Youth Worker Full-time Permanent

Closes: 20 September 2026

Classification: Youth Worker 1/2
Salary: $78,755 - $93,416 plus superannuation
Position No: 09107, Several
Directorate: Health and Community Services
Advertised (Gazettal date): 27 August 2026
Contact Officer: Eirene Apineru on CYFRecruitment@act.gov.au or (02) 6207 4732

Details: Bimberi Youth Justice Centre is the ACT’s only youth detention facility and provides 24-hour safe and secure custody for young people between the ages of 14 and 21 years, who are remanded in custody or sentenced by the ACT Children’s or Supreme Courts.

Youth Workers play an important role in supporting and supervising young people at the Bimberi. If you are passionate about changing lives for the better, becoming a Youth Worker is the ideal place to start. Bimberi’s youth workers act as role models by:

• Supporting young people to establish healthy routines and develop independence.
• Coaching young people in prosocial behaviour and building social skills to improve their positive community participation
• engaging young people in education through ongoing encouragement and mentoring
• helping young people to develop positive family and peer relationships
• facilitating support from other services such as health and mental health providers, educators, and disability organisations
• Maintaining a safe, healthy, caring and supportive environment for young people with a strong focus on promoting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, protocols and practices.

While care, supervision, safety and support form the foundation of the role, you will also need strong interpersonal and communication skills. We are looking for people who are:

• Passionate about working with young people – you strive to engage and empower them to change their lives for the better.
• Dedicated and resilient – you are committed to following procedures, can deal with confronting situations and thrive on challenges.
• Proactive – you are constantly thinking of new ways to solve problems and address issues.

If you are mature and open-minded, your life experiences will enable you to connect and communicate with young people from many different backgrounds. Working intensively with young people every day means there’s no end to what you can learn and how you can grow in your career.

Youth Workers are required to work shift work and provide direct supervision and guidance to young people, supporting them through all elements of their day.  Youth Workers play an important role in identifying and managing risk and maintaining the safety and security of Bimberi Youth Justice Centre.

As this role is likely to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people and families, cultural awareness, and capacity to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is required.

Successful applicants will be provided with nine weeks paid induction training that covers topics including legislative obligations, Human Rights, trauma informed and therapeutic practice, responding to critical situations (including Use of Force) and behaviour management.

Health and Community Services Directorate (HCSD) is an inclusive employer where all people are respected and valued for their contribution. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where people with diverse thoughts, lived experience, and perspectives can thrive and contribute their unique talents to the ACT Public Service (ACTPS) and ACT community. We encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, people with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, veterans, younger and older workers, and people with diverse genders, sexes and sexualities to apply.

Eligibility/Other requirements:

• Current driver’s licence
• Current First Aid Certificate
• Prior to commencing this role, a current registration issued under the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011 is required. For further information on Working with Vulnerable People registration refer to - Apply for or renew a WWVP registration - Access Canberra
• As this role is likely to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and young people, cultural awareness, the capacity to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is highly desirable.

Notes: There are several permanent, temporary and casual roles may be filled based on operational requirements and the business needs of the organisation.

Selection will be based on application, suitability assessment, interview, medical/fitness (beep test) assessment, National Police Check and Working with Vulnerable People Card.

All successful applicants must participate in the full 9-weeks of induction training.

Prior to commencing Youth Worker induction, you must produce evidence of a current driver’s licence, Senior First Aid Certificate and ACT Working with Vulnerable People Card.

How to apply: Applications should include:

• A Supporting statement addressing each of the Selection Criteria. Each criteria should be approximately 300 - 400 words, outlining your Knowledge, Skills and Experience, in carrying out the Duties outlined in the Position Description.
• Current curriculum vitae must also be included.

You must submit responses to the Selection Criteria questions below.

1. Why are you interested in being a Youth Worker at Bimberi Youth Justice Centre?

2. What skills will you bring to the Youth Worker role?

3. What do you think teamwork means?

4. What is your experience working with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and your understanding of culturally responsive practice?

5. CSD values are Respect, Integrity, Collaboration and Innovation. What value aligns with you the most and why?

Youth Worker information session

Three information sessions will be held at Bimberi Youth Justice Centre on the following dates:

• Tuesday 8 September - 6.00pm to 7.00pm
• Thursday 10 September - 6.00pm to 7.00pm (Dedicated information session for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants)
• Saturday 12 September – 3:00pm to 4:00pm

You will need to RSVP to reserve your place by emailing cyfrecruitment@act.gov.au or calling the contact officer.

Applications should be submitted via the Apply Now button below.

Note: Under the ACTPS employment framework you may be placed in another role where required for the efficient administration of the service.

The ACT public service is committed to closing the gap, underpinned by the belief that when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a genuine say in the design and delivery of policies, programs and services that affect them, better life outcomes are achieved. More information can be found here ACT Closing the Gap Implementation Plan - ACT Government Transparency Portal.

Note

Ther are several permanent, temporary and casual roles may be filled based on operational requirements and the business needs of the organisation.