Faith Wanyama
Dernancourt,Australia
Summary
Dedicated and compassionate youth support worker with three years' experience supporting vulnerable and at-risk youth, including young people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds, in residential and community settings. Skilled in building trusting relationships, fostering positive behavioural changes, and guiding young individuals through personal, emotional, and social challenges. Proficient in providing culturally sensitive, trauma informed care and conflict resolution strategies to ensure the safety and development of each youth. Passionate about empowering young people, especially those from diverse backgrounds, to achieve their full potential through mentorship, advocacy, and individualized support plans.
Overview
5
5
years of professional experience
Work History
Youth worker
Lifestyle solutions
Adelaide, South Australia
06.2023 - Current
- Supported young people including those from CALD backgrounds and differently abled, providing daily guidance and emotional support
- Provided 24/7 support to young people in residential care, assisting them with daily living activities and fostering a positive home environment
- Organized and led house meetings, guided menu planning, shopping, cooking, and budgeting activities to build independent living skills
- Established strong, respectful relationships with clients, utilizing a relational-based approach to engagement and support
- Collaborated with social workers and community groups to facilitate client access to cultural, social, and sporting activities, promoting well-being and cultural connection
- Mentored and encouraged clients through challenges, focusing on improving their mental health, self-esteem, and decision-making skills
- Managed crisis situations, providing conflict resolution and immediate intervention to ensure client safety and emotional stability
- Maintained accurate progress notes and contributed to the development of individualized support plans for each client
- Assisted young people in accessing services such as education, healthcare, and employment programs, helping them achieve personal goals
- Facilitated family access and recorded observations of the interactions of young people with their families
- Wrote daily, weekly logs and reports concerning youth activities, cooperation, and other data
- Reported to case managers and house managers about day-to-day interactions of young people
- Taught young people life skills and coping mechanisms
Residential Youth Worker
Autism SA
SA
05.2022 - 11.2024
- Supported youth with various cognitive and physical disabilities to be able to live and engage in their local community to maintain their physical and emotional wellbeing
- Maintain record of progress of patient care, condition, progress, or problems to report and discuss observations with supervisor or case manager
- Administer prescribed oral medication under the written direction of physician and ensure clients take their medicine
- Collaborated with professional team members in order to support and encourage the youth to make informed choices, be involved in decisions and have control over their lives
- Provided the tools needed and encouragement needed to interact in social environments such as hospital volunteerism, swimming and other sport activities
- Documented consumers' group participation and individual daily interactions
- Provide clients with help moving in and out of beds, baths, wheelchairs or automobiles and with dressing and grooming
- Care for clients by changing bed linens, washing laundry, cleaning or assisting with their personal care
- Plan, prepare or serve meals to clients according to prescribed diets
- Accompany clients to appointments or on other trips outside home, providing transportation, assistance and companionship
- Entertain, converse with or read aloud to patients to keep them mentally healthy and alert
- Perform a variety of duties as requested by client such as obtaining household supplies or running errands
- Change dressings
- Perform housekeeping duties such as cooking, cleaning, washing clothes or dishes
- Instruct or advise clients on issues such as household cleanliness, utilities, hygiene or nutrition
- Provide clients with communication assistance, typing their correspondence or obtaining information from them
- Managing clients' finances and ensuring the account balances after spending
- Kept detailed daily logs with care actions, patient behaviours and all incidents
Youth Worker
HenderCare (Department of child protection)
Adelaide, South Australia
06.2021 - 04.2024
- Providing daily support to young people in residential care including medical appointments, family contact, social and cultural connections, positive living skills, physical care, recreation, education with focus on them and their strengths
- Creating a positive and culturally safe environment for young people and preventing their re-traumatisation
- Advocating for young people to get access to support services they need such as therapy, mentoring programs, community participation programs, home-like housing
- Working with a multi-disciplinary team comprising of social workers, supervisors, seniors, psychologists, behaviour specialists to achieve the best outcomes for young people
- Providing practical and emotional support for young people
