Master PD - Youth Justice Worker Parkville YJW1.doc – P&C Dec 2013 Page 1 of 4
A Youth Justice Worker within a custodial environment is primarily responsible for providing care, supervision
and support to children and young people in residential facilities and maintaining the safety and security of the
centre.
Are you?
• Confident and committed to working with children and young people?
• Self-Motivated and accepting of new challenges?
• A team player and team oriented?
Title
Classification
Team, unit
Branch/area, group/division
Work location
Position number
Salary range
Position reports to
Further information
Youth Justice Worker
YJW1
Youth Justice Custodial Services Unit
Secure Services Branch, North Division
Parkville Youth Justice Precinct
DHS/YJW1
Value range 1: $45,161 - $58,380
Unit Coordinator
Phone Hoban on 1300 859 551
Organisational environment
The Department of Human Services supports Victorians in need to build better lives and achieve their potential.
We do this by directly, or with our partners, providing housing and community services so individuals and families
are supported and can participate in their community, the economy and life.
We are working towards creating an integrated human services system that is based on five key principles:
• People are at the centre of everything we do.
• People can access the right services when and where they need them.
• People who access our services will be valued, respected and treated fairly at all times.
• We provide consistent, high quality services across the state.
• We work together as part of an integrated system.
This means that the department is an incredibly vibrant and diverse place with the work we do impacting on all
Victorians, especially people who are disadvantaged and vulnerable.
Our people are our strongest asset and we value the contribution of every employee. We are committed to
developing and supporting a workforce that is well equipped and highly motivated to provide responsive and
quality services to the people of Victoria.
Department of Human Services
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Purpose and accountabilities
The branch provides well-managed, secure and safe facilities which focus on services for clients to reduce risk of
recurrence or re-entry into the system, and to support them to reintegrate into the community. The Secure
Services branch is accountable for the management and oversight of Youth Justice Custodial Services (YJCS),
Secure Welfare Services (SWS) and Disability Forensic Assessment and Treatment Services (DFATS). The
integration of the three secure services under one management model will deliver the following benefits for the
department:
•
•
•
•
better management, oversight and transparency
greater consistency and sharing of expertise and systems across the secure services
well managed, safe and secure services
maintenance of specialist responses by maintaining centre management arrangements.
Youth justice custodial centres accommodate young people aged 10-18 years who have been remanded or
sentenced by the Criminal Division of the Children’s Court, and some 18-21 year olds sentenced by Adult Courts
to a youth justice custodial centre.
Accountabilities
Operating at Value Range 1, you will:
1.
Provide care, supervision, safety and support for clients in residential facilities and in their personal
development through individual casework, structured programs, interaction and the modelling of
appropriate behaviours.
2.
Participate in designing, implementing and coordinating programs for individuals and groups, including
case and client services planning and review and prepare reports and case notes relating to assessment,
case planning and client management, maintain records and registers and participate in shift hand-overs
as required.
3.
Encourage and support clients in their contact with their families, significant others, health and education
services, other agencies, potential employers and the general community.
4.
Maintain a secure environment for the benefit of clients, staff and the community, and record client
movements, conduct searches and security checks and monitor alarms and exercise specific delegations
and functions as detailed in the relevant legislation, policies and procedures
5.
Assist in maintaining and operating the residential facility through a range of essential daily routines,
including meal preparation, other domestic duties and first aid.
6.
Work as an effective team member, contributing to the improvement of processes in the work area, dealing
appropriately with challenging behaviours and escalating issues to a senior manager as required.
7.
Keep accurate and complete records of your work activities in accordance with legislative requirements
and the department's records, information security and privacy policies and requirements.
8.
Take reasonable care for your own health and safety and for that of others in the workplace by working in
accordance with legislative requirements and the department's occupational health and safety (OHS)
policies and procedures.
9.
Demonstrate how the actions and outcomes of this role and work unit impact clients and the department’s
ability to deliver, or facilitate the delivery of, effective support and services.
