Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Youth Care Worker

🎯 Role Definition

A Youth Care Worker provides direct care, supervision, advocacy and therapeutic support for children and adolescents in residential, community, school-based or outreach settings. This role focuses on safety planning, behaviour support, life-skill development, documentation and collaboration with families and multidisciplinary teams to promote positive outcomes, reduce risk, and support healthy transitions for young people. Ideal candidates demonstrate trauma‑informed practice, crisis intervention skills, excellent documentation, and the ability to build rapport with diverse and vulnerable youth.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Residential Support Worker / Support Worker
Youth Outreach Worker / Community Support Worker
Volunteer or Peer Mentor in youth programs

Advancement To:

Senior Youth Care Worker / Shift Leader
Team Leader / Supervisor — Residential Youth Services
Case Manager or Youth Program Coordinator
Licensed Social Worker, Clinical Counsellor, or Program Manager (with additional credentials)

Lateral Moves:

School Support Worker / Behaviour Support Aide
Family Support Worker / Community Outreach Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Provide direct, day-to-day supervision and mentoring of children and adolescents in residential or community programs, ensuring the safety, emotional well‑being and development of young people according to individualized care plans and organisational policies.
Implement individualized behaviour support plans and therapeutic strategies (e.g., positive behaviour interventions, de-escalation techniques, and restorative practices) to manage challenging behaviours and reduce risk of harm.
Conduct comprehensive risk assessments and safety planning for each young person, updating plans promptly after incidents and communicating changes to the multidisciplinary team and relevant stakeholders.
Deliver trauma‑informed care by recognising trauma responses, using evidence‑informed approaches to support healing, and maintaining a predictable, safe, and nurturing environment.
Facilitate structured life‑skills training (hygiene, meal preparation, budgeting, job readiness, communication, and independent living skills) to promote young people’s long‑term independence and resilience.
Engage young people in therapeutic activities, group programs, education support and recreational opportunities designed to build social skills, self‑esteem and positive peer relationships.
Develop and maintain accurate, timely and confidential case notes, incident reports, progress notes and electronic records to meet regulatory, funding and organisational requirements.
Coordinate with families, guardians, schools, health professionals and external agencies to ensure continuity of care, share progress, address concerns, and arrange specialist referrals when required.
Support medication administration and health care routines as delegated, adhering to medication policies, secure storage, and accurate medication logs while liaising with nursing or medical staff.
Respond to crises and emergencies (including aggressive incidents, self‑harm, medical emergencies) using approved crisis intervention protocols and escalate to senior staff or emergency services when needed.
Plan, prepare and supervise healthy meals and household routines consistent with care plans, dietary needs and therapeutic goals for residential program participants.
Facilitate and participate in individual and family meetings, planning sessions, reviews and discharge planning to set goals, monitor progress and coordinate safe transitions.
Supervise and transport young people to appointments, educational placements, court, community activities or family visits, maintaining professional boundaries and ensuring safety during travel.
Mentor and model positive interpersonal skills, conflict resolution and pro‑social behaviours; use strengths-based approaches to encourage responsibility and accountability.
Attend and contribute to multidisciplinary team meetings, clinical case reviews, handovers and shift debriefs to support coordinated care and continuous improvement.
Provide advocacy on behalf of young people to secure appropriate services, educational supports, legal protections and community resources.
Maintain professional boundaries while building authentic, trusting relationships; manage dual roles and confidentiality in accordance with ethical and legal obligations.
Participate in behaviour incident investigations, prepare factual reports for case conferences or legal proceedings, and provide testimony or statements when required.
Support cultural safety by incorporating culturally responsive practices, liaising with cultural support persons and respecting the identity, language and traditions of young people and families.
Monitor and maintain a clean, orderly and hazard-free residential environment; complete safety checks, document maintenance needs and model health and hygiene standards.
Implement and promote harm‑reduction strategies, including safe use education, relapse prevention planning and coordinated responses for substance‑related issues.
Contribute to program development by recommending therapeutic activities, resource improvements, and process changes that enhance service delivery and outcomes for youth.
Provide on-call or after‑hours support as scheduled, including crisis response, phone triage and coordination with emergency services or placement authorities.
Support safeguarding and child protection processes by recognizing signs of abuse/neglect, making timely reports to child protection authorities and participating in investigations as required.