- Empowering young people to maximise their independence
- Assisting in the delivery of programs that facilitate young people's development and inclusion in the community
- Complying with all policies and procedures and codes of conduct
- Reflecting cultural awareness in work practice
- Maintaining the property in a clean and hygienic manner
- Planning and preparing meals for children and young people in line with healthy food choices and safe food handling requirements
- Providing care, guidance, and support to young people
- Managing complex and challenging behaviours
- Administering medication and adherence to support plans
- Documentation such as incident reports, case notes and hand over notes
Disability support worker
Drake Medox - Department of Human Services Disability
Adelaide, SA
12.2019 - 03.2022
- Supported both female and male adults with their daily activities such as personal care, running their homes and running errands
- Integrated residents into the community by organising leisure activities dependent on individual needs, abilities and preferences and support clients to establish interests through access to community activities, venues and services
- Draughted lifestyle plans and routines for adults with disability
- Administered medication following written instructions
- Performed direct care duties including showering/ bathing, dressing, toileting, preparing meals and assisting with mobility requirements
- Aided with personal administration, shopping, medication needs and household duties
- Encourage positive and socially appropriate behaviour and effectively manage challenging behaviour
- Respond to crisis within specified guidelines and seek assistance to situations outside of specified guidelines
- Observed skin integrity and performed pressure area care
- Managing clients' finances and ensuring the account balances after spending
- Kept detailed daily logs with care actions, patient behaviours and all incidents
Carer/ Support Worker
Linsell Lodge - Salvation Army
11.2019 - 06.2021
- Assisted clients with Alzheimer's with activities of daily living, personal care and managing behavioural and psychological symptoms
- Assisted clients to maintain their independence, improve their sense of well-being and putting them in more control of their lives
- Maintained privacy and confidentiality about clients' personal information
- Treated clients with respect, dignity and courtesy
- Assisted clients to access services which respect their individuality including their language, culture, beliefs and sexuality
- Assisted clients with mobility and transferring for example moving in and out of bed and on or off the toilet
- Assisted clients with feeding and drinking based on their individualized diet for example; thickened fluids, minced and moist diets and reported any difficulties in their nutritional needs
- Observed and documented changes on patients' behaviours and bowel movement in behaviour charts, bowels charts
- Interacted with and provided emotional support to patients
- Observed skin integrity, checked for pressure sores and performed pressure area care by frequently repositioning immobile patients, using special pillows and mattress pads to reduce the pressure
- Adhered to all company requirements for patient interactions and care standards
- Kept detailed daily logs with care actions, patient behaviours and all incidents
- Developed skills in listening, supporting and dealing with challenging behaviours
- Gained experience in risk assessment and management
- Awarded certificate of achievement for outstanding performance
Education
Diploma of community services -
SMP Network
AdelaideCertificate III in Individual Support - Disability
SMP Network
AdelaideSkills
- Basic care skills
- Providing trauma informed care
- Youth engagement
- Advocacy
- Resilience and empathy
- Collaboration and teamwork
- Behavioural support and crisis prevention
- Conflict resolution
- Mentoring abilities
- Youth supervision
- Positive Reinforcement
- Social skill development
- Conflict de-escalation
- Crisis Response
- Behavioral Interventions
- Cultural Competency
- Special needs understanding
- Relationship Building
Accomplishments
- Developed skills in listening, supporting and dealing with challenging behaviours.
- Gained experience in risk assessment and management.
- Awarded certificate of achievement for outstanding performance.
Otherqualifications
- Current First Aid Certificate
- Manual Handling certificate
- CPR certificate
- RNDS Medication certificate
- Safe environments for children and young people
- Full unrestricted SA driver's licence
- NDIS worker screening check
- DHS Working with children check
- Police clearance
- Proof of required covid 19 vaccinations
- Passed psychometric assessment
References
Available on request.
Personal Information
Notice Period: Immediately
Timeline
Youth worker
Lifestyle solutions
06.2023 - Current
Residential Youth Worker
Autism SA
05.2022 - 11.2024
Youth Worker
HenderCare (Department of child protection)
06.2021 - 04.2024
Disability support worker
Drake Medox - Department of Human Services Disability
12.2019 - 03.2022
Carer/ Support Worker
Linsell Lodge - Salvation Army
11.2019 - 06.2021
Diploma of community services -
SMP Network
Certificate III in Individual Support - Disability
SMP Network