At the Department of Justice and Community Safety, we are looking for people who want to make a difference. People who take pride in their work. People who get things done. People who are committed to making Victoria a safer place.

We embrace diversity and strive to have a workforce that reflects the community we serve. We’re all about recruiting the best people, regardless of gender, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation or cultural background. If you think you can do the job and would be a good fit for our department, we’d love to hear from you.

The department is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and recognises that children’s rights need to be respected, their views welcomed and valued, and their concerns taken seriously and acted upon.

If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process, or require an alternative format to any of the application material, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the contact person listed on this ad.

For more information on working with us and our recruitment process, please visit justice.vic.gov.au/careers

We are proud of the important work we do across Victoria. Want to be part of it?

Build better futures for young people. Create change from the inside out.

• Bring your therapeutic skills to our new state-of-the-art facility
• Earn up to $92,712, with a base salary of $74,832 including standard penalty rates and overtime
• Full training provided including a fully funded Certificate IV in Youth Justice
• Relocation allowance for eligible candidates

Right now, we are recruiting for part-time and full-time roles at our state of the art, purpose built Cherry Creek Youth Justice Precinct with the facility starting operations in May 2023.

Set in a picturesque part of Victoria close to Werribee, Cherry Creek is a safe and secure place where young people can work on getting their lives back on track. Their efforts are supported by evidence-based programs and services.

At Cherry Creek, we want young people to return home with the confidence that they can thrive in their own communities. Young people live in four-bed and eight-bed units across different neighbourhoods. Each unit is equipped with a kitchen, living and outdoor area to support independent living skills.

The role of a youth justice worker at Cherry Creek

Youth justice workers empower young people to steer their lives in a positive direction. They work in a safe and secure custodial environment and act as part of an extended network of care for young people in custody, helping them work to a daily structure, achieve key goals and develop life skills. 

Youth justice workers at Cherry Creek also support the delivery of specialist programs and services.

We look for:

• passion and empathy – the willingness to work with children and young people while still setting boundaries
• life experience – the ability to adapt and manage challenging situations
• dedication and resilience – maintaining positivity and commitment even after setbacks
• teamwork – the ability to be a natural team player and work well with a close team
• verbal and written communication skills – report writing will be part of your job
• proactivity – the skill for solving challenges and complex issues with bright ideas.

We also value qualifications or experience in the following areas: 

In partnership with rehabilitation and behaviour support services, you will also implement strategies that address and manage challenging behaviours and escalating issues.

As part of our multidisciplinary team, you can look forward to ongoing professional development. Once a fortnight, youth justice workers at Cherry Creek have a crossover day with supervisors where they focus on training and development needs, supervision and team building.

If you're open to relocating, up to $10,000 is currently being offered to cover expenses in moving from your current home to within a 60-minute drive of our facilities. This reimbursement can be used for moving costs, travel costs, removalist hire or temporary accommodation so talk to our recruitment team when you apply.

Career information sessions

Make sure you register for one of our online career Q&A sessions at www.youthjusticejobs.vic.gov.au

It's a great opportunity to ask questions about day-to-day work at our youth justice precincts and the career pathways available.

Eligibility 

To be considered for a youth justice worker role you must be either:

• An Australian citizen – a birth certificate, citizenship certificate or current passport is required as proof of eligibility, or
• A permanent resident of Australia, or
• A New Zealand citizen who has entered Australia on a valid passport, or
  Eligible to work in Australia for a period of more than six months.

To become a youth justice worker, you will also need to pass a health and fitness assessment. To find out how your current fitness levels match up and the best ways to prepare, take our health self-assessment.

Prior to starting work, all successful candidates must independently obtain:

• Current First Aid Certification (HLTAID003 is preferred, or the Provide Basic Emergency Life Support course - HLTAID002 at a minimum)
• Current CPR
• Working With Children Card (Employee)

A driver licence is desirable but not mandatory.

Priority consideration will apply to Victorian Public Service (VPS) employees who apply through the Jobs Skills Exchange (JSE) platform. If you are a current VPS employee, please ensure the JSE link is used for all internal applications.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply. The Department of Justice and Community Safety is continually working towards increasing our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Aboriginal) workforce. The Aboriginal Employment Team aims to attract, recruit and retain Aboriginal staff in a number of roles, including prison officers, community corrections officers and field officers. This support includes a culturally appropriate attraction and recruitment process. To learn more, click here or email aboriginal.employment@justice.vic.gov.au

The department is committed to providing and maintaining a working environment which is safe and without risk to the health of its employees consistent with the department's obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic). Therefore, there is a requirement that all DJCS employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to undertake duties outside of their homes.

Please note, this offer of employment is conditional upon you providing evidence to the department that you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccination Certification will be collected upon commencement.

Upon commencement of employment with the department you will be required to provide evidence that you have an up-to-date vaccination status within the timelines specified by the department into the DJCS Service Portal. This includes evidence of three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine required by the department.

Acceptable evidence includes:

1. COVID-19 digital certificate or ATAGI exemption certificate (available via your myGov account)
2. Your immunisation history statement (available via your myGov account)

Other documentation outside the above will not be accepted as evidence of having received your COVID-19 vaccine doses.

If you consider that you are unable to be vaccinated against COVID-19, please contact yjcsrecruitment@justice.vic.gov.au