We recruit all year for our Recruitment Pool of Child and Youth Workers. You can apply at any time.

A Child and Youth Worker within residential care works directly with children and young people to:

  • develop specific programs and services to meet their needs
  • ensure their daily care needs are met
  • assist children and young people to develop their social and living skills which will help them to transition successfully into the community and/or reunification or reconnection with their families or other suitable care options.

In this role, you will have the opportunity to assess and respond to their individual needs and ensure their safety within this setting, as well as within the community.

This page provides an overview of the requirements of the role and the assessment process.

Are you a good fit for the Child & Youth Worker role?

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Information sessions

We run free information sessions where you get to hear from current Child and Youth Workers about their experiences, and from our recruitment team who provide information about the role’s mandatory requirements, employment benefits and career progression. The information sessions also give you an opportunity to ask questions.

Our upcoming information sessions will be held at 6.30pm (South Australian time) on the following dates. They generally run for about one hour, plus question time, so allow up to 90 minutes. All sessions are online except where noted:

  • Wednesday 20 November 2024

To attend, register your interest by emailing DCPRecruitment@sa.gov.au.

Job requirements

We’re looking for people who have experience or training in environments where you may have supported children and young people, particularly those who are vulnerable. This may include some transferrable skills from work, volunteering, or training in the following areas:

  • child care
  • early childhood development
  • child and youth work
  • education
  • health and social work

The role of a Child and Youth Worker can be very challenging. It is a very different environment from the jobs listed above but caring for children and young people in any professional setting can provide you with transferrable skills such as problem solving and communication skills.

To be eligible for this role, you will also need to:

  • hold and maintain a current Working with Children Check (WWCC)
  • hold and maintain a current Australian driver’s licence (P2 or above)
  • pass all mandatory steps in the recruitment process, including a medical, physical, and psychological assessments.
  • hold or get a HLTAID012 – Provide Emergency First Aid in an Education Care Setting (Unit of Competency) prior to commencing employment
  • be available to attend the first 8 weeks of training on a full time basis. This includes a combination of training days and work shadow shifts.

The Role Description (available from the job listing on our Career Portal (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site)) outlines all of the essential criteria, special conditions and essential qualifications and experience required for this role.

For more information, please refer to:

Demands of the Role information sheet (PDF, 255.9 KB).

Child and Youth Worker Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 430.6 KB).

A Child and Youth Worker testimonial

Watch this 4-minute video of Angelina talking about her experiences as a Child and Youth Worker for DCP, filmed at an information session in May 2023.

The selection process

We have a rigorous selection process to ensure that everyone who joins our employment pool for Child and Youth Workers can meet the strict requirements of the job.

The application and selection process has four steps. You must successfully pass each step before proceeding the next. For regional locations, the steps may change or be adapted. Every attempt will be made to support local recruitment activities.

1. Online application

Complete an online application through our Career Portal (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site). Be sure to include any requested documentation and answer all questions, providing examples of your experience or transferable skills, as required.

* Child and Youth Worker recruitment pool job listing (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site)

* Aboriginal Child and Youth Worker recruitment pool job listing (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site)

If you are currently on a student or temporary Australian working visa, please check your eligibility on our Working with DCP - Visa Requirements factsheet (PDF, 248.2 KB)

DCP aims to increase the Aboriginal workforce across all roles, but particularly within residential care as the number of Aboriginal children in care is disproportionate with the general population. Applicants who identify themselves on the application form will be provided with additional support to assist with the selection process.

2. Telephone interview

If shortlisted from your online application, you will be invited to participate in a telephone interview.

3. Medical, physical and psychological screenings

It is a requirement under the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017 (external site) (external site) (external site) (external site) that any person employed in residential care undergoes a psychological assessment. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are encouraged to read the Psychological Assessment information sheet (PDF, 502.2 KB) which contains further information relating to this process.

A medical assessment will include a BMI reading, and a physical assessment may include a functional capacity assessment. These are needed to ensure you can meet the inherent requirements of the role.

These are done through independent providers.

4. Assessment Centre

If you pass your Medical and Psychological assessments, and your referee checks are satisfactory, you will be invited to the next step in our selection process: a full day at our Assessment Centre.

During this day, you will participate in group exercises, role plays, and a face-to-face interview. Our Assessors will evaluate your suitability and potential to be a Child and Youth Worker. The experience will also provide you with a realistic understanding of the role, helping you make an informed decision about whether it’s the right fit for you.

Timeframes

We run our Assessment Centres several times a year. It is important to know that, when applying for a Child and Youth Worker position with us, the entire selection process may take some time if you have applied after a round of Assessment Centres has just been completed. The next round of Assessment Centres may not be for a few months.

Information Sharing

Your basic personal information, including assessment results, may be shared internally within DCP, or with organisations across the sector where it is a legislative requirement. This information will only be shared for the purposes of employment within Residential Care (including volunteer positions).

Offers and Appointments

You will be notified in writing of your outcome in the selection process.

If successful you will be added to our Employment Pool, which is active for 12 months. During this time, you may be contacted with an offer of employment. If you are unsuccessful, you will be eligible to reapply in 12 months’ time. Until then, we encourage you to consider doing some volunteer work to get more experience.

On the job training

If you are offered employment, you will be required to attend an 8-week, full-time induction program. You will be paid during the induction, which involves a combination of work shadowing (both AM and PM shifts) and attending training days. A schedule will be provided to you in your first week.

You will also automatically be enrolled in the nationally accredited CHC40321 - Certificate IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention course at TAFE. Attending the course is part of your employment. We will also pay the course fees. Some subjects in this course have been specifically tailored to the needs of the Child & Youth Worker role in DCP so if you have previously studied this course, there may be some subjects that you are still required to do.

Salary and benefits

A Child and Youth Worker in DCP is employed at Operational Services Level 3 (OPS3) with a full-time salary range of $67,589 - $72,033 as at 10 August 2024. Shift penalties apply to weekday afternoon and night shifts, weekend shifts and public holidays. Part time and casual positions are also available and may be requested.

The South Australia government also offers benefits to employees as detailed on benefits of working at DCP. Additional benefits, including accommodation and travel assistance may also be available for those who choose to work with us in regional South Australia.

What is a Recruitment Pool?

A Recruitment Pool is a win-win for you and us! It lets us fast-track our ability to fill roles and puts you in the running for those positions.

We take you through the recruitment process (job application, interview, assessments, etc) even though there's no job yet. Then, when a suitable position becomes available, we can offer it to someone in the Pool immediately.

A Recruitment Pool is active for 12 months from when you are selected for it. There is no guarantee of a job during that time because the number of positions that become available will depend on business needs. As those positions become available though, we’ll offer it to the person in the Pool who we think best suits it rather than advertise for new applicants.

From your perspective, it increases your chance of being offered a job and gets the application process out of the way early. It doesn’t stop you from applying for other positions with us, and you’re also under no obligation to accept a job offer from the Pool. If you do, you’ll be given the time you need to resign from your existing employment before you start with us.

For more information, refer to the Recruitment Pool Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 496.2 KB)