YFS Ltd

Are you passionate about creating lasting change? Do you dream of a career where you can make a real difference? If so, this unique, paid internship could be your next big step! This is an exciting opportunity for an individual new to the domestic and family violence behaviour change intervention work with persons using violence to be upskilled and mentored by specialists in the field. YFS Responsible Men team in partnership with WorkUP Queensland is offering two paid part-time positions for an Intern Facilitator in February-March 2025. Over 8 weeks, you will be supported in your professional development working towards becoming a behaviour change facilitator and learn from our well-established Responsible Men team. Through observations and supervised practice experience, you will develop your skills to deliver group programs for men who are wanting to take responsibility to live a non-violent life. This 8-week paid internship will open doors for you to practice as a behaviour change facilitator across Queensland. Find out more and apply for the Intern Facilitator position at https://lnkd.in/ghkypM4 Applications close 23 December 2024.

We are deeply disappointed that the Queensland Parliament has passed the Making Queensland Safer Bill, without any changes following consultation. These laws adopt a punitive approach that disregards evidence on what actually works to reduce youth offending and build safer communities.   As YFS CEO Christopher John shared on the 7.30 Report, “The challenge around these laws is that it’s taking away the ability for the system to make a determination about what is appropriate given the developmental maturity of young people.”   If we want safer communities, we must invest in early intervention and diversion programs rather than just imposing harsher penalties.   Programs like YFS’ Resolve are proven to work, helping young people address underlying causes of offending such as trauma, disengagement from school and family conflict. Despite the success of Resolve—achieving a 66% reduction in offending behaviours while supporting 90 young people—funding for this critical program ended in April 2024. We know that early intervention programs like Resolve deliver better long-term economic outcomes and significantly reduce recidivism, improve engagement in education and skills, and provide hope for a better future.   YFS will continue to push for early intervention youth justice approaches that focus on prevention, rehabilitation and real change. We stand with organisations like QCOSS in opposing these laws and advocating for evidence-based strategies that create lasting community safety.

At YFS, we oppose the punitive measures proposed in the Making Queensland Safer Bill 2024, specifically the "Adult Crime, Adult Time" policy. This legislation seeks to subject children as young as 10 years old to adult sentencing principles, undermining their developmental needs and international human rights standards. We believe prioritising early intervention, not punitive policies, is the key to building safer communities. Read our latest article to see how programs like Resolve can make a real impact.

Last week, YFS Client Service Manager Sarah V. and Concentric Concepts Pty Ltd Managing Director Grant K. presented at the 10th annual STOP Domestic Violence Conference in Adelaide. Together, they shared some of the incredible outcomes of Project RITA, an action research partnership project between YFS, CommBank and security experts Concentric Concepts. This initiative develops, trials, and evaluates responses to technology-facilitated abuse, using an integrated approach to enhance the safety and wellbeing of victim-survivors while strengthening the sector’s ability to recognise and address this form of abuse. This year’s conference theme, Stronger Together: Bridging Silos and Building Change, perfectly reflects Project RITA's collaborative approach. Since January 2024, this partnership has empowered participants to build confidence in technology use and strengthen safety awareness and skills. We’re proud of the early successes of Project RITA and look forward to sharing more insights soon.

On Monday night, we had the privilege of joining more than 300 inspiring people at the Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS) Community Impact Awards in Brisbane. We’re proud to celebrate Candice Hughes, Principal Solicitor with YFS Legal, who received the Frontline Hero Award. This award recognises the extraordinary contributions of frontline workers supporting or serving their Queensland communities. Candice’s work advocating for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the criminal justice system is truly exceptional. Congratulations also to YFS Program Manager, Dr Brodie Evans, PhD, who was recognised as a finalist for the 2024 Women’s Equality Advocate Award. Well done to all nominees and winners for your incredible contributions to Queensland communities. A big thank you to QCOSS for organising such a meaningful event to honour the impact of community services across the state.

Last week, our YFS staff came together for our annual review day. It was a wonderful opportunity for our teams to connect, reflect on the year, celebrate our achievements and enjoy some well-deserved fun.

🌟 Join the YFS Team! 🌟 At YFS, we’re passionate about creating real change in the lives of people in Logan and surrounding areas. We’re currently hiring for several exciting opportunities: 🔹Monitoring and Evaluation Officer 🔹Marketing and Communication Coordinator 🔹Events Coordinator 🔹Data Engagement Lead – Logan Zero Project 🔹Behaviour Change Facilitator 🔹Children’s Counsellor 🔹Parent Pathways Mentors 🔹Functional Family Therapy – Child Welfare Therapist If you're ready to make a meaningful impact and work with a team dedicated to supporting the community, we’d love to hear from you. 🔗 Explore our current vacancies and apply today: https://lnkd.in/ghkypM4

We are thrilled to support Q Shelter's South East Queensland Displacement Monitoring initiative, in collaboration with AHURI. This groundbreaking report establishes a framework to monitor potential displacement caused by housing market changes leading up to Brisbane 2032. By addressing key areas like housing affordability, social housing, and homelessness, it aims to ensure a legacy of social inclusion for the Games. At YFS, we are proud to play a part in efforts to highlight and address housing challenges in our communities. Together, we can drive positive change for vulnerable populations. #HousingAffordability #Brisbane2032 #SocialInclusion

Yesterday, our Responsible Men Program Manager, Dr Brodie Evans, PhD , joined Dr Silke Meyer from Griffith University to present at the SPEAQ (Services And Practitioners for the Elimination of Abuse QLD) Forum 2024. Together, they shared insights from our recent evaluation of YFS' Responsible Men behaviour intervention program, exploring what the findings mean for our practice and advocacy. 📄 Read the evaluation summary here: bit.ly/YFS-RM-Evaluation #SPEAQForum2024 #ResponsibleMen #DFVPrevention #Advocacy #Logan

📢 Evaluation Highlights Positive Impact of YFS Responsible Men Program A recent evaluation by Griffith University has confirmed that YFS' Responsible Men’s Behaviour Intervention Program is making a positive impact in the lives of men, women and families impacted by domestic and family violence. This program assists men who have used violence or controlling behaviours in relationships, helping them understand the impact of their actions and fostering positive, respectful relationships. The Griffith University evaluation highlighted that completion of the Responsible Men program is associated with improvements across several domains, including men’s understanding of domestic and family violence, improved self-regulation and communication skills. Given the program’s success in Logan, we’re advocating for expanded funding to bring this specialist service to the Scenic Rim, where no face-to-face behaviour intervention programs currently exist. With its evidenced model, the Responsible Men program shows that change is not only possible but achievable. Expanding the program to Scenic Rim is an urgent next step to ensure that more families have access to the support and guidance they need to create a future free from violence. Read the Responsible Men Evaluation summary here: bit.ly/YFS-RM-Evaluation Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of this evaluation including Silke Meyer, Brodie Evans, PhD, Sarah V., Kirsty Kohn and Katie McDonald.