Youth Justice Community

 

Work in youth justice isn't confined to custodial facilities.

We have staff doing vital work with young people out in the community too.
 

Custodial sentencing is a last resort when dealing with criminal behaviour.

If a young offender doesn't pose a clear threat to the safety of Victorians, it is preferable to help them complete their sentence while living in the community.

The department's focus on diversion has seen the rate of youth offenders in Victoria fall almost 35 per cent since 2010. Over the same period, the number of alleged youth offenders incidents has fallen by more than 26 per cent.

This is evident in the reduction in children and young people supervised year-on-year, which is down by more than 20 per cent in the community and 15 per cent across the system during the past five years.

Source: Youth Justice Strategic Plan 2020-2030

Youth justice community helps young people develop stronger connections to community services and other positive support networks.

What you will bring to the job

Knowledge of the principles of case management, with the ability to use a range of assessments and interventions relevant to the background and needs of a young person.

• A respect for and appreciation of different cultures.
• Flexibility in working within a dynamic and evolving operating model.
• Capacity to cope with setbacks and continue working to achieve your objectives.
• Ability to gain respect from stakeholders and use effective negotiation techniques to motivate others.

Benefits of working in youth justice community

• You will have smaller caseloads than many case management roles. Being able to dedicate more time to your clients will make it even more gratifying when you support them to make positive changes in their lives.
• Challenging and changeable work that connects you with young people from many different cultural backgrounds. Each young person will have their own unique set of circumstances that has brought them into your care, and you need to select rehabilitative programs with these details in mind.
• Attractive salary structure that respects your time and talent.
• Comprehensive leave provisions, including annual leave loading of up to 17.5 per cent.
• Learning and development opportunities in case management best practice.

Youth justice community roles

Case Manager (CM)

A team of youth justice case managers take charge of the supervision and coordination of services for young people subject to statutory court orders.

As a case manager, you will:

• prepare court and Youth Parole Board reports
• develop client service plans and attend court for client matters
• provide assessments
• develop case plans and reports
• advocate for the provision of support services.

Advanced Case Manager (ACM)

• Advanced case managers provide holistic support to young people with complex needs and challenging behaviours.
• You will need exceptional skills in case management practice, with experience in coordinating the delivery of rehabilitative interventions for young people with complex needs.
• This is a senior role that many youth justice case managers aspire to progress to.

Youth Control Order and Intensive Bail Monitoring and Control Scheme (CM and ACM)

The Youth Control Order (YCO) is a new sentencing option for children and young people that offers more rigorous and targeted supervision of young offenders in the community.

The Intensive Bail Monitoring and Control Supervision Scheme (Intensive Bail) is a bail support service that provides high-risk young people with the most stringent supervision in the community.

This role is like the other case manager positions, with one key difference -– you will work mainly (though not exclusively) with young people sentenced to a YCO or the Intensive Bail scheme. This means you will need prior experience in coordinating the delivery of rehabilitative interventions for young people at high risk of offending in the community.

Eligibility

• A Bachelor of Social Work or Diploma in Community Services is highly desirable, though not essential. Other tertiary qualifications at diploma level or above will be considered only if they include units of study in case management or casework.
• A current Working with Children Check (WWCC) card (External link) is essential and will need to be provided prior to commencement of employment. Currency will need to be maintained for the period of your employment.