Join Our Team

The Role

The Role:

Project Youth operates a weekly structured drop-in session for young people facing disadvantages. This drop-in session allows young people to access a youth centre to receive mentoring, information, resources and support from peer mentors with lived experience of the issues they are facing. The drop-in sessions are a safe, inclusive and accessible environment for young people and are supported by a qualified youth worker/social worker.

In line with Project Youth’s strategy, the peer mentor roles will ensure all young people can thrive despite the disadvantages they may face. The roles will also work under Project Youth’s trauma informed Framework and our values of partnership, respect, innovation, integrity and quality. Project Youth has a Youth Engagement Policy in place, called Rising Together which was co-designed by young people with lived experience and will provide the foundations for the peer mentoring roles.

The Main Responsibilities

The Person

Essential criteria, experience and skills:

• Must have your own lived experience of accessing support service that Project Youth (or similar service) provides i.e. homelessness

• Under the age of 25 (this is a peer mentoring role and therefore is in line with Project Youth’s age criteria for participants)

• Be eligible to work in Australia

• Purpose driven to support young people to thrive and overcome challenges

• Clear understanding of boundary setting, confidentiality and consent 

• Able to articulate and demonstrate your ability to safely work in a lived experience role

• Demonstrate that you have mechanisms and supports in place for your own recovery

• Have a minimum of 3 years gap from receiving intensive support from Project Youth

• Able and willing to purposefully use your own story to provide mentoring and information to young people accessing a structured drop-in session

• Able to work effectively, compassionately and in a trauma informed way with young people Project Youth serves; as well as with staff (paid and not paid) and community members with lived experience of the issues Project Youth addresses through our work

• Understanding of mandatory reporting, child protection responses and child safe practice standards

• Excellent time management skills 

• Willingness to undergo relevant training to conduct the role safely and effectively

• Strong problem-solving skills and a solution focussed approach

• Proven ability to work as part of an outcomes focused team

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and excellent interpersonal skills

• Commitment to the principles of equity of access, cultural diversity and accountability

• Good computer and literacy skills

• Able to demonstrate forward thinking and using initiative

• Energetic and a genuine passion for the organisations purpose

Desirable experience and skills:

• Experience working in a youth service or with young people facing disadvantages

 All Project Youth employees are required to undergo a National Criminal Record Check and a Working with Children Check by the relevant State and Territory Government(s) as a condition of employment.