Young Carer Counsellor
Career Description
About Us
We’re Little Dreamers, Australia’s leading non-profit organisation working with Young Carers around the country. A Young Carer is anyone under the age of 25 who currently provides, or intends to provide, care in their family for a parent or sibling who has a chronic illness, mental illness, disability or addiction.
Founded in 2009 by a Young Carer, we love building and delivering high quality programs that create deep and meaningful impact in the lives of young people providing care in their families. And we’re pretty good at it too.
To date, we have supported over 5,000 Young Carers, we deliver eight core programs alongside ad hoc supports, advocacy and community awareness campaigns. We have strong corporate partnership and funding relationships and have raised over $5 million to improve the quality of life for Young Carers around Australia.
We have even received recognition from Queen Elizabeth II and have been named as an internationally best practice organisation for Young Carer support.
Our team is made up of incredible humans working across VIC, NSW, QLD. We are humble, hungry, kind and work hard to reach our goals. We believe in a world where every single Young Carer is supported by someone or something by 2030. Sounds fun right?!
By joining the Dream Team, you will play an integral part in supporting young people who often miss out on having a childhood.
About the Role
As a Young Carer Counsellor, you are the key support person for Young Carers participating in Counselling in key locations across our delivery area (NSW2, QLD1, QLD2, and QLD3). Each day will include completing intakes and Carer Stars with Young Carers, delivering counselling sessions, both individual and group, in-person with Young Carers and the coordination and running of teen overnight camps within your catchment area.
As a Young Carer Counsellor, you will provide short-term client focussed counselling and support services to Young Carers. This role will engage with Young Carers face to face, and complete intakes either over the phone, online or in-person. Counsellors will also play a key role in networking with other service providers in the region.
Core Responsibilities
Intake and Registration (40%)
- Ensure Young Carers meet the eligibility requirements for accessing services and supports;
- Registration of Young Carers into Carelink and other databases including Salesforce;
- Utilise the Carer Support Framework and Carer Star to complete intake, assessment and planning;
- Conduct Risk assessments, including assessment of suicide risk and violence risk, develop action and safety plans to mitigate any risks, providing follow up support if required, and communicating all risk with the Counselling Practice Lead; and
- Provide Young Carers and their family with information on internal and external programs/services ensuring referral pathways for Young Carers as required.
Counselling & Program Delivery (40%)
- Provide client centred counselling services to Young Carers using a range of appropriate methodologies including individual and group counselling in accordance with our funding guidelines;
- Utilise a person-centred approach and counselling style that puts the client and their needs and preferences at the centre of all practice, and empowers the Young Carer to make decisions and take action where necessary;
- Utilise a flexible application of clinical therapies such as Rogerian Therapy and CBT;
- Conduct counselling assessments of the wellbeing needs of Young Carers, using a DASS21 assessment;
- Lead, attend, engage and assist with various Little Dreamers programs and events, such as expos, Young Carer festivals, School Holidays, Peer Support, Camps and Big Dreamer programs;
Session Management and Administration (15%)
- Following a deep understanding of the Young Carers in your catchment area, develop group counselling where appropriate, with appropriate participants;
- Communicate all session allocation (individual or group) information to Young Carers and their families as required;
- Regularly communicate with Young Carers participating in counselling regarding engagement and attendance; and
- Input all necessary information into Carelink.
Data Analysis, Reporting and Community Engagement (5%)
- Collect and report on data related to counselling delivery, outcomes and program effectiveness; and
- Prepare regular reports for internal stakeholders, highlighting key achievements and areas for improvement.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with community organisations, support groups, and stakeholders to enhance the reach and impact of Coaching services;
- Collaborate with our Carer Gateway consortia partners (as required) to identify opportunities for collaboration and resource-sharing.
- Represent Little Dreamers in the community.
Key Selection Criteria
- Qualification in social work/counselling or equivalent tertiary related field
- Minimum of three years experience in direct service provision with associated skills in the provision of a high standard of care coordination, counselling and group work for young people
- Accreditation within a relevant Australian professional association – Australian Counselling Association, Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia, or Australian Association of Social Workers
- Demonstrated experience of counselling with young people using Rogerian and Cognitive Behavioural Therapies as a minimum
- Demonstrated experience in working with individuals with low intensity short-term intervention counselling and support service needs
- Demonstrated experience in designing, planning, delivering and evaluating group counselling programs
- Experience working in community services, allied health, or carer/family peer positions
- Thorough understanding of the caring role, and evidence based, best-practice carer supports that enable carers to sustain their caring role, and enhance their own wellbeing and identity
- Experience in coordinating responsive individualised supports to Young Carers
- Demonstrated experience and understanding of carer programs and supports, as well as considerable knowledge of youth support programs
- Organisational and interpersonal skills, e.g. negotiation, problem solving capacity, communication and organisational and planning skills
Desirable skills and qualities:
- Lived experience of being a Young Carer
- Understanding of and commitment to Young Carer issues and needs
- Understanding of the not-for-profit sector
- Knowledge of the Carer Gateway Counselling service design and guidelines
- Knowledge of and experience using the Carer Star
Additional Requirements
- Everyday access to a private vehicle for work use and Australian Driver’s License (travel expenses to be reimbursed). Please note: independent transport is essential in this role. If you are unable to drive for accessibility reasons but have a viable alternative form of transport, please let us know.
- Successful application will be subject to a Working with Children Check and National Police Check
Benefits
When you join the Little Dreamers Team, you join a community of people committed to making a difference. We come together with shared values, passion and a collaborative culture. We are a rapidly growing organisation with access to a lot of development opportunities. We operate within a leadership structure that accepts and embraces everyone’s ideas and hard work to create the world that we want to see for Young Carers.
You also get access to salary sacrifice packaging, internal EAP program, up to 10 days of paid carers leave, and generous parental leave packages.
Finally, we care as much about you as we do about our Young Carers. The Little Dreamers team is a family and we offer flexible working and regular team bonding events.
Application Process
Please email your application to careers@littledreamers.org.au, using the subject line: Young Carer Counsellor
Please include the following:
- Responses to demonstrate your experience with each of the Key Selection Criteria
- Your CV including two referees
* We include this because it creates an opportunity for those who are more comfortable with communicating verbally. If you’re not comfortable submitting a video, please let us know and we’ll make a note of this.
Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed before the closing date or during the following week. Applicants who are not selected for an interview will be notified by email.
Have questions? We prefer enquiries via email to careers@littledreamers.org.au due to the volume of calls we receive from applicants.
Classification
This position is classified as a Level 4.3, fixed term contract, part time employee (30.4 hours per week) under the Social Community Home Care and Disability Industry Award 2010 (MA000100). This position is fixed term through June 2026.
