Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Youth Development Worker

🎯 Role Definition

We are seeking a proactive, compassionate Youth Development Worker to design, deliver, and evaluate high-quality youth programmes that support emotional wellbeing, employability, life skills, and positive social engagement for children and young people (typically ages 8–25). The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience working with vulnerable and at‑risk youth, strong safeguarding practice, excellent partnership-building skills, and the ability to collect and use outcome data to improve services.

This role is focused on face-to-face delivery, casework, multi-agency collaboration, and community outreach. Key keywords: Youth Development Worker, youth programs, mentoring, safeguarding, community outreach, life skills, at-risk youth, youth engagement, case management, behaviour support.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Support Worker / Youth Support Assistant
After-School Program Coordinator / Community Outreach Assistant
Volunteer Youth Mentor or Peer Mentor

Advancement To:

Senior Youth Development Worker / Team Leader
Youth Services Coordinator / Programme Manager
Youth & Community Project Manager / Youth Engagement Manager

Lateral Moves:

Family Support Worker
Probation Officer Assistant / Youth Justice Worker
School Pastoral Lead / Youth Outreach Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Design, plan and deliver targeted youth development programmes (including after-school clubs, weekend workshops, vocational training, employability sessions, and life-skills curricula) that meet defined outcomes for diverse groups of young people.
Provide one-to-one mentoring and case management for at-risk young people, conducting holistic needs assessments, setting personalised goals, developing action plans, and reviewing progress with measurable outcomes.
Maintain up-to-date safeguarding and child protection practice by identifying risks, completing referrals to safeguarding teams or statutory services, attending child protection conferences, and following organisational safeguarding policies and local procedures.
Facilitate group sessions that build social skills, emotional regulation, conflict resolution, leadership, and resilience using evidence-based youth engagement techniques and participatory approaches.
Conduct outreach and targeted engagement in community settings (e.g., youth centres, schools, parks, and digital channels) to recruit participants, increase programme reach, and develop trusting relationships with hard-to-reach young people.
Coordinate multi-agency meetings (social care, schools, mental health, police, housing) and prepare clear case summaries, action plans, and shared-risk assessments to support holistic care planning.
Deliver crisis intervention and de-escalation support for young people in distress, using trauma-informed practice and immediate safety planning while liaising with emergency services as required.
Maintain accurate, confidential records and case notes in line with data protection regulations and organisational recording systems (CRM/case management databases), and produce timely reports for funders and stakeholders.
Design and administer outcome measurement frameworks (surveys, attendance tracking, pre/post assessments) to monitor impact, inform continuous improvement, and support funding bids and reporting requirements.
Recruit, train, supervise and coordinate volunteers and sessional staff, providing induction, safeguarding briefings, feedback, and performance monitoring to maintain quality delivery standards.
Build and sustain partnerships with schools, community organisations, employers, local authorities, and funders to expand pathway opportunities (education, training, employment) for young people.
Support young people's transition planning (from school to work, to supported accommodation, or other services) by providing employability coaching, CV/cover letter support, interview preparation, and connecting them with local training and apprenticeship providers.
Plan and manage safe group activities and trips, conducting risk assessments, arranging transport, obtaining parental consent, and ensuring first aid and emergency procedures are in place.
Develop culturally responsive services that respect diversity, address barriers to participation (language, disability, socioeconomic), and proactively promote equality, inclusion, and anti-discriminatory practice.
Implement behaviour management strategies and restorative practice approaches to promote positive behaviour, manage incidents, record sanctions where applicable, and support reintegration into programmes.
Deliver workshops on key life topics (sexual health, consent, substance misuse awareness, online safety, financial literacy) tailored to developmental stages and local needs.
Support family engagement by liaising with parents/carers, providing regular updates, arranging family meetings, and signposting to parenting support where appropriate.
Contribute to service development by identifying gaps in provision, co-designing new programmes with young people, piloting innovations, and drafting operational procedures and session plans.
Manage small project budgets, track expenditure against activity plans, and support fundraising and grant applications by providing programme-level data and case studies demonstrating impact.
Ensure continuous professional development by attending training (safeguarding, mental health, motivational interviewing, substance misuse awareness) and sharing learning with colleagues to raise service quality.
Advocate on behalf of young people to secure housing, benefits, health, education or legal support, preparing paperwork, making referrals, and attending appointments or tribunals as required.
Use digital platforms and social media responsibly to promote programmes, maintain professional boundaries while engaging young people online, and collect digital engagement metrics to inform outreach strategies.