Selection criteria
All applicants are subject to a National Police History Check. For some roles, existing staff may need to hold a
current Working with Children Check (WWCC) card.
Knowledge
and skills
1.
Verbal communication: clearly explains information and listens to feedback; speaks
clearly and concisely and keeps people interested when speaking; uses a polite and
considerate manner when dealing with others.
2.
Leadership: explains what needs to be done and ensures people have the necessary
information; identifies information and resources required for others to work effectively
and makes sure their practical needs are met.
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Personal
qualities
Qualifications
Specialist
expertise
3.
Problem solving: seeks information needed to solve work problems; identifies and
proposes practical solutions to problems; implements and adjusts solutions when
endorsed by manager.
4.
Self-management: accepts responsibilities for own actions; focuses on the most
important goals; has a realistic and balanced view of own strengths and weaknesses;
recognises own feelings and personal prejudices and understands why they occur.
5.
Empathy and cultural awareness: pays attention to words, expressions and body
language; paraphrases messages to check understanding; shapes responses to
individuals, based on a range of information they have noted; communicates well with,
relates to and sees issues from the perspective of people from a diverse range of
cultures and backgrounds.
6.
Flexibility: adaptable; open to new ideas; accepts changed priorities without undue
discomfort; recognises the merits of different options and acts accordingly.
7.
Resilience: perseveres to achieve goals, even in the face of obstacles; copes
effectively with setbacks and disappointments; remains calm and in control under
pressure; accepts constructive criticism in an objective manner, without becoming
defensive.
8.
Teamwork: cooperates and works well with others in pursuit of team goals,
collaborates and shares information, shows consideration, concern and respect for
others feelings and ideas, accommodates and works well with the different working
styles of others, encourages resolution of conflict within the group.
9.
A diploma in youth justice is highly regarded in all direct care roles in the youth justice
custodial services.
10.
Secure services are investing in developing a professionally qualified workforce. For
existing employees it is anticipated that the Diploma in Youth Justice (CHC51508) be
funded by secure services.
11.
Current Victorian Driver’s Licence is desirable.
12.
Ability to impose reasonable limits and controls for young people and deal effectively
with challenging behaviours.
13.
Understanding of adolescent development and the issues impacting on young people
particularly in the custodial context.
Conditions and benefits
People who work for the department must comply with the Code of Conduct for Victorian Public Sector
Employees 2007 and agree to work according to our values of quality, collaborative relationships, responsibility,
client focus, professional integrity and respect.
Employees of the Department of Human Services can enjoy a range of generous Victorian Government
employment benefits. These include attractive salaries, flexible leave arrangements and training and
development opportunities. Please see www.careers.vic.gov.au/why/benefits-conditions
The department promotes diversity and equal opportunity in employment. If you are an Aboriginal applicant, you
may wish to contact the Aboriginal Employment Unit on 1300 092 406 for advice and support with the recruitment
process. If you have a disability and require assistance or adjustment to participate fully in the recruitment
process, please contact our diversity contact on (03) 9096 2123.
How and where to apply
HOBAN Recruitment, on behalf of the Department of Human Services, accepts job applications electronically to
best manage administrative and environmental resources.
•
Online – existing staff: contact the HR team to be advised of the correct process for you to follow and to be
issued with the internal application link if appropriate
•
Online – external applicants: visit the job page at http://www.hoban.com.au/dhssecureservices and read
through the required information. Once you have done so, click on the ‘Apply Now’ button to begin your online
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application
If you are having difficulties accessing the information online, please phone the Projects Team, HOBAN
Recruitment, on 1300 859 551 for assistance.
Other relevant information
For other important information about the recruitment process, please read the department’s Information for
applicants page at http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/about-the-department/our-organisation/careers/applying-for-ajob/information-for-applicants or request a copy from the contact for further information listed under the ‘Position
details’ section of this document.