Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Youth Support Worker

🎯 Role Definition

A Youth Support Worker provides practical, emotional and behavioural support to children and young people (typically aged 6–25) who are experiencing social, emotional, mental health or family difficulties. This role involves individual and group work, crisis management, safeguarding and multi-agency liaison to improve safety, wellbeing and long-term outcomes. The Youth Support Worker operates in schools, community settings, residential homes and outreach environments delivering trauma-informed interventions, developing life skills and contributing to care and support plans.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Youth Support Assistant / Youth Mentor
Community Outreach Worker
Support Worker (residential or domiciliary)

Advancement To:

Senior Youth Support Worker / Lead Practitioner
Youth Services Coordinator / Team Leader
Qualified Social Worker, Counsellor or Specialist Practitioner

Lateral Moves:

Education Support Worker / School Pastoral Lead
Substance Misuse Support Worker
Probation/Transition Worker

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Conduct comprehensive assessments of young people's needs, risks and strengths to develop personalised support plans that promote safety, independence and positive outcomes.
Deliver evidence-based one-to-one interventions such as motivational interviewing, cognitive-behavioural techniques and life-skills coaching to address behavioural, emotional and social needs.
Maintain up-to-date, accurate client records, case notes and statutory documentation in line with organisational policy and GDPR/data-protection requirements.
Undertake routine safeguarding checks and promptly report and escalate child protection concerns to designated safeguarding leads and external agencies.
Support young people through crisis and emergency situations, providing de-escalation, appropriate containment strategies and referrals to emergency services when required.
Facilitate group programmes and therapeutic activities that build resilience, social skills, conflict resolution and peer support among young people.
Work collaboratively with families, carers and guardians to engage them in care plans, parenting support and behaviour management strategies.
Liaise and coordinate with multi-disciplinary teams — social services, schools, mental health providers, housing and probation — to ensure joined-up care and seamless transitions.
Implement and review behaviour management plans, using positive reinforcement and consistent boundary-setting to reduce risk and prevent escalation.
Monitor medication administration per organisational policies and liaise with healthcare professionals about young people’s physical and mental health needs.
Provide practical support with housing, education, employment and benefits advocacy to promote stability and long-term independence.
Carry out risk assessments for activities, outings and home visits; take reasonable steps to mitigate identified risks while enabling participation and growth.
Prepare and contribute to statutory meetings (Child in Need, Child Protection conferences, Looked After Children reviews) and provide accurate reports and updates.
Support young people with substance misuse issues by delivering harm-reduction advice, signposting to specialist services and maintaining non-judgemental engagement.
Promote culturally competent practice by recognising diversity, adapting interventions to cultural needs and advocating for inclusive services.
Use trauma-informed approaches in all contact with young people, recognising triggers, adapting responses and avoiding re-traumatisation.
Deliver transition planning and support for young people leaving care, developing independent-living skills, budgeting and tenancy management.
Participate in regular supervision, reflective practice and clinical governance activities to maintain standards and professional development.
Contribute to monitoring and evaluation activities, collecting outcome data and feedback to measure impact and inform service improvement.
Provide outreach and community engagement, building relationships in local communities, schools and voluntary organisations to identify and engage vulnerable young people.
Support restorative practice and mediation between young people, families and institutions to repair harm and rebuild relationships.
Promote health and wellbeing activities including sexual health, nutrition, exercise and routine healthcare access.
Teach practical daily-living skills (cooking, timekeeping, job-searching, interview skills) to enhance employability and independence.
Ensure residential or community settings are safe, welcoming and supportive by undertaking daily checks, maintaining environments and modelling professional standards.

Secondary Functions

Contribute to service development by suggesting programme ideas, piloting new interventions and providing user feedback to managers.
Assist with administrative duties such as scheduling appointments, coordinating transport and processing referrals.
Support volunteer induction and training, mentor junior staff and students on placement.
Participate in community outreach events, workshops and school assemblies to raise awareness of services and prevention programmes.
Maintain an up-to-date knowledge base of local agencies, referral pathways and specialist services to expedite support for young people.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Safeguarding and child protection procedures, including multi-agency reporting and statutory requirements.
Comprehensive case management, assessment tools and personalised care planning.
Risk assessment and behaviour management strategies for children and young people.
Crisis intervention, de-escalation techniques and emergency response protocols.
Trauma-informed practice and therapeutic approaches (basic CBT-informed methods, motivational interviewing).
Knowledge of relevant legislation (Children Act, GDPR, mental health legislation where applicable).
Mental health awareness, including common presentations in adolescents and signposting to specialist services.
Substance misuse harm-reduction techniques and referral networks.
Accurate, confidential record keeping and use of case management software.
Basic first aid and medication administration in community or residential contexts.
Groupwork programme design and delivery for life-skills, employability and social development.
Housing, education and benefits advocacy knowledge to support transitions to independence.

Soft Skills

High emotional intelligence and strong interpersonal skills to build trust with vulnerable young people.
Exceptional verbal and written communication, able to engage diverse audiences and produce professional reports.
Empathy, patience and non-judgemental attitude when working with complex behaviours.
Resilience and ability to manage stress, shift priorities and respond to unpredictable situations.
Strong boundary setting and professional ethics to maintain safe working relationships.
Cultural competence and inclusivity in practice with diverse communities.
Problem-solving and creative thinking to personalise interventions and remove barriers.
Teamwork and collaborative working across multidisciplinary teams and volunteers.
Observation and assessment skills to detect subtle changes in wellbeing or risk.
Confidentiality, discretion and integrity handling sensitive personal information.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Level 2–3 qualification in Health & Social Care, Youth Work, or equivalent experience (e.g., NVQ Level 2/3, BTEC).
Relevant safeguarding training and criminal records check (DBS/CRB or national equivalent).

Preferred Education:

Diploma or degree in Youth Work, Social Work, Psychology, Counselling or a related field (Level 5 HND, BA/BSc, or equivalent).
Accredited courses in trauma-informed care, child protection, motivational interviewing, or mental health first aid.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Youth Work / Community Development
Social Work / Social Care
Psychology / Counselling
Education / Health and Social Care

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

1–4 years working with children and young people in residential, school, outreach or community settings.

Preferred:

2+ years experience in a youth support or safeguarding role, with demonstrable experience of case management, multi-agency working and crisis intervention. Experience in residential care, supported accommodation or specialist services (mental health, substance misuse) is highly desirable.

Keywords: Youth Support Worker, youth services, safeguarding, case management, behaviour management, trauma-informed, mental health support, residential care, community outreach, child protection.