Senior Youth Worker

About the role

Hester Hornbrook Academy, a multi-campus Special Assistance School for young people aged 15-25, is hiring a Senior Youth Worker for a full-time ongoing role at its new Geelong campus. The Senior Youth Worker provides daily wellbeing support to students so they can engage in learning on campus and through outreach, and is part of the Wellbeing Leadership team. The role also involves mentoring Youth Workers, Educators and Education Support staff.

Key responsibilities

• Create and advocate for students' wellbeing and learning by co-designing a safe, respectful and engaging learning environment across face-to-face and virtual contexts.
• Provide flexible, evidence-based support to students, families, carers and the community, including outreach and referrals to specialised wellbeing services and external agencies.
• Take part in care team meetings and build partnerships with families and carers.
• Facilitate regular formal supervision and reflective practice for staff, and give daily operational support to the onsite leadership team.
• Support Youth Workers with professional practice, compliance, policies and the HOPE program, and mentor and coach them.
• Contribute to the school's strategic and annual implementation plans, and take part in timetabled duties, camps, excursions, meetings, performance reviews and professional learning.
• Maintain accurate records in Sentral, Canvas and Teams, including wellbeing case notes, reports and NCCD educational adjustment documentation.

Required profile

• Qualification in Youth Work, Social Work or Community Development, or significant experience in classroom and outreach.
• Experience supporting disengaged young people to transition into the classroom, and with young people with complex needs, trauma, mental health challenges or out-of-home care.
• Experience supporting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, LGBTQIA+ people and culturally diverse groups.
• Experience leading staff and managing competing priorities; understanding of school operations and the interface between education and welfare.
• Knowledge of Victorian Child Safe Standards, VRQA and VCAA expectations for senior secondary settings.
• Screening criteria: identity check, national police check, Victorian Working with Children Check, Victorian driver licence and right to work in Australia.

Required skills

• Risk and needs assessment and risk management in an education setting.
• Incident management as directed by Campus Leadership.
• Digital platforms: Canvas, Sentral, Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Teams).
• Ability to engage students in digital learning environments and communicate consistently across teams.

Applications close on 16 November 2026 and must be submitted online, with a one-page cover letter, responses to selection criteria, resume, qualifications and Working with Children's Check.