What does being a Live-In Youth Mentor involve?
Live-In Youth Mentors are hired through Anglicare Victoria’s StepOut Lead Tenant program. They live as part of a household with up to two young people aged 16 – 18 years who are ready to begin the process of living independently. Being a Lead Tenant involves becoming a member of the household and acting as a responsible role model to the young people.
StepOut places an emphasis on the house as being a shared environment. However Live-In Youth Mentors still have roles and responsibilities to the program. Youth mentors also have rights that are expected to be met.
Important roles of a positive Live-In Youth Mentor may involve:
- Showing interest in the young person.
- Displaying positive and proactive listening.
- Sharing household duties.
- Demonstrating self-regard and respect for the young person.
- Being open to expressing one’s values, thoughts and feelings, without judgment.
The responsibilities of a Live-In Youth Mentor include:
- Attending and taking an active part in monthly household meetings.
- Monitoring the safety and wellbeing of young people.
- Supporting a young person to build their independent living skills.
- Notifying staff of any program breaches.
- Notifying staff of the young person’s whereabouts.
- Informing staff of any illegal activity by the young poeple.
- Notifying staff if the Live-In Youth Mentor intends to stay away from the house.
- Use of the honorarium to support the home and engage in activities with young people wherever appropriate.
Every Live-In Youth Mentor has the right to:
- The safety of their person and possessions.
- Support and assistance from the StepOut program staff.
- Knowledge and understanding of the relevant issues affecting the young people in the house.
- Access to a 24 hour on-call system.
- Privacy of their personal information.
- Appeal decisions affecting their accommodation via a grievance procedure.
Common skills of Live-In Youth Mentors include:
- Honesty, openness, being friendly, respectful, non judgmental, a good listener (using active listening), having appropriate boundaries, being consistent, laughing with – not at – people, and using praise.
Roles and responsibilities of the young people include:
- Attending a day program (school, training or employment)
- Engaging with their support workers and Lead Tenants.
- Attending monthly house meetings.
- Keeping the Youth mentor support workers informed of their whereabouts.
- Informing the support worker and household of any visitors (once approved).
- Paying rent fortnightly.
- Respecting the personal space and personal property of others.
- Helping out with household chores.
- Working towards a shared household.
- Working with staff in developing their independent living skills.
- Adhering to the rules and expectations set forth by the program.
Becoming a youth mentor involves an assessment process whereby Anglicare
As a Live-In Youth Mentor you will be required to undergo a Victorian police check process and must have a valid working with children check.
