Youth Advocate

Summary:

The Youth Advocate works collaboratively with the school and Allied Justice teams to improve access to justice for students and the broader school community. The position acts as a conduit for elevating the voices of young people, identifying legal and related needs. The role also supports the successful coordination and integration of the school lawyer into the school community, helping to build trusted relationships and strengthen access to justice for students and their families. This position will leverage the unique insights of this initiative to build relationships with other similar regional and remote schools.

Responsibilities:

• Work collaboratively with St Arnaud Secondary College and other community justice partnership stakeholders to support integrated service delivery.
• Assist with coordination of the school lawyer program, including referrals, communication pathways and opportunities for engagement with students and families.
• Build strong trusted relationships between Allied Justice, students, their families and school staff that contribute to successful outcomes for young people and their families from the delivery of the lawyer in school program
• Find opportunities to highlight the integration of our Lawyer-in-School program across other regional rural and or remote school communities as directed by the manager.

 Key Selection Criteria

1. Demonstrated experience working effectively with young people in education, community or youth service settings.
2. Strong understanding of family violence prevention, early intervention and the social drivers of disadvantage.
3. Ability to build respectful relationships and engage young people using trauma informed and culturally safe practice.
4. Demonstrated understanding of access to justice issues, legal need identification and referral pathways for young people.
5. Highly developed communication skills, sound judgement and the ability to work collaboratively across school and legal settings.
6. Experience working in partnership with schools, legal services or multidisciplinary teams.

Qualifications:

• A relevant qualification in social work, youth work, or a related field.
• Experience working with young people, particularly in a legal or advocacy context.
• Strong understanding of the legal system and issues affecting youth.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build rapport with students and families.
• Ability to work collaboratively with various stakeholders, including schools and legal professionals.
• Demonstrated commitment to social justice and advocacy for young people.