Secondary Functions

Participate in ongoing professional development, mandatory training (CPR/First Aid, child protection, de‑escalation) and supervision to maintain practice standards and professional registration where applicable.
Assist with recruitment, orientation and informal mentoring of new staff and volunteers, demonstrating best practices for working with youth.
Collect and contribute program data, feedback and qualitative case information for internal quality assurance and external funding reports.
Maintain and manage program resources, activity supplies and educational materials to support therapeutic programming and household operation.
Support community engagement activities, public events, school liaison and outreach efforts to strengthen partnerships and reduce stigma for program participants.
Provide input to policy and procedure reviews, safety audits and incident debriefs to improve operational safety and youth outcomes.
Contribute to transition planning and follow-up services for youth exiting care to minimise re‑entry and support community reintegration.
Where applicable, assist clinical staff with implementing therapeutic plans (e.g., behavior charts, token economies) and document responses for clinical review.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Risk assessment and safety planning — ability to complete timely, evidence‑based risk assessments and develop practical safety plans tailored to individual youth.
Crisis intervention and de‑escalation — trained and experienced in evidence‑based verbal and physical strategies to safely manage aggressive or self‑harm behaviours.
Behaviour support planning — design, implement and monitor positive behaviour interventions and data‑driven behaviour modification techniques.
Trauma‑informed practice — knowledge and application of trauma‑sensitive approaches, attachment theory and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) frameworks.
Child protection & mandatory reporting — clear understanding of legal obligations, reporting procedures and working with child protection authorities.
Medication administration & basic health care — competency in safe medication handling, documentation and liaison with nursing or medical teams (where required).
Case documentation & report writing — strong ability to produce clear, timely case notes, incident reports and court/agency statements.
Motivational interviewing & counselling skills — use brief therapeutic techniques to engage youth in behaviour change and goal setting.
Computer literacy & case management systems — proficient with electronic case management systems, Microsoft Office and digital communication tools.
Community resource navigation — knowledge of local service providers, housing, education and mental health referral pathways.
Safety procedures & physical intervention (where required and trained) — certified in approved non‑harmful physical interventions when necessary and within policy.
Cultural competency — ability to apply culturally responsive practices and work respectfully with Indigenous and culturally diverse families.

Soft Skills

Empathy and rapport building — warm, genuine engagement skills to establish trust with vulnerable young people.
Clear communication — strong verbal and written communication tailored for youth, families and multidisciplinary teams.
Resilience and emotional regulation — capacity to manage stress, shift between high‑intensity situations and maintain professional composure.
Teamwork and collaboration — works effectively within multidisciplinary teams, respects different professional roles and supports colleagues.
Problem solving and adaptability — flexible approach to changing situations, able to think on feet and adapt plans quickly.
Ethical judgement and professional boundaries — strong sense of confidentiality, ethics and boundary management in complex care situations.
Observational skills and attention to detail — accurate monitoring of behaviour trends, medication logs and environmental safety.
Time management and organizational ability — juggle competing priorities, maintain documentation and meet deadlines.
Cultural humility — openness to learning about different cultural practices and integrating that understanding into care.
Conflict resolution and mediation — skilled at facilitating restorative conversations and negotiating safe outcomes.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High School Diploma / Secondary School Certificate plus relevant certificate in Youth Work, Community Services, or Childcare (e.g., Certificate III/IV in Community Services, Child, Youth & Family).

Preferred Education:

Diploma or Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Child and Youth Care, Psychology, Human Services, Counselling or related field.
Post‑graduate certifications in trauma‑informed care, behaviour support, or family therapy are an asset.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Social Work
Child and Youth Care
Psychology
Human Services / Community Services
Counselling
Education (with youth support focus)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–5 years working directly with children and adolescents in residential, foster, school or community settings.

Preferred: 2+ years’ experience supporting at‑risk youth or working in residential care, youth justice, child protection or specialist mental health settings; documented experience implementing behaviour support plans, crisis intervention and working collaboratively with families and external agencies.