Make a meaningful difference as a Youth Worker at Coomera State Special School, supporting students to develop positive relationships, build social skills and engage in their learning.

Work alongside school staff to provide a safe, inclusive and supportive environment that promotes student wellbeing, participation and personal growth.

Apply now to join the team at Coomera State Special School and make a positive impact on students' lives!

Job details

About us:

Coomera State Special School supports learners across years Prep to Year 12 in the growing area of Coomera.

With a purpose statement of ‘Shining the Light on Potential' we live by the values of ‘Best in Class, ‘EveryOne Matters', Kindness always' and ‘Seriously Playful'. Aligned to these values, the vision for the school supports the following statements -

• A culture of high expectations with a strong belief that every student can learn when provided with a dynamic and fun learning environment that supports the individual needs of all students
• Comprehensive Literacy, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), and Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) are our signature pedagogies used to enact the Australian Curriculum
• Intentional collaborative practices, data-based decision making and feedback is the way of working for all staff
• Strong commitment to family and community engagement is a key focus of the school

About you:

The Youth Worker will have experience working with people who live with disability, mental health and associated socioemotional challenges (e.g., emotional dysregulation, engage in behaviours of concern). Further experience setting up and facilitating programs to support educational, social, emotional or behaviour challenges in students with complex needs is sought.

Experience supporting young people with significant sensory processing needs would be highly regarded, including recognising individual sensory preferences and signs of overwhelm, adapting activities and environments, and using individualised strategies to support regulation, engagement and participation.

Experience working with a range of stakeholders, families and community organisations to maximise learning opportunities would also be advantageous.

About the role:

• Work alongside the Leadership Team to support a young person who requires intensive support (often 2:1 staff ratio, with 1:1 at all other times). Data has identified the need for implementation of particular strategies (such as a rotation of staff with frequent changes of face to support success, highly responsive programming to respond to behaviours requiring co-regulation).
• Intentionally collaborate and consult with a range of stakeholders, both within and external to the school, to ensure everyone is goal oriented and focused on student success and demonstrate understanding, empathy, patience and a positive educational focus.
• Contribute to creation and implementation of tailored individual personalised learning plan.
• Employ a strengths-based, trauma, mental health and disability informed approach when working with students.
• Work collaboratively with teachers, families and relevant professionals to implement individualised sensory strategies, adapt environments and routines, and provide flexible programming that responds to students' sensory processing needs and supports their wellbeing and readiness to learn.
• Maintain records of student contact on a daily basis, as well as the recording of minor and major behaviours.
• Continue to develop links with key organisations within our local Coomera and wider Gold Coast community to support a structured mentor program with specific students across the school.
• Be an active member of the PBL committee, working closely with the Head of Department – Engagement and Wellbeing to assist the decrease in severity and rate of major behaviour incidents by implementing comprehensive intervention support plans with classroom teams.
• Increasing student and social and emotional wellbeing by using research-based programs appropriate to the students' needs.
• Work with students, families, teachers and Student Services Team to implement tailored strategies that support students' wellbeing and assist them to have a more positive educational experience.

Please view the role description for a full list of responsibilities.

Interested? To Apply: 

• Attach a brief resume including contact details for 2 referees (referees should have an understanding of your relevant work history)
• Attach a 2-page response to the 'Leadership Competencies' section of the attached role description. 
• Attach evidence of the mandatory requirements outlined in the attached role description.

We welcome all applicants to share any support needed to ensure our recruitment process is inclusive.
Applications remain current for 12 months from the closing date and may be considered for appointment to identical or similar vacancies within the Department.
Applications from recruitment agencies will not be accepted.

Further information

We are committed to building inclusive cultures in the Queensland public sector that respect and promote human rights and diversity.

For a full list of the position responsibilities and mandatory requirements, please ensure you download the attached Role Description and Applicant Information Package and follow the instructions.

Documents

Before applying for this vacancy please ensure you read the documents below.

• Applicant Information Package (PDF, 286KB)
  Information Package for Applicants
  
  SER707069_26T Role Description (PDF, 275KB)
  Role Description