Community Member - Youth Parole Board

• Attend Youth Parole Board meetings and actively participate in decision making by the Youth Parole Board
• Share your expertise in the criminal justice or community sector to improve outcomes for young people on parole.

This is a rare opportunity to become a member of the Youth Parole Board and contribute to the management of young people under sentence in a Youth Justice Centre, and the planning for their transition back into the community on parole.

About us

The Youth Parole Board is an independent statutory body established under the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005.

The Board exercises jurisdiction over all young people sentenced to a period of detention in a youth justice centre and makes decisions, under a statutory framework, about the release and reintegration of young people into the community. The Board makes decisions about the release of young people on parole, amendment of parole conditions, cancellation of parole and transfer of young people in youth justice custody to adult prison.

The Board consists of a chairperson, a judge of the County Court of Victoria, a representative of the Department of Justice & Community Safety, and two community members. Each board member has an alternate member who can sit in their absence.

Board members are appointed by the Governor in Council, upon the nomination of the Minister for Youth Justice, for an initial term of three years, with the capacity for a further appointment.

What does a Community Member, Youth Justice Parole Board do?

The community member works closely with their Youth Parole Board peers, and Youth Justice stakeholders to, make objective, impartial decisions about the release of young people into the community, and the management of young people on parole. The Community Member on the board will:

• request, receive and consider case histories, parole plans and parole progress reports
• request and consider special reports and court documents, such as court transcripts, psychiatric and psychological reports
• interview young people in detention about their readiness for release on parole or their behaviour in custody
• issue warnings to young people serving their sentence in the community.

The Youth Parole Board sits twice a month and conducts additional adhoc meetings as required. The community member is required to be available to attend two out of every three fortnightly Board meetings – these are held on Mondays from 9am – 3pm at Parkville, Malmsbury or Cherry Creek Youth Justice Centres. It is the member’s responsibility to allow sufficient time to read materials ahead of meetings.

Members are remunerated for their time in line with the Appointment and Remuneration Guidelines Remuneration schedules effective from 1 July 2022.

What skills should a Community Member bring?

Community board members must be able to demonstrate:

• experience in matters related to child welfare
• a commitment to community service and qualifications or experience in criminal justice, youth work, social work, psychology, research or another relevant field
• an understanding of the Victorian legislation, policy, programs or issues related to young people involved in the criminal justice system
• the ability to apply the practices, policies, procedures and statutory responsibilities of the Board.

As an ideal person for this position, you will have:

• a sophisticated level of knowledge of the welfare and developmental needs of children and young people involved in the youth justice system
• demonstrated leadership skills and experience providing evidence-based advice to promote practice improvement
• an understanding of risk management and community safety and the ability to apply this understanding to young people in custody and on parole
• demonstrated capacity to understand and address the factors underlying a young person’s offending behaviour
• an appreciation of issues affecting vulnerable children and young people, and the passion and commitment to effectively influence positive change
• a demonstrated ability to empathise with diverse people from backgrounds, act with impartiality, adhere to the operational framework of the Board and maintain confidentiality.

Application and assessment process

Please submit your curriculum vitae with a cover letter, detailing what attracts you to the position, including strengths you would bring to the role through the online link available. Please click the Apply button at the bottom of this advertisement. Attachments can be uploaded in .doc, .docx, .pdf, .txt or .rtf formats.

If this sounds like a compelling opportunity that you believe your skills would be a strong match for, please APPLY NOW. Applications close Sunday 27 August 2023.

Please note:

• Late applications will not be accepted.
• Applications will be assessed by an independent panel and interviews may be conducted.
• The Selection Panel will make a recommendation to the Minister for Youth Justice for final consideration.

Probity

All appointments to the Board will be required to undergo pre-employment checks in accordance with government policies, including a Declaration of Private Interests and will be subject to probity checks comprising:

• a National Criminal Records Check
• a search of the Insolvency and Trustee Service Australia National Personal Insolvency Index, and
• a search of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Register of Banned and Disqualified Persons.

Diversity Statement

The Victorian Government is committed to ensuring that government boards and committees reflect the rich diversity of the Victorian community. We encourage applications from people of all ages, Aboriginal people, people with disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and LGBTIQ+ people. We will provide adjustments to the recruitment process upon request.

You do not have to disclose any personal information if you do not want to, but it can help us understand how we can support you through the recruitment process and beyond. We invite you to tell us if you identify as Aboriginal, a person with disability, from a culturally or linguistically diverse background, LGBTIQ+ or a young person, aged 25 years old or less. If you identify as any of the aforementioned, we would welcome the opportunity to contact you and discuss how we can support you through the recruitment process. Sharing this information will help you access support should you need it and will also help us to better understand the impact of our work.

The Board strongly encourages Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and people with a disability to apply.

If you have any queries, please contact Mishell Warner on 0417 912 463 or email Mishell.Warner@justice.vic.gov.au

Child Safe Statement of Commitment

The Department of Justice and Community Safety is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. We seek to prevent harm of any kind impacting children and young people and have zero tolerance for racism, child abuse and inequality. Children and young people’s rights, relationships, identity, and culture must be recognised and respected, their voices heard, and their concerns acted upon. We aim to foster a culturally safe, child safe and child friendly environment for all children and young people we have contact with, deliver services to, or are impacted by our work.