- NFP Salary Packaging | Annual Wage Increases | Penalty Rates
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Rewarding Work | Strong Team Dyamic | Flexible Shifts
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Ongoing Training & Professional Development | EAP & Debriefing
As a Residential Care Youth Worker, you'll be part of a trauma-informed team providing day-to-day care, guidance and support to young people in a residential setting. You'll help them build life skills, develop routines and work toward their goals in a safe, stable environment.
Your role will include:
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Providing trauma-informed, child-centred care and maintaining a structured, consistent home environment
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Supporting daily routines including cooking, household management, transport and medication administration
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Recognising and responding to behavioural escalations using Behaviour Support Plans and therapeutic approaches
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Delivering activity-based engagement as part of building regulation and relationships
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Completing case notes, incident reports and compliance documentation to DFFH standards
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Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team including case managers, therapists, teachers and families
What to expect:
The young people in our care have experienced significant trauma. Some placements are relatively stable; others involve frequent behavioural escalations that can include physical aggression. Across all settings, you'll need to remain calm, regulated and consistent, even in challenging moments.
You'll need to be able to read early behavioural cues, apply Behaviour Support Plans confidently, maintain safety and boundaries without escalating situations, and work as part of a planned, coordinated team response.
This role suits people who are:
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Genuinely committed to trauma-informed practice
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Emotionally resilient and skilled in co-regulation
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Able to stay grounded and professional during repeated challenging incidents
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Consistent, structured and reliable in their approach to care
This is rewarding work, and it isn't for everyone. The right person brings both warmth and professional steadiness - and understands that showing up consistently is the intervention.
Our recruitment process for Residential Care includes several stages.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a group interview. Successful applicants will then progress to an individual follow‑up meeting and be required to complete all compliance checks prior to receiving an offer of employment.
Once appointed, you will complete a comprehensive onboarding program, including two days of induction training, four days of Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) training, and five supported shadow shifts before commencing independent shifts.
✅ What You’ll Need:
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Certificate IV in Child, Youth & Family Intervention (or equivalent – see our website for the full list) Please see below link for more information:
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Experience working with young people or strong motivation to learn
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Residential Out-of-Home Care Youth Work experience is highly desirable
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Current Australian Driver’s Licence, Victorian Employee Working with Children Check and First Aid Certificate
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Willingness to undergo a National Police Check (we’ll arrange this for you)
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Commitment to ongoing training and trauma-informed practice
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If you have lived outside of Australia for 12 months or more in the last 10 years, you will need to provide an International Police Check that has been processed in the last 3 months from any of the countries you have lived in.
https://fac.dffh.vic.gov.au/news/reminder-funded-organisations-residential-care-staff-qualifications-certificate-iv-child-youth
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Applicants must complete the mandatory upskilling units as required by Department of Families, Fairness and Housing. Continuing employment is dependent on satisfactory evidence provided within 6 months of being engaged in the role.
✨ Why Work With Us?
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Competitive SCHADS Award pay
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Penalty rates for afternoon, night, and sleepover shifts
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Salary packaging to increase your take-home pay
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Ongoing learning: free internal training
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Access to professional debriefing and our Employee Assistance Program
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Annual wage increases aligned with Fair Work or CPI
Junction Support Services is a child-safe organisation and an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from First Nations peoples, individuals with disability or lived experience of disability, and people of all cultural backgrounds, gender identities and sexual orientations. We value the unique perspectives and contributions that diversity brings to our workplace and the communities we serve.
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