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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Youth Officer

💰 $ - $

Youth DevelopmentCommunity ServicesNonprofit

🎯 Role Definition

The Youth Officer is responsible for designing, delivering and evaluating youth-focused programs and services that promote positive development, resilience and social inclusion. This role combines direct youth engagement, case management, community outreach, safeguarding, and partnership development to achieve measurable outcomes for children and young people aged typically 10–25. The Youth Officer works closely with schools, families, local authorities, NGOs and volunteers to plan activities, deliver workshops, manage risks, and monitor impact, while ensuring safeguarding and child protection standards are upheld at all times.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Youth Worker / Youth Support Worker
  • Community Outreach Officer
  • Volunteer Coordinator

Advancement To:

  • Senior Youth Officer / Lead Youth Worker
  • Youth Program Manager / Coordinator
  • Regional Youth Services Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Case Manager (Child & Family Services)
  • Community Development Officer
  • Education Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Design, coordinate and deliver evidence-based youth programs, workshops and activities (life skills, employability, sexual health education, recreation, leadership and civic engagement) tailored to the needs and aspirations of diverse youth cohorts.
  • Conduct regular outreach and engagement in schools, community centres, and online channels to recruit, retain and re-engage vulnerable, hard-to-reach or underserved young people.
  • Carry out holistic needs assessments and intake interviews with young people to identify strengths, risks, barriers and required interventions; develop individual support plans and monitor progress over time.
  • Provide case management and one-to-one mentoring, offering guidance, referrals and practical support for employment, education, mental health, housing, legal and social welfare issues.
  • Implement and enforce safeguarding and child protection policies; conduct risk assessments, report concerns promptly, and liaise with child protection agencies and statutory services when necessary.
  • Facilitate group sessions and workshops using trauma-informed and youth-friendly facilitation techniques, adapting content and delivery to different ages, abilities and cultural backgrounds.
  • Develop and maintain strong partnerships with schools, local authorities, NGOs, police, health services and community leaders to create referral pathways and integrated support networks for young people.
  • Monitor, evaluate and report on program outcomes using quantitative and qualitative methods; prepare regular impact reports, case studies and recommendations to inform program improvement and funder requirements.
  • Manage program budgets, procure supplies, and maintain accurate financial records in line with organisational policies and donor requirements.
  • Recruit, train and supervise volunteers, peer mentors and sessional staff; develop induction materials, provide ongoing coaching and ensure safeguarding compliance for all personnel.
  • Design participatory youth leadership opportunities that empower young people to co-create activities, lead peer education, and inform program planning and governance structures.
  • Develop culturally sensitive and inclusive program materials, session plans and communications (print and digital) to reach multilingual and diverse youth populations effectively.
  • Support young people through crisis intervention, conflict mediation, de-escalation techniques and safety planning, coordinating immediate responses with emergency and clinical services where required.
  • Lead community events, awareness campaigns and outreach initiatives to raise visibility, reduce stigma (mental health, substance misuse, gender-based violence) and increase uptake of services.
  • Coordinate referrals to specialist providers (substance misuse services, mental health counselling, employment agencies) and follow up to ensure continuity of care and outcomes tracking.
  • Ensure robust data collection and case recording in client management systems, maintaining confidentiality and complying with GDPR or local data protection regulations.
  • Write and contribute to funding proposals, grant applications and reports, articulating program logic, impact metrics and sustainability plans to secure ongoing resources.
  • Conduct periodic needs analyses and community consultations with young people and stakeholders to shape program priorities and design responsive interventions.
  • Implement behaviour management policies and create safe, structured environments for group activities, including transport arrangements, consent forms and parental engagement where applicable.
  • Coordinate transitional support services for young people moving from adolescence to adulthood (education to employment pathways, independent living skills, continued mental health supports).
  • Promote youth participation and civic engagement by facilitating volunteering, advocacy training and opportunities to participate in local decision-making forums.
  • Maintain accurate administrative records, schedules, incident logs and attendance registers; prepare weekly activity plans and logistical arrangements for sessions and trips.
  • Use digital platforms and social media strategically to promote programs, engage participants, manage bookings and provide accessible online youth support and resources.

