Description:
Position
School Focused Youth Service Coordinator
Team
Community Activation
Role Classification
SCHADS Award Level 5
Employment Type/Hours
Full Time, Fixed Term, 38 hours per week
Location
Sandringham and Frankston
Reports To
Senior Manager, Community Activation
Effective Date
June 2025
Overview of Program
Family Life is a purpose-driven, independent, not for profit specialist family services provider working with vulnerable children, families and community since 1970. We believe that every child has the right to a happy, healthy life and to achieve their full potential.
Family Life’s Community Activation Team offers community strengthening services in the Bayside Peninsula region and growth areas within the South East Region of Metropolitan Melbourne. The Community Activation Team provides support to a variety of community stakeholders and internal Family Life Teams using a community development approach to support in the delivery of our Creating Capable Communities and School Focused Youth Service programs.
Family Life is deeply invested in supporting long term, positive social change within the communities that we service. Through this work we are best placed to connect vulnerable families and children we work with to long term sustainable supports. We have invested in a suite of community activation initiatives, interventions and capacity building programs, which operate under a dedicated framework for community change.
The School Focused Youth Service is funded by the Department of Education and is delivered by various community organisations across Victoria. Family Life delivers the School Focused Youth Service program across the Local Government Areas of Bayside, Kingston and Frankston.
Position Objective
The School Focused Youth Service Coordinator - Community Activation is responsible for working cooperatively with local schools and communities that support young people in Grade 5 to Year 12 who may be at risk of not completing their education.
The School Focused Youth Service uses a community development approach to respond to issues that may put young people at risk. This is achieved by using early intervention strategies including:
- Gathering national, state, regional and local data on young people not completing their education.
- Identifying local issues currently affecting young people who are disengaging from education.
- Providing advice and support to schools with information dissemination of local services available for young people, including assessment, referral pathways and program service parameters.
- Liaising with local area school networks and the Department of Education to prioritise areas of need and issues that require a coordinated response. This includes liaison with all government, faith based and independent schools in the network area.
- Developing partnership projects between schools and community organisations that will address identified youth issues.
- Use of early intervention and prevention programs with an evidence base in order to demonstrate measurable outcomes for the young people involved.
- As this position regularly engages with external stakeholders, the incumbent must be able to work collaboratively with others, maintain professionalism and actively promote Family Life Services.
Key Responsibilities
The key responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Technical Skills
- Deliver the School Focused Youth Service program in accordance with Department of Education program guidelines, service agreement and funding requirements.
- Identify engagement opportunities with young people using a variety of strategies and methods.
- Coordinate or facilitate programs/activities that provide effective service delivery to young people at risk of early school leaving.
- Ensure initiatives reflect an understanding of the social, educational, emotional and psychological factors, which contribute to students being at risk of not achieving educational outcomes.
- Create productive partnerships and pathways between schools and community organisations to support vulnerable young people and their families.
- Support program delivery by using early intervention frameworks and models as well as capacity building with school staff.
- Undertake research and program evaluation to meet best practice and program requirements.
- Comply with legislation, standards, policies, practices and procedures relevant to the program area.
- Ensure a professional standard of care and service provision according to the philosophy of Family Life.
Customer Service and Collaboration
- Develop and maintain effective working relationships with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders and services, to ensure an integrated and collaborative approach that supports positive outcomes for young people.
- Demonstrate an awareness and practice in response to the diverse needs of clients.
- Demonstrate an understanding of local communities serviced and the issues they face.
- Attend and participate in meetings as required to ensure an integrated approach to service delivery and ongoing learning. These meetings may include; supervision, secondary consultation within scope of practice, regional state-wide School Focused Youth Service meetings, team meetings, team planning days and other meetings as required.
- Promote Family Life and the organisation’s services throughout the region.
Continuous Improvement
- Regularly seek feedback from schools regarding the effectiveness of the programs and services.
- Participate in program evaluation activities that promote innovation and contribute to improved outcomes.
- Participate and contribute to community activation and innovation initiatives that seek to improve student engagement and family wellbeing.
- Participate in and contribute to Family Life’s quality improvement processes and other activities to meet service and accreditation standards.
- Demonstrate a commitment to ongoing skill development and training relevant to the role.
Administration and Documentation
- Ensure all relevant program planning, finance requirements, documentation, evaluation and reporting are completed in a timely and accurate manner.
- Take responsibility for accurate, confidential and timely record keeping, storage and general maintenance of information, in accordance with relevant program and organisation requirements and standards including utilisation of Salesforce.
- Ensure all relevant policies and procedures are implemented and adhered to, including the complaints handling procedures.
Key Selection Criteria
- Minimum Bachelor qualification in Education, Community Development, Psychology, Social Work, Community Services or related discipline.
- Proven experience in working with young people, families and communities using a family and community centred approach.
- Demonstrated experience in partnership development and promotion and have a well developed understanding of the education environment, including the ability to engage with staff at all levels across the education and community sector.
- Demonstrated experience in program development, coordination and evaluation.
- Demonstrated skills in facilitating groups, forums, committees, collaborative partnerships and professional development workshops.
- Demonstrated knowledge of relevant theory including, systems, trauma informed, strengths based and client centred.
- Capability to work autonomously and as part of a multidisciplinary team, a collaborative connector who forms strong relationships internally and externally.
- Commitment to meeting the needs of at risk families, children and youth, guided by the organisation's whole family approach and community based model of service delivery
- Demonstrated skill in developing collaborative relationships with a broad range of stakeholders
- Proven ability in report writing and budgeting.
- Excellent planning, organisational and time management skills
- Information technology skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google suite and client management systems
- Ability to work in schools and at Family Life sites full-time (with the potential for flexible working arrangements)