Children's Court Youth Diversion Coordinator - Geelong

• Ongoing, Full Time position based in Geelong
• Make a difference to young people and your community
• Salary range $89,161 - $100,293 plus superannuation

About us

The state-wide Children's Court Youth Diversion service (CCYD) commenced operation in all Children's Courts across Victoria in January 2017. Delivered by the youth justice service as a discrete program CCYD has a critical interface with the Youth Justice Court Advice Service. CCYD ensures consistent and equitable access to diversion for eligible young Victorians early in their contact with the Children's Court. CCYD is underpinned by the principles of diversion and targeted to promote reparation of harm caused by offending.

The role of a Children's Court Youth Diversion Coordinator

As a CCYD Coordinator, you will ensures children and young people before the Children's Court of Victoria are supported to access and complete Youth Diversion. The CCYD coordinator attends scheduled sittings of the Criminal Division of the Children's Court to:

• conduct same-day assessments following a magistrate's referral
• advise the court on suitability for diversion
• report back to the court on a young person's compliance with the court's direction.

When undertaking assessments to determine suitability for diversion, the CCYD coordinator will consult with the young person, their family or carer, Victoria Police prosecutors and legal representatives. The CCYD coordinator will manage risks identified through assessment by engaging supports to promote the completion of a diversion activity. The intervention will build on and strengthen a young person's existing relationships and interests, engaging them in the context of their family or carer and their community to promote positive change.

About you

As our ideal candidate, you will have:

• a proven understanding of the youth justice system, particularly the principles and philosophy underpinning relevant legislation
• an understanding of the principles of diversion and case work including assessment and interventions relevant to the age, gender and developmental stage of the young person
• excellent stakeholder management, communication and problem-solving skills in order to achieve organisational objectives.
• Excellent written communication skills for the development of court reports, case notes and other formal documentation.
• An in-depth knowledge of restorative justice and court processes would be beneficial.

A Bachelor of Social Work or Diploma in Community Services Work is highly desirable. Other tertiary qualifications at Diploma level or above will be considered only if they include units of study in case management/casework practice and have had supervised practical work placements.

A current employee Working with Children Check (WWCC) card is required and will need to be provided prior to commencement of employment by the applicant. Currency will need to be maintained by the employee for the period of employment.

For more details regarding these positions, please contact:

• Hayden Butcher – Team Manager on 0448 037 ***

Why work with us?

At the Department of Justice and Community Safety, we provide every person with the means to achieve their potential through ongoing learning and development opportunities in a diverse, equitable and supportive environment.

We look for people who are prepared to do their very best in line with our values and behaviours. Our values shape and influence how we recruit, train and develop our staff and build relationships with stakeholders. 

We will also provide you with professional development opportunities, an employee assistance program, access to job opportunities across the Victorian Government, salary packaging and much more.

In accordance with the Jobs and Skills Exchange Recruitment Policy, only Victorian Public Service employees are eligible to apply for this position. People on labour hire contracts, such as agency staff and external contractors, are not eligible to apply.

For all VPS employees, due to the new Jobs Skills Exchange (JSE) policy, please apply through the JSE to be eligible to be considered for this position in the first round.

How to apply

Please click the Apply button on this advertisement. Applications should include a resume and covering letter. Attachments can be uploaded in .doc, .docx, .pdf, .txt or .rtf formats.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo pre-employment checks which may include reference checks, national police checks and misconduct screening. Dependant on the role, other checks may include VicRoads checks, drivers licence checks, medical checks, Working with Children Checks, and Declaration of Private Interests (for executive and responsible officer roles).

If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process, or require an alternative format to any of the application material, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the contact person listed on this ad.

CHILD SAFE STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT:

The Department of Justice and Community Safety is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. We seek to prevent harm of any kind impacting children and young people and have zero tolerance for racism, child abuse and inequality. Children and young people's rights, relationships, identity, and culture must be recognised and respected, their voices heard, and their concerns acted upon. We aim to foster a culturally safe, child safe and child friendly environment for all children and young people we have contact with, deliver services to, or are impacted by our work.