YRIPP Independent Persons (IPs) are volunteers who attend police interviews with a young person at a police station, when a parent or guardian is not available.
About Volunteering
UPDATE: Program operations during COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic
The role provides an important opportunity to support young people at a critical time and to help divert those at risk of future offending. YRIPP rosters trained IPs to most police stations throughout Victoria 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.
YRIPP volunteers need good communication skills, an openness to diversity and other peoples’ values, and a willingness to be challenged and to learn. YRIPP is open to people from a diverse range of ages, work, education and life experiences.
YRIPP requires all volunteers to commit to completing approximately 25 hours of initial training conducted over a 3 month period and to commit to volunteering on the YRIPP roster for at least 12 months, after successfully completing the initial training.
Check out the volunteer position description to see if you meet the key selection criteria. If you think you meet all the key selection criteria, click below to apply.
If you have any questions, please contact our Volunteer Recruitment Officer at volunteer@yripp.org.au or by calling 9340 3743.
PLEASE NOTE: Serving police officers, currently practicing lawyers and bail justices cannot become YRIPP Independent Persons. For more information click here.
Volunteer Selection Process
Once you have completed the YRIPP online application form, your application goes into the YRIPP database. In some areas of Victoria where we need volunteers, we will begin processing your application quite quickly. In other areas where we do not need volunteers immediately, your application will not be processed for some months.
When YRIPP is recruiting volunteers in your area we will contact you to begin the selection process. This process usually includes attending an information session and participating in a telephone interview. Referees may be contacted at this point. YRIPP staff will screen your application against the key selection criteria outlined in the volunteer position description. If your application is successful, you will be invited to begin the YRIPP training program.
The principles of fairness and equal opportunity are applied to the process of volunteer recruitment and selection.
What does the YRIPP Initial Training Program include?
The YRIPP volunteer training and assessment program is approximately 25 hours and consists of:
- A structured police station visit
- Online reading, audio-visual materials and comprehension activities
- A full day of face-to-face training. The training is usually run regionally and allows volunteers to practice their skills with other potential volunteers, which assists to prepare volunteers for their first call-out to the police station.
- A post-training interview with a YRIPP staff member
The training is intended to give trainees the basic knowledge required to fulfil the Independent Person role and covers each of the following areas:
- Working with Young People in Police Custody
- Victoria’s Youth Justice System
- The Role of the YRIPP Independent Person including content about legal and human rights
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Young People
- Issues for Refugee and Migrant Young People
- Diversion and Referral
Information Sessions
Information sessions are held during recruitment periods for people to find out more about an Independent Person. These sessions give you the opportunity to find out whether the role is right for you. We will also tell you more about what the training involves and you can hear from current volunteers about what the role is like. Information sessions run for about 2 hours and are usually held in the evenings.
If you complete an online application form you will receive details about upcoming information sessions in your area or contact our Volunteer Recruitment Officer for details at volunteer@yripp.org.au or by calling 93403743.
YRIPP
A Volunteer’s Perspective
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How much time do I need to be a YRIPP volunteer?
To be a YRIPP volunteer, you need to choose a minimum of 12 hours a week to be on the roster. You may not be called during these 12 hours but you need to be available to attend a police station if you are called.
YRIPP suggests that volunteers allocate at least 20 hours a week, at a variety of times in order to get a call-out each week e.g. one weekend shift from 6pm-6am and one weekday shift from 6am-6pm. Volunteers need to commit to being a volunteer for a minimum of 12 months after the initial training period.
Q. How long do volunteers spend at the police station each time?
The length of time a volunteer spends at a police station with a young person varies from between one hour to anything up to 8 hours. The average is about 3 hours. How many callouts you receive a month depends upon the days and times you are rostered on and how many other volunteers are on the roster. If you cannot accept a callout at a particular time the request will go to the next available person on the system. Volunteers are generally asked to travel to police stations that are within 20 minutes of their home.
Q. How does the YRIPP roster work?
YRIPP has an online roster system that all volunteers can access with a login and password. Volunteers need to regularly update their roster so that they are ready to receive a call. Independent Persons work on a 24 hour on-call roster which is split up into 2 shifts (6am to 6pm and 6pm to 6am). YRIPP usually requires volunteers to be available on call for a minimum of one shift per week. This doesn’t mean that you will be at a police station for the whole 12 hours; it just means that you would be available if a young person requires an Independent Person in that time.
The roster is flexible and you have choice about when and how often you are on roster. For example, you may choose to be rostered on three shifts per week, a Wednesday from 6pm to 6am, a Sunday 6am to 6pm, and a Monday 6am to 6pm. You can still work, rest and play during your roster shift, you just need to have access to your phone and car and be ready to travel to the police station on your roster.
Even though you are on three shifts, you may only receive a call-out once a month or depending or depending on how busy the nearest police stations are, you may receive a call every week. YRIPP staff can give you an indication of how busy a particular police station is and how regularly you might get a call.
Some areas are not busy for YRIPP. The more shifts you are on, the more likely you are to get called out. You can be rostered onto all police stations that you can usually get to within 20 minutes travel time.