Job Description

Life Skills Worker | Homelessness Service | Townsville

• Employment Term: Maximum Term, Part-Time until 30 June 2027
• Location: Townsville
• Remuneration: $46.70 per hour + Super + NFP Salary Packaging

Make a meaningful difference with UnitingCare Queensland

At UnitingCare, we are leaders in crisis response, the protection of vulnerable people and children, financial resilience and family wellbeing.

Our Family and Disability Services team works passionately across Queensland to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.

As a Life Skills Worker, you'll be encouraged to grow, develop and feel empowered to make everyday easier for the young people we support. Let's make a meaningful difference, together.

Your part in our UnitingCare team

In this role, you will support young people, particularly those experiencing disadvantage or complex circumstances, to develop the practical, personal, social and emotional skills needed to live independently and achieve their goals.

Working within a strengths-based, trauma-informed and person-centred framework, you will facilitate engaging life skills activities that build confidence, resilience and community connection.

You will work collaboratively with Case Workers to ensure activities align with individual case plans and support goals across areas such as:

• Food preparation, nutrition and meal planning
• Budgeting and daily money management
• Household management and tenancy responsibilities
• Time management and establishing healthy routines
• Community participation and social connection
• Employment readiness, resume development and interview preparation
• Accessing housing, health, transport and social support services

You will also contribute to creating a safe, inclusive and supportive environment while maintaining professional boundaries, managing risk appropriately and accurately documenting client progress.

Due to the inherent requirements of this program's service delivery, we require female representation in this role. As such, we are currently seeking a Female Youth Worker. Being female is a genuine occupational requirement under Section 31 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld).

What makes a difference for us?

We're looking for someone who can:

• Build positive, respectful relationships with young people, particularly those experiencing disadvantage or complex circumstances
• Develop and facilitate engaging, inclusive and practical life skills activities
• Work collaboratively with Case Workers so activities complement individual case plan goals
• Communicate effectively, manage challenging situations, and use de-escalation and conflict resolution skills
• Identify and respond appropriately to risk while maintaining professional boundaries and confidentiality
• Bring a practical, flexible and positive approach to working within a busy residential service

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• A relevant qualification in Community Services, Youth Work, Social Services or a related discipline, or substantial equivalent experience
• Current Queensland Driver Licence
• Current Blue Card (Working with Children Check)
• Current First Aid and CPR certification
• Demonstrated experience supporting young people with complex needs and diverse backgrounds
• Strong interpersonal, planning and administrative skills

Highly regarded:

• Experience in food preparation, food safety or small-scale catering
• Knowledge of strengths-based, trauma-informed and person-centred practice
• Experience working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary or case management environment

What makes a difference for you?

• Flexible work arrangements to support work-life balance
• NFP Salary Packaging: Save tax and increase your take home pay by salary packaging your everyday living expenses and bills (up to $15,900) and meal entertainment (up to $2,650) per annum. To learn more about this benefit watch the video via the following link: Salary Packaging Explained
• A recognition and rewards platform, providing employee discounts at hundreds of retailers, including everyday expenses, holidays, health insurance, annual awards celebration, wellbeing and employee assistance programs
• 12 weeks paid parental leave and 2 weeks paid partner leave, available after 6 months service, in addition to the government scheme
• Diversity and inclusive leave, offering paid gender affirmation leave and cultural leave options (paid and unpaid) for those who may celebrate Lunar New Year, Diwali, Ramadan, NAIDOC weeks and other significant cultural events
• Career development opportunities to challenge yourself, grow and make a meaningful difference 
• A positive and inclusive team based on respect, shared standards, strong values and a commitment to serving others

We’d love you to be part of our UnitingCare family

Joining our FaDS, team, you’ll also be welcomed as part of the UnitingCare family. The second-largest Queensland employer, we’re a proud not-for-profit with more than 16,500 staff and 9,000 volunteers across our brands of BlueCare, Lifeline, ARRCS, The Wesley Hospital, Buderim Private Hospital, St Stephen’s Hospital, and St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital, and have been leading by example for more than 100 years.

Child safe, Child friendly

UnitingCare is committed to being a Child Safe, Child Friendly organisation and will:

• provide welcoming, safe and nurturing services for children
• implement measures to prevent child abuse and neglect within our services
• appropriately and immediately address child abuse and neglect if it does occur
• abide by the Child Safe Standards and adhere to the Reportable Conduct Scheme  

Diversity & Inclusion

Our approach is simple – everybody is welcome here.  At UnitingCare, diversity is at the core of our who we are, our mission and our values. We are committed to providing equal opportunities to all employees no matter their sex, race, culture, sexual orientation, disability or gender identity. Demonstrating our commitment to reconciliation and building long-term employment opportunities for First Nations peoples, UnitingCare strongly encourages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants for this position.  

Safe workplace

We work hard to make our services welcoming and safe for every person. We are united in keeping children, young people and the elderly safe from harm, within our services, workplaces and the communities we support. We are committed to speaking up loudly for their safety.  

Commitment to Safeguarding

We are committed in creating services and workplaces that are welcoming and safe for every person. We work together to protect children, young people, adults and the elderly from harm within our services and the communities we support. We speak up for their safety to ensure their voices are heard. Our recruitment and workplace practices reflect our dedication in preventing abuse, harm and exploitation across UnitingCare.