Youth & Families Case Manager
Job Details
| **Job Title:** | Youth & Families Case Manager |
| **Job Category:** | Social/community services worker or similar experience |
| **Department/Group:** | Justice and diversion programs for children, Young People, and Family Services |
| **Job Code/ Req#:** | AAFRO-AC-001-26 |
| **State:** | Victoria, with a primary focus on the Western and northern suburbs of Melbourne |
| **Travel Required:** | Occasional Outreach work, primarily in the Western suburbs of Melbourne |
| **Level/Salary Range:** | SCHADS Award up to Level 4 per annum (pro rata) + 11% Super |
| **Position Type:** | Full-time – 2-year fixed-term with occasional late-afternoon/weekend shifts. |
| **Contact:** | Jiress Musafiri jobs@aafro.com.au Mobile: 0428 338 634 |
| **Date Posted:** | 16/09/2026 |
| **Reports to:** | Team Leader/Project Manager |
| **Posting Expires:** | 30/10/2026 |
About the Australian African Foundation for Retention and Opportunity (AAFRO)
The Australian African Foundation for Retention and Opportunity (AAFRO) exists primarily to build a bridge between children, young people, and families of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, especially those of African descent and the wider Australian community.
Our Vision
All children, young people, and families have access to the opportunities they need to thrive independently and achieve their full potential.
Our Mission
To promote social justice by becoming a trusted hub of children, young people, and family services, providing specialist support and leadership to ensure African and multicultural communities feel trusted, welcomed, and understood.
AAFRO Values
Safety: We create safety
Culture: We are cultural champions
Empathy: We act with empathy and understanding
Leadership: We demonstrate truthful, courageous leadership
Transparency: We tell you what we can and can’t do
Advocacy: We advocate for those we work with and the community
Child Safety
AAFRO is a child-safe organisation, and we have zero tolerance for all forms of abuse and neglect towards all children and young people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, culturally and linguistically diverse children, and children with disabilities. Our organisation is committed to ensuring Aboriginal children and their families can express their culture and enjoy their cultural rights.
AAFRO's philosophy
AAFRO’s model of care is based on community restorative and healing practices that draw on a variety of traditional justice practices that promote collectivism rather than an individualist approach to everyday life, including Indigenous justice circles, the African philosophy of Ubuntu, and modern developments.
AAFRO’s Community Circle philosophy, based on Ubuntu and restorative practice, is built on human universality and traditional moral values of respect, integrity, togetherness, compassion, fairness, and dignity. AAFRO programs are designed to address community-wide issues by:
(i) Working with individuals and groups to reach their potential while they are in the community, including taking full responsibility for their actions,
(ii) Working towards restoring family relationships,
(iii) Helping incarcerated people to reintegrate into their communities, and
(iv) Furthering and advancing women’s empowerment and community harmony.
Project Background
AAFRO Circle is a justice program that provides support to children, young people, and their families who are in contact with the justice system. The program is an evidence-based support service offering intensive case management, one-on-one mentoring, and group sessions, and helping at-risk and incarcerated young people reintegrate into wider society by involving their families in the process.
Using the AAFRO Ubuntu Model of Care framework, the program ensures that these initiatives are appropriately tailored to the needs of service users and fosters interventions and supports that have long-lasting effects.
Position Overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic, committed, and skilled Youth & Families Case Manager to join our dedicated team delivering AAFRO’s children, young people, and family services. You will work with vulnerable families, individuals, women, and young people who are at risk, including those in contact with the justice system, with a strong focus on the western and northern suburbs of Melbourne. The role includes case management, one-on-one support, and group sessions to address participants’ needs.
You will be responsible for:
Providing case management to isolated or at-risk young people and their families who are in contact with police and the justice system.
Creating a safe space for young people to connect with and support each other.
Helping meet the immediate and ongoing support needs of individual participants and their families.
Working in partnership with young people and their families to help them navigate available services and supports during times of crisis.
Adapting and applying culturally responsive ways of working to support young people and families from African and CALD backgrounds to reach their full potential.
Ensuring participants’ needs are translated into a personal program that encourages the young person to gain independence, empowerment, and dignity.
Conducting outreach to young people and families as needed to help meet their support needs.
Working effectively within a multidisciplinary team.
Involving families, guardians, partners, and caregivers as part of the process.