Secondary Functions

Support targeted recruitment campaigns for programmes by producing promotional materials, attending community events, and maintaining referral pathways with schools and partner agencies.
Assist with administrative tasks including appointment scheduling, maintaining attendance registers, processing petty cash claims, and ordering resources for sessions.
Contribute case information and impact data to quarterly monitoring reports used for internal review and external funder reporting.
Participate in team meetings, supervision, and reflective practice sessions to discuss complex cases, share safeguarding concerns, and ensure consistent practice across the service.
Support the design and implementation of youth voice mechanisms (advisory boards, feedback surveys, co-production workshops) and incorporate young people’s feedback into service redesign.
Provide cover for other youth workers where required and support rotational duties such as evening or weekend outreach shifts.
Support training delivery to schools or partners on youth engagement best practices and share expertise in working with vulnerable cohorts.
Maintain resources and environment standards for safe delivery, including first aid checks, safe storage of confidential files, and accessible materials for different learning needs.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Professional knowledge of safeguarding and child protection practice, including multi-agency thresholds, referral pathways, and statutory duties.
Proficiency in case management and CRM systems (e.g., CareFirst, Liquid Logic, Salesforce, or comparable databases) for maintaining detailed case notes and outcome data.
Competence in program design, lesson planning and youth curriculum development tailored to different age groups and learning abilities.
Data collection and basic analysis skills: ability to use Excel or Google Sheets for attendance tracking, outcome measurement, and basic KPI reporting.
Familiarity with risk assessment tools and experience producing written risk assessments and safety plans for individuals and group activities.
First aid, mental health first aid, or equivalent emergency response qualification (or willingness to obtain).
Experience delivering employability support (CV writing, job search, interview coaching) and linking young people with training/employment services.
Budget monitoring and resource management for small projects, including tracking expenditure and reconciling invoices.
Knowledge of relevant legislation and frameworks (e.g., GDPR, Equality Act, Children Act) and their application to youth services.
Competence using digital communication tools and social media for engagement, outreach analytics, and safe online practice.

Soft Skills

Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills with the ability to engage, motivate and mentor young people from diverse backgrounds.
Excellent verbal and written communication, including the ability to produce clear reports, case summaries, and funding narratives.
High emotional intelligence, empathy, and the ability to maintain professional boundaries while demonstrating warmth and reliability.
Resilience and stress tolerance for working with challenging behaviour and safeguarding crises, with healthy self-care and reflective practice habits.
Problem-solving and creative facilitation skills to design engaging sessions and adapt to changing group dynamics.
Cultural competence and anti-discriminatory perspective to work respectfully with diverse communities and protected characteristics.
Teamwork and collaborative mindset for multi-disciplinary working, co-delivery, and partnership initiatives.
Strong organisational skills, time management, and the ability to prioritise caseloads and competing demands effectively.
Confidentiality and ethical judgement to manage sensitive information appropriately and make safeguarding referrals when needed.
Coaching and motivational interviewing skills to support behaviour change and sustained progress toward personal goals.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

A level 2 or 3 qualification in Youth Work, Social Care, Community Development, or equivalent practical experience working with young people.

Preferred Education:

Diploma or degree in Youth Work, Social Work, Community Development, Education, Psychology, or a related field.
Accredited training in safeguarding, mental health first aid, restorative practice or therapeutic youth work approaches.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Youth Work, Community Development, Social Work, Education
Psychology, Sociology, Criminology, Public Health

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–5 years working directly with young people in community, school, charity, or statutory settings.

Preferred:

2–4 years of demonstrable experience delivering youth programmes and casework with vulnerable or at‑risk groups.
Experience of multi-agency working, partnership development, and contributing to monitoring and evaluation for funders.
Valid DBS/CRB clearance (or ability to obtain), and eligibility to work in the relevant country/region.
Full driving licence and access to a car preferred for outreach and home-visit duties (where required).

If you are a motivated practitioner with a commitment to positive youth outcomes, strong safeguarding practice, and a track record of delivering engaging programmes, we encourage you to apply. Keywords: Youth Development Worker, youth engagement, safeguarding, mentoring, case management, community outreach, programme delivery, employability support.