Video transcript
My name's Amanda, and I'm currently the group manager for child, youth, and family for Uniting Vic, Tas.
I've been in this role for 12 months, but I've actually worked in the industry for over 30 years now.
Uniting is a not-for-profit community service organization, so working in the community directly with children, youth, and families.
My role exists as the group manager overarching across the north, right through up to Shepparton and Albury-Wodonga.
So family service practitioners would often be working with families that have come from child protection.
A lot of our families are involved with family violence as well.
So there's a certain sensitive nature to the work that we need to do. So supporting them, you know, through schools, finding housing, finding jobs, escaping violence.
A lot of people will be quite daunted by this kind of a role and would think, oh my goodness, I don't, I often get told, I don't know how you do that, but it's because there's a whole team behind you that are supporting you that have got a huge skill set that come together to make the team.
They always say that it takes a village to raise a child.
And that's absolutely true in this case 'cause it takes a whole team to support a single child often.
If someone was thinking about working in child, youth, and family services, I would recommend that they wear their heart on their sleeve, are prepared to work hard.
The work isn't easy, but it's very rewarding and fulfilling in that whatever you put in, the families will also give back.
One of the most rewarding experiences working in this industry, is actually working with people and whether that be the practitioners themselves, my peers, my managers, to sit with a family and to hear what their goals are and how they want to get there and then how we can support them to do that.
Letting them see that, you know, there is opportunity. There is a way forward and then actually getting there with them and walking that journey and walking alongside of them to get there.
For that to happen is just great. I just love that part of the role.
My job matters because we are working within the heart of the community and we are making a difference to children, youth, and families' lives.
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