What's it like to work in youth justice

A day in the life of a youth justice worker

Everyone working in youth justice is committed to supporting each other and improving the lives of young people.

As a youth justice worker, you will balance care and control. You will be empathetic and encouraging. But you will also set important boundaries to hold young people accountable for their actions.

Be a role model
Teach basic life skills and guide young people through education and programs.

Establish healthy personal routines
Work with young people to set a daily structure that supports their wellbeing.

Redirect antisocial and challenging behaviour
Encourage the positive standards expected by the community.

Promote education and recreational activities
Engage young people through active participation, mentoring and encouragement.

Help to develop positive relationships
Support young people to stay connected with family and get involved in their community.

Conducting searches and security checks
Respond to incidents and file reports.

Committed to diversity

The Department of Justice and Community Safety (the department) seeks to represent the community it serves. People of any gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability and cultural background are encouraged to apply. The department has also pledged to increase the representation of aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and veterans in its workforce.

There are numerous cultural groups and networks you can join within youth justice, the department and the broader Victorian Public Service, including:

• VPS African Australian network (External link)
• VPS Pride Network (External link)
• VPS Women of Colour Network (External link)
• VPS Enablers Network (External link)
• Job opportunities for veterans in the Victorian public sector (External link)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Aboriginal) candidates

The department's dedicated Aboriginal Employment Team can support you throughout the application process, and help you develop your skills once you start your role.

There is a dedicated Aboriginal staff network with over 100 members. The network gives peer support, state-wide networking and career development opportunities for all Aboriginal staff.

Significant Aboriginal events are celebrated across the department, including Reconciliation Week, NAIDOC Week and Sorry Day. Staff also take part in an Aboriginal cultural awareness program after commencing employment.

To find out more:

• email aboriginalworkforce@justice.vic.gov.au (External link)
• read our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment (External link) page.

Staff working arrangements

Youth justice offers a range of benefits for staff.

Wage

As a full-time, fully operational youth justice worker, you can expect to earn up to $100,767 per year, with a base salary of $76,817. This includes standard penalty rates.

• Casual staff: earn $48.43 per hour, plus penalty rates.
• All staff: earn 11.5% superannuation in addition to their wage.

As a full-time youth justice worker, you will work weekday shifts that stretch beyond regular business hours. You will also work some weekends and public holidays. Your commitment to these requirements will be rewarded with generous penalty rates. These rates will be applied as below.

Staff support

All employees have access to free, confidential, 24-hour employee wellbeing and support services that include:

• counselling for a broad range of personal and work-related issues
• specialist advice across nutrition, sleep, resilience, mindfulness, addictive behaviours, retirement planning and positive lifestyle changes
• critical incident support for employees following a work-related incident.

Other benefits

• 9 weeks of fully paid training
• personalised professional development plans - opportunities for promotion and career progression
• 5 weeks of paid annual leave per year
• flexible work arrangements that support a healthy work-life balance.

Conditions

A full-time ongoing youth justice worker operates on a 2-week roster, which rotates fortnightly.

Here are some key things to know:

• You will work no more than 3 days in a row.
• Shifts can last up to 12 or 13 hours, including your meal break.
• You will work every second weekend and public holidays as required and earn penalty rates on top of your salary.
• Rotating rosters mean you can plan your life outside of work ahead of time.

Below is an example of a rotating roster at Parkville, in which you work 5 days in week one and 2 days in week 2, with days off in between.

Requirements

Working with children check

After receiving a verbal offer, applicants for youth justice worker roles need to apply and pay for a Victorian Working with Children Check (WWCC) (External link). A receipt of payment application or an already valid WWCC card is required to proceed to the next stage of recruitment.

For more information on the WWCC, please call the information line on 1300 652 879.

Secondary employment

If you wish to undertake secondary employment or unpaid work while employed, you will need to request permission. Each request will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Uniforms

Staff are required to wear uniforms, which are provided.

Fitness

Due to the physical demands of the role, you must maintain a healthy fitness level to ensure you can do the job without putting yourself at risk.

To find out how your current fitness levels match up, check out our health assessment for youth justice workers guide.

Driver's licence

A driver's licence is desirable but not required.

Criminal record

If you have prior convictions and/or offences, we strongly encourage you to disclose this information before submitting your application. If you have any questions regarding your offence history, please contact our recruitment team at yjcsrecruitment@justice.vic.gov.au (External link) for a confidential discussion.