Position Purpose The Youth Worker is situated within the Mackillop Rural Community Services unit (MRCS), which is responsible for a range of family and children, youth and disability services – providing family support, supported playgroups, parenting and early childhood education, counselling and support to young people who are vulnerable and at risk of homelessness, in‑home accommodation support to adults living with disability, and early childhood intervention to children with disability. Reconnect Youth Services is a community‑based early intervention and prevention programme for young people aged 12 to 18 years who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and their families. The Youth Worker will undertake case management, group work and community capacity building to support the young people. Practice is underpinned by a strengths‑based and family‑focused approach. The Youth Worker is a member of the Reconnect Youth Services team and reports to the Program Manager. The Youth Worker will be based in either Walgett or Lightning Ridge. The role includes daily travel between small towns within the Walgett LGA with occasional overnight stays.

Workload This position is a part‑time prospect: 22 hours, 3 days per week reporting to the program coordinator.

Primary Objectives To use a strengths‑based and family‑oriented approach, to support at‑risk young people 12 to 18 years to improve their level of engagement with family, education, employment, training, and the community. It is expected that by supporting young people in these areas, they will develop increased resilience and the risk of youth homelessness will be reduced.



The Youth Worker will work towards achieving the objectives of the programme, which intend to support young people by:

Preventing homelessness

Keeping young people from becoming homeless

Providing effective early intervention for people who have recently been homeless

Ensuring more young people have safe, secure and stable housing

Family Reconciliation Achieving family reconciliation, wherever practicable and safe, between the young people and their family. Family reconciliation includes:

The young person returns home

Ongoing positive family relationships are created which provide the young person with emotional and physical support

Conflict is reduced or dealt with more positively

Reconciling the young person with other family members, e.g., with grandparents or siblings

Both parents and the young person accept that independence is appropriate

Establishing a viable support system for the independent young person that includes a member of their family

Education & Employment Engagement Re‑engaging or strengthening their engagement with educational training, the community and employment, including:

Increasing school attendance

Finishing school or training

Increasing social connectedness, such as with sporting groups

Improving employment opportunities

Key Selection Criteria





Knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal culture and values and awareness of current issues faced by Aboriginal children, young people and their families

Qualifications in Community Services or relevant discipline and/or relevant work or life experience – or be working toward qualifications

Current First Aid Certificate with a minimum of 6 months validity

Good communication skills and ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team

Ability to run group programs

Ability to build trusted relationships with families, community members, and service providers

Must Have or Willing To Obtain

Valid and current Driver's Licence

Valid and current Workers with Children’s Check

Current NDIS Worker Check

Satisfactory Criminal History Check

Equal Opportunity Statement MacKillop Family Services acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s First Peoples and as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we live, work and play. We pay our deep respects to Elders past and present and acknowledge all Aboriginal children, young people, families and staff who are a part of MacKillop Family Services.

MacKillop celebrates and draws strength from diversity and respects the dignity of all people. Every person at MacKillop has the right to be safe and to be treated justly. We value every person’s ability, cultural or linguistic backgrounds, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, intersex status, relationship status, religious or spiritual beliefs, socio‑economic status, and age.

📌 Reconnect Youth Worker (Cryon)
🏢 MacKillop Family Services
📍 Cryon