First, a little about our service:

Kids&Community is a long established Occupational Therapy Service providing supports to kids, teens and families in the greater Gold Coast and Tweed Coast/Valley areas. We are a locally grown, owned and operated family business who holds our core values of connection, play, participation, independence and inclusion central to all we do. We take a relationship based approach where connection and relationships are central in supporting the needs and well-being of all. We embrace and celebrate diversity of all natures/types, where we celebrate you being uniquely you and take a position where we "co-pilot" and work alongside kids, teens and families to help achieve the things you want while maintaining your "you-niqueness".

We provide support to children from infants right through to teens until they are leaving school and transitioning to “adult life”.

Our experienced, dynamic and innovative team provide a wild range of service options and we pride ourselves on the ability to craft a bespoke program to meet the needs of each individual and family we get the pleasure of working alongside. Having a range of service delivery options allows us this flexibility.

Our end game is that you don’t need us!! You have all the skills and connections to be able to navigate independently to participate in the things you wnat to do within your own community.

What is the role being advertised?

Our Community Inclusion Coaches work as part of our Community Inclusion program where our goal is to support kids+teens known to our service to generalise skills, participate and be included in their community int he activities they choose, with the people they choose in their local community and/or in their home. Our Community Inclusion Coaches are support work "re-imagined". We don't go much on disability talk, and we are all about inclusion, hence the inception of our Community Inclusion Coach role within a broader Community inclusion Program.

Our Community Inclusion Coaches work one on one with kids+teens to work towards community based goals. Our Inclusion Coaches support participation and inclusion in community based activities and home life. This may mean the one on one support may occur at home, in a recreational sport or leisure activity, in the community generally or a combination of settings. It may also involve supporting participation in some of our group programs of support facilitated by our Occupational Therapists either at one of our therapy bases or within community settings.

The focus of the role is to support inclusion and participation - it’s about moving away from specialist supports and “therapy” to continue or work on new goals that are about real world, real life, and in the kids/teens own community.

What are are the duties expected of a Community Inclusion Coach?

First and foremost you will:

• develop a connection with the child/young person you are supporting and their family.
• have a deep understanding of the kids/teens you are working with so you can truly "co-pilot" and coach them to achieve what they want and to do the things they want to do.

You will be very well supported through:

• initial training by experienced occupational therapists
• ongoing support and development of your skills through face to face and online training
• regular check-ins with the Community Inclusion Program Coordinator (experienced clinician) and with the therapist working with the child/teen
• as much support as you need to provide the best quality support/service.

In each session you will:

• work towards goals that have been set collaboratively with the child/teen, their family and one of our therapists
• implement a plan developed through our collaborative goal setting process
• have a compass to guide you (tools and strategies) and a clear destination in sight (goals), but also the freedom for flexibly working to this plan.
• navigate to the "destination" collaboratively with the child/teen you are working with with ongoing support from our team (as described)

The settings you will work in are many and varied and may include:

• community sporting and recreation clubs
• community spaces like parks and playgrounds
• shopping centres and cafes
• in our cafe - K+C Community Cafe
• at one of our group programs of support
• in the child/teens home....the options are endless!!
• Locations will be from Pimpama in the north to the Tweed Coast/Valley in the south - we try to keep the travel to a minimum and keep you close to home or uni where possible

You will be part of a team of Community Inclusion Coaches:

• supported and supervised by an experienced Occupational Therapist
• ongoing opportunities for your development and learning
• And you will also be part of a broader team of Occupational Therapists, and other Support Staff.
• We are highly value connections, not only with the kids and families we work with but also within our team.
• For Occupational Therapy Students there are also pathways for longer term clinical options with our team should you be interested.

You will be paid under the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Award.

Who would this role suit / what are the requirements?

This is a casual appointment that has the possibility of becoming permanent part-time for the right fit and circumstances. The casual nature and duties of the role are well suited to:

• students studying allied health degrees eg: occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech pathology, psychology, social work, exercise physiology etc
• students studying nursing (with an interest in paediatrics) or teaching.
• those who have completed an Allied Health Assistants Course
• those with experience and background in direct support.
• No specific qualification are required - for us it is all about the right fit and values that are well aligned with ours and willingness to work to our service outcomes within our service practice framework and model.

This is a perfect position to:

• fit in with your studies or lifestyle (we are well practised at being flexible around university timetables and demands and the general demands of life and family!)
• gain experience and develop skills
• be part of a dynamic innovative team of experienced therapists.

Essential requirements:

• Blue Card/Working with Children Check,
• NDIS Worker Screen
• NDIS Commission Worker Module (highly desirable)
• Driver’s licence
• Reliable vehicle that is comprehensively insured.

How do I apply?

If you are keen, please click Apply Now to submit your application.

If you want more information about our service: click to visit our website.

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