employment and development opportunities

For more information regarding our employee benefits, please follow this link.

Sound interesting?

We’d love to hear from you. Submit your cover letter and resume by clicking on one of the buttons in the ‘Apply’ section.

Applications close Monday 26th September 2022. Please note, applications will be reviewed as they come in, so please don’t hesitate in applying!

Position Description – Youth Specialist, Bushfire Recovery Project

For more information on the programs in our Bushfire Recovery Project, see our Project Profile.

Save the Children is committed to providing and maintaining a safe working environment for its employees and client groups, consistent with our obligations under OH&S legislation. Successful applicants are required to provide evidence of vaccination against COVID-19, or proof of medical exemption.

We have tested our application process with diverse groups in mind, with the intent to ensure it’s straightforward and accessible for all to apply. Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our culture and improve our ability to reach our most vulnerable client groups. But we also know there is no one-size fits-all when it comes to recruitment – so if we didn’t quite hit the mark for you, please let us know! We’re dedicated to ensuring Save the Children Australia is a workplace suitable for all people and can modify our processes to suit you – no matter your race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexuality, neurodiversity, culture and beliefs.

Save the Children Australia is a child-safe organisation. All employees are required to undergo a National Police Check, a Working with Children Check where necessary, and sign our Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct. We also support the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. You can read about the Scheme and our commitment to Safeguarding here.