UnitingCare has been helping people across Queensland and the Northern Territory since the early 1900's to live life in all its fullness. Every day we’re engaging with people from all walks of life and our focus is on meeting people where they are and walking alongside them to achieve positive change and growth.

This volunteer role will help disadvantaged young people in Logan by providing practical and emotional support to enhance wellbeing and capacity.

UnitingCare IFSS, Logan aims to build community capacity to support safer, stronger futures for children and families through increasing safety and reduce risk for children living at home, and strengthening protection and belonging. We support a diverse range of children, young people and families experiencing complex needs including domestic family violence; mental health; alcohol and drug use; housing instability; financial difficulties and a significant portion of our clients are culturally diverse.

We are looking for volunteers who have a strong interest in supporting young people, are compassionate and can quickly build rapport. Youth Mentors need to be fun, engaging and positive, have an open mind, great communication and listening skills, a non-judgemental approach and a willingness to learn It is also essential that volunteers are able to maintain confidentiality and boundaries, be responsible in communicating concerns, be reliable and physically able to interact with young people, and have the time and energy to volunteer once a week during business hours preferably for a minimum of 6 months to provide consistency to a young person.

IFSS is a welcoming, collaborative and supportive team of paid staff, student placements and volunteers who are committed to supporting the disadvantaged children, young people and families we work alongside.

Volunteers have access to training, supervision and a designated Volunteer Coordinator, and become valued members of the dedicated care team wrapped around a family led by a caseworker. Our office is located in Underwood however our volunteers often visit families in their homes and community, and will access a fleet vehicle for these visits. Our volunteers typically visit with the same family over a period of time each week or fortnight, dependent on the support they require and availability. Referrals are matched based on availability, skills and interests, and relevant risk and safety measures are followed.

Tasks involved include: Youth Mentor volunteers work alongside young people to develop stable, nurturing and supportive relationships to support them to feel heard and accepted. Visits with young people are diverse and varied, but focussed on enhancing their wellbeing and engagement through: positive role modelling; developing and achieving goals; building social networks and activities; reinforcing positive choices and behaviours; providing informal emotional support and a safe place to talk.

This is a great opportunity to: ▪ Experience the joy of making a meaningful difference ▪ Gain invaluable workplace experience ▪ Improve mental health and personal well being

The Youth Mentor role requires some skill in working alongside young people, so relevant experience and knowledge is favourable but not required. You will need to be 20 years or older, hold a current QLD drivers licence, and be eligible to apply for a Bluecard. The role is ideal for volunteers who would like to build their skills in human services, draw from your own experiences and knowledge, link with networks, meeting new people, and contributing to the community.

This role is accessible for people using: ▪ accessible toilets

UnitingCare values diversity in ourorganisation and we have some principles in place that will help to promote both inclusion and access. If you have any other accessibility requirements, please discuss these at the time of interview.