Deception Bay, yourtown & Southern Cross Catholic College 

Scarborough, Queensland

Living in a Lasallian Brothers Community

** This placement is open to females only

About the Placement

This placement is located at the yourtown Child, Youth and Family Centre at Deception Bay, 3 days a week and Southern Cross Catholic College Scarborough, living with a Lasallian Brothers community at Scarborough. yourtown offers services to the Moreton Bay region that support and develop people skills with children, young people and families, increase wellbeing and help people connect with the community. The range of services includes:

• Glugor Young Parents Program for parents/carers aged up to 25 years with children aged 0-5 years, residing in Deception Bay and surrounds. An expressive therapies component is also available for children who have experienced trauma.

• Family Mental Health (Starfish) Program for vulnerable families with children and young people (aged 0-18 years) who are showing early signs of, or are at risk of developing, mental health issues.

Both Glugor and Starfish programs are community based early intervention and prevention responses. They provide safe and accessible responses for children, young people and families to assist them with practical and support issues that may be impacting on their lives. Families access the support they need for safe and positive family functioning. yourtown works to improve the social and emotional wellbeing of children, young people, parents and carers, and enhance their confidence in engaging with the local community. Interventions are provided for young children and infants who have experienced trauma and abuse or who have been exposed to violence.

• improved health and wellbeing of families

• the development of young children from birth through to 12 years of age

• creating strong, child friendly communities that understand the importance of children and apply this capacity to maximise the health, wellbeing and early development of young children.

Responsibilities of the LV role include:

• Lasallian Volunteers at yourtown work alongside qualified staff in positions such Child & Family Workers; Child Development Workers and Community Development workers to support young people nd community members participating in yourtown programs.

• Supporting the delivery of group child development activities with small children; parent-child interactive activities; and workshops with young parents

• Preparing resources and setting up of rooms for child development activities with small children; parent-child interactive activities; and workshops with young parents

• Attending and assisting with the delivery of community engagement BBQs with the community at local Caravan Parks

• Attending community events and assisting with activities delivered at community events

• Building relationships with, and being a positive youth role model, for young parents in the Glugor Program

• Participating in the delivery of engagement activities with young parents, or community groups

• Participating in outreach visits with families engaged in the Glugor Young Parent Program

This placement also includes volunteering for 2 days a week at Southern Cross Catholic College, which is a Prep to Year 12 co-educational school.  The College was founded in 1995, following the amalgamation of the Catholic primary and secondary schools in the Moreton Bay Region. Southern Cross Catholic College has three campuses located in Scarborough, Kippa Ring and Woody Point; accommodating students in Prep to Year 6 and a fourth campus in Scarborough accommodating senior years students from Year 7 to 12.

As a Lasallian Volunteer you will have the opportunity to support the students of the College in a variety of ways. Volunteers have the chance to get immersed in many aspects of school life.

• Support individual students and assist in classes with a range of subjects.

• Involvement across the secondary campus and three primary campuses.

• Coach sporting teams.

• Academic support with the Garanyali Unit for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

• Assist with various activities -music, breakfast program, art, dance, photography, and cooking.

• Promote the Lasallian charism with different activities.

• Support the youth minister with a range of ministry activities including retreats, Lasallian Youth Leaders program and leadership seminars.

• Involvement in social action programs: breakfast club, work with homeless.

• Attend and support with outdoor education camps.

• Support with pastoral care programs, aid homeroom teachers with their pastoral responsibilities.

Lasallian Volunteers are welcomed and form part of the Brothers' community at Scarborough.  Responsibilities in community can involve helping with home chores; including gardening, cleaning, and cooking.

Challenges: being a long way from family and friends, learning to live with others for the first time, learning to manage the challenging behaviours of some students, conducting yourself in a professional manner with students the same age as you and the diversity of students. Adapting to becoming a professional staff member when some clients are the same age as you and keeping a professional boundary from young clients, responsibilities of sharing a community car and accountability for driving a short distance each day to the yourtown site at Deception Bay.

Rewards:developing relationships with students a greater appreciation of local Aboriginal culture supporting students with challenging lives a better understanding of Brothers' life, experience life in Queensland. Making a positive impact in the lives of those of the most vulnerable in our community, becoming part of an Animating force of the Brisbane network of Young Lasallians and the ability to join parish youth groups, .  growing in independence and developing lifelong professional skills and friendships. Access to a community car and living in a vibrant Brothers community, which provides daily pastoral and spiritual support

Preferred qualifications: driver's licence; solid literacy and numeracy skills; experience working with children and young people; experience with retreats.

To submit your interest apply here: Lasallian Volunteers Applications 2020