Youth justice careers

As a Youth Worker, you will guide young people in a custodial environment to reach their full potential. This involves engaging young people in activities that promote self-growth, to support their return to community.

Who we’re looking for

Although a Certificate IV in Youth or Community Services helps, we’re really after the right people.

Our staff come from many different walks of life, and bring value every day. We’re looking for people with life skills, who can communicate well and stay calm under pressure.

This work is not without its challenges. You will be working with young people who are highly vulnerable, most from traumatic backgrounds. It takes resilience, patience and passion. It’s rewarding work, turning lives around.

You will need to:

• have genuine motivation to support vulnerable young people to build positive futures
• provide daily structure, care and supervision to young people
• motivate young people to set goals, make better choices, and develop life skills
• build positive and professional relationships with young people
• be part of a team that promotes learning, fun and personal development
• manage challenging and, at times, aggressive behaviour using therapeutic and trauma-informed practices.

As a Community Youth Justice Worker, you will deliver education and awareness programs to help reduce youth offending and promote community safety.

As an Operations Coordinator, you will coordinate therapeutic intervention strategies. This ensures that activities comply with approved client case management plans and behaviour incentive tools. You will also provide supervision and performance development to Youth Workers.

As part of a team, Trainers deliver professional learning and development programs at Ashley Youth Detention Centre.

As a Case Management Officer, you will provide administrative support to assist with the admission, assessment, planning, case management and exit processes for young people in a custodial environment.

As part of the Operations Support team, you will undertake administrative tasks including admissions, discharge procedures and maintenance of client records.

As a Youth Worker at Ashley Youth Detention Centre, you can earn up to $88,851 with a starting salary of $77,213 per annum. You also receive an additional 6.5% Corrections Allowance, and generous penalty and overtime rates. Our staff receive 11% superannuation and are provided with future opportunities to progress.

As a full-time Youth Worker, you will be required to work weekday shifts that stretch beyond regular business hours. You will need to work some weekends and public holidays as well. You will be compensated for your commitment, with generous penalty rates applied:

• Afternoon shift: 15% loading
• Night shift: 27.5% loading
• Saturday: 50% loading
• Sunday: 100% loading
• Overtime: 200% loading.

A full-time ongoing Youth Worker at Ashley Youth Detention Centre works to a four-weekly rotating roster. This means:

• you will work no more than five days in a row (unless you choose an overtime shift)
• shifts can last up to 12 hours including your meal break
• rotating rosters mean you can plan your life outside of work ahead of time.

Youth Justice staff work in an environment with young people who have often experienced adversity, including traumatic experiences. Some of our day-to-day work can also be confronting.

Due to this, we are increasingly focused on providing adequate supports and supervision for our workers.

You will have access to:

• support and mentoring from senior staff
• the Employee Assistance Program
• an individual performance development agreement
• wellbeing officers on-site
• critical incident debrief and support
• site specific wellbeing programs
• personal resilience and vicarious trauma training.

We will work with you on a personalised professional development plan that can create opportunities for promotion and career progression. These other roles are listed above, including management roles.

We provide you with six-weeks paid induction and training before you start with us. This includes training with current experienced Youth Workers. Your ongoing professional development is our priority.

We also ensure that you have:

• a current first aid certificate
• the tools to de-escalate a conflict situation
• scenario training.

In Tasmania, Ashley Youth Detention Centre supports young people who have offended. It’s a 24-hour residential youth justice service. This safe and secure facility is located in Deloraine, Northern Tasmania.

At Ashley, our approach is collaborative and we use trauma-informed practice.

Youth Workers provide ongoing care, support and supervision of these young people. Importantly, they also engage young people in programs and activities that promote self-growth; preparing them for opportunities beyond Ashley. It’s about maximising their potential while at Ashley, to maximise their participation on return to community.

Ashley has many flexible areas to provide engaging programs and activities that promote learning, fun and personal development. Facilities include:

• a swimming pool
• basketball courts
• an indoor hall, with basketball hoops and a dry area for activities depending on weather
• a gym
• a school, with many different classrooms including an arts area.

Many professionals are choosing to live and work in Tasmania.

Ashley Youth Detention Centre is located in Deloraine, Northern Tasmania – a quaint country town approximately 35 minutes’ drive from Launceston.

Anywhere in Tasmania, you’re guaranteed a strong sense of community and great lifestyle close to nature.