Support Worker Jobs and Careers with YCSS

Make a Meaningful Difference in the Lives of Children and Young people

A support worker career with YCSS is for people who want their work to matter. In our Youth Konnections homes, Support Workers provide guidance, practical support and access to resources that help children and young people feel safer, more supported and more connected.

The meaningful moments in this role are real, and often quiet ones: building a lasting connection with a young person who has withdrawn from those around them, being part of their achievements as well as their challenges, and helping them see the positives in themselves so they can develop genuine self-respect and self-worth. Support Workers help young people build daily routines, take part in education, access recreational activities and grow in confidence through stable, therapeutic care. They also play an important role in safeguarding welfare and supporting safety.

It is honest to say that this work can be highly rewarding but also demanding. Not every interaction will be a positive one, and the role asks for resilience, self-awareness and a steady approach. Children and young people in Residential Out-of-Home Care may have experienced trauma, instability or complex challenges. As a youth support worker or residential support worker, you will need to build trust, maintain boundaries and respond calmly when a young person needs support. For the people who are suited to it, the positives make the difficult moments worth it.

The team members who do well here tend to be open-minded, non-judgmental and therapeutic in their approach, with a positive, outcome-driven, “can do” attitude. YCSS believes every child, young person and family can thrive when given the right environment, opportunity and support. Our holistic approach is centred on meeting individual needs and empowering children, young people and families to achieve their unique goals.

Support Worker Roles at YCSS

Support worker jobs at YCSS involve supporting children and young people aged 5 to 17 who are living in Residential Out-of-Home Care. These roles are suited to people who can provide practical care while working within a therapeutic, trauma-informed framework.

As a residential support worker, a typical shift is about making sure the home runs well and that each young person has a solid “home for now” environment. That can mean practical tasks and cleaning, but it also means mentoring, role modelling and providing therapeutic, person-centred support across a range of everyday settings,supporting young people to achieve, in many different ways, through daily routines, education, recreational lifestyle activities, capacity building, hygiene and home maintenance.

Much of this work is what we describe as therapeutic professional parenting care. It goes beyond traditional parenting: the goal is to help children heal from past abuse, neglect or disrupted attachments by building secure attachments and supporting them to develop emotional regulation. Some young people supported by YCSS may display challenging or complex trauma-based behaviours, and managing these is the most challenging aspect of the role. It calls for patience, emotional steadiness and a willingness to learn therapeutic approaches that support safety and stability.

You will not do this alone. Support Workers belong to a wider residential team. Depending on a young person’s needs, you may work as a lone worker or alongside another staff member. Some Support Workers are assigned to a single house and become part of that house team; others work as casual staff across multiple houses and teams, and across both the North and South West regions.

Support Worker roles may involve afternoons, sleepovers, weekends and public holidays. These are active, people-focused jobs in residential care, where each shift contributes to a young person’s sense of consistency and support.

Residential Youth Support Worker – Casual

Residential Youth Support Worker casual roles support children and young people in YCSS home environments. The work may involve practical daily support, therapeutic programs, relationship building and responding to the changing needs of young people in care. Casual roles can include shifts across multiple houses and across both regions, which makes them well suited to people looking for flexible work in Residential Out-of-Home Care while still contributing to meaningful outcomes for children and young people.

Youth Support Worker – Part-time

Part-time Youth Support Worker roles provide regular, ongoing support within a YCSS residential care team. These roles help young people build routines, engage with education, take part in recreational activities and feel supported in a safe home environment. A part-time youth support worker role may suit candidates who want consistent work with children and young people while building experience in residential care. Part-time shifts often include inactive sleepovers (see below).

What to Expect in the Role

A shift as a residential youth support worker may involve supporting young people through their daily routines, helping prepare for school, attending appointments, encouraging positive activities, keeping the home safe and comfortable, and responding calmly to challenging moments when they arise. The most rewarding part, in the words of our own team, is successfully helping a young person improve their quality of life, being able to provide care and support to those who need it most.

Many shifts include an inactive sleepover. This involves sleeping at the property in the carer’s room, generally from 10pm to 6am, and being available to respond to a young person’s needs through the night.

The role is not only about the difficult moments. It is also about consistency, patience and showing up in ways that help young people feel respected and supported over time.

Is a Youth Support Worker Career Right for You?

A Youth Support Worker career may be a strong fit if you are passionate about helping others and want to support children and young people through meaningful, practical work.

You may be suited to this role if you:

• Stay calm under pressure.
• Can build trust with young people.
• Understand the importance of boundaries and consistency.
• Are willing to learn therapeutic approaches.
• Can work within structured routines.
• Are comfortable working shift-based hours.
• Want to make a meaningful contribution to children and young people.

Support work requires care, confidence and consistency. It also requires a strong commitment to safeguarding, cultural safety and respectful practice.

Benefits of Working at YCSS

When you join YCSS, you join a team that looks after its people. Career progression is real here. About 80 per cent of our current leadership team started on the floor, often moving from Support Worker to Senior Support Worker and on to Case Coordinator or Team Leader roles. Because our leaders have done the work themselves, they understand what support staff need.

What our team members say they value most is the quality of the care we provide, the thorough risk assessments behind our model of care, and the standard of our homes, which are regularly noted as being nicer than those of other providers.

Career progression

Clear pathways to grow from Support Worker through to leadership roles.

Training and development

Positive behaviour support, medication, cultural awareness and WHS training, plus ongoing group supervision.

Supervision and mentoring

A shift check in every day, house team meetings every eight weeks, and one-on-one supervision on request.

Support around the clock

Direct access to Case Coordinators, Team Leaders, Managers and an on call service whenever you need it.

Employee wellbeing

EAP access, birthday leave, and immediate support after difficult shifts or incidents.

SCHADS award pay

Paid in line with the SCHADS award.