Demonstrating strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
Creating effective ways to engage young people, families, communities, and partners to help achieve positive outcomes for families.
Demonstrating strong organisational and time management skills.
Key Responsibility Areas
Youth & Families Case Manager
Co-facilitate and coordinate group sessions.
Tailor specific programs and activities for young people and their parents through AAFRO’s programs, such as Beat the Time, The Generation, Women Words, and Live2Learn.
Provide one-on-one mentoring and support.
Connect young people and families with other agencies through a soft, culturally responsive referral process.
Accompany participants to appointments and provide support if required.
Ensure clear, accurate, professional, and timely record-keeping in line with relevant policies and procedures.
Facilitate and participate in care team meetings.
Provide culturally appropriate well-being support.
Advocate for and support young people and their families while they are experiencing challenges.
Identify and build strong partnerships to represent AAFRO and refer young people and families on the caseload to appropriate services.
Identify risks and concerns and help develop plans tailored to each individual to minimise issues during case management.
Child safety and cultural practice
Promote child safety through a cultural lens for all children and young people.
Represent children, young people, and their families in particular service areas such as education, housing, health, child protection, and youth justice.
Advocate for children and young people.
Promote the health and well-being of children and young people.
Use culturally responsive practice to promote the safety of children and young people.
Work with families, education providers, and the wider community to understand the needs of young people from diverse cultures who were born or grew up in Australia.
Self-Care
Have a professional work-life balance.
Agree to take part in well-being and self-care sessions.
Contact the organisation's Employee Assistance Program as required.
Information and Data Management
Assist with conducting needs analysis, end-of-program surveys, focus groups, and end-of-program meetings to feed into AAFRO’s continuous improvement cycle.
Develop and maintain electronic and paper-based program documentation and case notes, ensuring that the information complies with the Privacy Act and is archived and readily retrievable.
Stakeholder engagement
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Work collaboratively with key stakeholders to achieve program and AAFRO objectives.
Ensure all internal and external communications are effective, appropriate, and timely.
Engagement in professional development activities
Participate in training, research, and evaluation activities with the project team, including an external evaluator.
Participate in AAFRO’s performance review process in an effective and timely manner.
Engage in ongoing professional development and training activities to meet performance needs.
Work ethic
Models behaviours consistent with AAFRO’s values and mission, particularly those aligned with the Ubuntu philosophy.
Actively promotes, encourages, and demonstrates a strong participant-focused ethic.
Actively contributes ideas and works collaboratively with the broader AAFRO team.
Supports AAFRO’s vision, mission, and direction in all communication.
Embraces change positively and professionally.
Respects and values diversity in all interactions.
Ensures compliance with relevant statutory requirements.
Ensures all current and potential future conflicts of interest are disclosed.
Complies with AAFRO’s Statement of Commitment and Child Safe Policy.
Maintains client, participant, and organisational confidentiality at all times.
Key Selection Criteria
The successful applicant will demonstrate the following key selection criteria of the role:
Qualifications
A tertiary qualification relevant to the delivery of community services (e.g., social work), or a strong background in the community services sector or equivalent experience.
Essential experience and knowledge
Ability to work with families and women from African CALD backgrounds.
Understanding of issues affecting the health and well-being of vulnerable people and the ability to advocate for children, young people, and families.
Ability and experience in providing intake assessments.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to relate well to children, young people, and their families.
Ability to work independently and autonomously within a multidisciplinary team, and in partnership with individuals and services relevant to families and young people.
Experience facilitating group sessions and providing one-on-one support to participants with diverse needs, including working closely with appropriate service providers.
Demonstrated ability to manage and organise a caseload involving multiple participants.
Ability to formulate options and implement holistic strategies with young people and families experiencing crisis, justice involvement, or police involvement.
Readiness to promote and represent the organisation's programs to the wider community.
Ability to build networks within the community, government service providers, and member organisations.
Mandatory requirement
Conflict of interest declaration at the start of the interview process.
Current police check.
Working with Children Check.
Valid driver’s licence.
COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate.
A valid first aid certificate.
Desirable
Understanding of, or experience working with, CALD communities, especially African-Australian communities.
Project Duration
The project duration is dependent on funding, and the method of delivery may change from time to time by agreement with the funding body. The Case Manager is required to adapt to these changes as they arise.
Download PDF of details HERE
Please email your application to jobs@aafro.com.au