Secondary Functions

  • Support program development by contributing ideas, drafting session plans and testing new youth engagement methodologies piloted by the team.
  • Assist with baseline and follow-up data collection for monitoring and evaluation, including surveys, focus groups and feedback mechanisms involving young people.
  • Contribute to internal training by sharing best practices, case studies and lessons learned from frontline youth work with peer staff and volunteers.
  • Provide administrative support for grant reporting, stakeholder communications and donor stewardship; prepare briefing notes and impact snapshots for leadership.
  • Participate in multi-agency meetings, case conferences and safeguarding panels as a representative of the youth services team.
  • Support logistics for community outreach events, including site risk assessments, equipment booking, transport coordination and volunteer scheduling.
  • Maintain up-to-date knowledge of local youth services, referral pathways and funding opportunities; map community resources to enhance partnership networks.
  • Assist with recruitment processes for youth-facing posts and volunteer roles, participating in interviews and competency assessments.
  • Help maintain social media and website content to ensure up-to-date information on upcoming activities, resources and safeguarding guidance for youth and families.
  • Undertake occasional weekend and evening work to support events, outreach and crisis response, as required by program delivery schedules.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Program design and curriculum development for youth-led activities and workshops.
  • Youth case management and individual support planning with strong documentation practices.
  • Safeguarding, child protection and mandatory reporting in compliance with local laws and organisational policies.
  • Monitoring & evaluation methodologies (indicator design, data collection, outcome measurement, basic statistical analysis).
  • Risk assessment, health & safety planning and incident reporting for youth activities and trips.
  • Community outreach strategies, engagement campaigns and recruitment for hard-to-reach young people.
  • Basic counselling, brief intervention techniques and trauma-informed care approaches.
  • Grant writing, proposal development and donor reporting for youth projects.
  • Volunteer recruitment, training and supervision frameworks including peer mentor programs.
  • Budget management, basic financial record-keeping and resource allocation for program delivery.
  • Client management systems and databases (experience with CRM or case management software) and strong MS Office skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
  • Digital engagement: social media outreach, online facilitation tools and remote youth support platforms.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills with young people, families and stakeholders.
  • Cultural competence and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in program design and delivery.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills for facilitation, reporting and advocacy.
  • Empathy, resilience and emotional intelligence when supporting young people through complex situations.
  • Problem-solving and adaptability in dynamic community settings and crisis environments.
  • Leadership and teamworking skills to coordinate volunteers and collaborate with partner agencies.
  • Time management, organisational ability and attention to detail when juggling caseloads and events.
  • Conflict resolution and de-escalation skills for managing challenging behaviours and peer disputes.
  • Coaching and mentoring ability to develop young people's life skills, confidence and employability.
  • Networking and stakeholder engagement skills to create multi-agency partnerships and referral pathways.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Social Work, Youth Work, Community Development, Education, Psychology, Sociology or a related field; relevant vocational qualifications or Level 3–5 youth work diplomas accepted depending on jurisdiction.

Preferred Education:

  • Relevant postgraduate qualification (e.g., MA/MSc in Youth Studies, Social Work, Counselling, Public Policy) or certified professional youth work accreditation.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Youth Work / Youth Development
  • Social Work
  • Psychology / Counselling
  • Education / Community Development
  • Public Health / Social Policy

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years of direct youth work, community outreach or related frontline experience; internships, volunteer leadership or placement experience may be accepted for junior roles.

Preferred: 3–7 years or more in youth-facing roles with demonstrable experience in safeguarding, case management, program delivery, M&E, partnership building and supervising volunteers or junior staff. Experience in multi-agency settings, grant management and trauma-informed practice is highly desirable.

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