Youth support worker
Care services
Level 3 -
Work in a supporting role with young people aged 11-25 to promote their personal, social and educational development.
Reference: OCC0906
Status:
SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 3221/03 Youth workers (excludes youth work professionals)
- 3221/01 Community workers
- 3221/99 Youth and community workers n.e.c.
Technical Education Products
Employers involved in creating the standard:
University of Ymca, York St John, Victoria University, University of Central Lancaster, De Montfort University, University of Bedfordshire, Linwood Youth Hub, Eastern Multi-Academy Trust, Youth Focus NE, YMCA, Hackney Council, University of Salford, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, Slough Borough Council, Manchester Metropolitan University, Shropshire Youth Association, West Berkshire Council
Summary
This occupation is found in informal settings such as youth clubs, activity-based projects and social action projects; or more formal settings such as schools, Early Help or youth offending and in local authority, charity, private or voluntary organisations. Youth support workers may work in more specialist settings such as schools, alternative education provisions, hospitals, youth justice environments or within the social care system. In all cases, safeguarding young people, following health and safety and equal opportunities policies will be central. Youth support workers deliver youth support work in local and area projects. Youth Support workers may be responsible for management of volunteers and assistant youth support workers. They may also be responsible for young people working as volunteers and peer educators. This would be dependent on the scope of the employing organisation and what it offers.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to work in a supporting role with young people aged 11-25 (predominantly in the age range of 11-19) to promote their personal, social and educational development. Youth support work provides a holistically supportive, positive professional relationship with young people, ensuring the relationship is routed in young people’s own journey and led by them. It creates opportunities for young people to develop their voice and views and creates opportunities to learn about themselves and society using informal education methods within the context of the professional relationship. Youth support workers lead work with young people, under the supervision of a degree qualified youth worker (or suitably aligned professional where this is not possible). An example of this might be working on a youth voice project, increasing the active participation of young people in the development or delivery of a service.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a wide range of organisations working with young people such as schools, justice organisations and community organisations. They may work with a range of professionals including youth workers, teachers, social workers, police, youth offending officers, local government officials and health professionals. As a youth support worker they may be working inside in specific environments like youth centres, hospitals, community based projects or schools, youth support workers often work unsociable hours, including evenings and weekends and sometimes outside in all weathers undertaking detached or outreach work.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for planning and delivering youth support work in local and area projects. Youth support workers may work on national projects (such as youth parliament) alongside professional youth workers. Youth support workers will be responsible for the planning and delivery of programmes and projects of youth support work with young people, and leading sessions. They may be responsible for management of sessional staff, volunteers and assistant youth support workers. They may also be responsible for young people working as volunteers, trainees or peer educators. This would depend on the nature of the employing organisation and what it offers. They will be supported to develop in this role by a qualified youth worker (or aligned professional) through management and supervision.
Employers involved in creating the standard:
University of Ymca, York St John, Victoria University, University of Central Lancaster, De Montfort University, University of Bedfordshire, Linwood Youth Hub, Eastern Multi-Academy Trust, Youth Focus NE, YMCA, Hackney Council, University of Salford, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, Slough Borough Council, Manchester Metropolitan University, Shropshire Youth Association, West Berkshire Council
Typical job titles include:
Keywords:
Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)
Duties
Duty D1
Establish and maintain relationships with young people
Duty D2
Establish and maintain relationships with community groups and/or key partners.
Duty D3
Use informal education practices to develop young people’s social education; providing programmes of activities, services and facilities.
Duty D4
Actively participate in supervision with a professional youth worker or equivalent
Duty D5
Plan for, deliver and evaluate youth work experiences supported by the supervision of a professional youth worker or equivalent
Duty D6
Enable young people to explore their values, beliefs and identity
Duty D7
Work with young people in line with youth participation principles to promote and facilitate youth voice and influence
Duty D8
Work within relevant legislative requirements including those regarding Health and Safety, Child Protection, Safeguarding, Data Protection and the Equalities Act 2010
Duty D9
Maintain a safe environment for group work under the supervision of a JNC qualified professional range youth worker or equivalent*
Duty D10
Perform and ensure the discharge of administrative duties (for example budget control, records keeping or reporting)
Duty D11
Line management responsibility for assistant youth support workers, sessional workers, volunteers or peer leaders, including recruiting, developing and support
Occupational Progression
This occupational progression map shows technical occupations that have transferable knowledge and skills.
In this map, the focused occupation is highlighted in yellow. The arrows indicate where transferable knowledge and skills exist between two occupations. This map shows some of the strongest progression links between the focused occupation and other occupations.
It is anticipated that individuals would be required to undertake further learning or training to progress to and from occupations. To find out more about an occupation featured in the progression map, including the learning options available, click the occupation.
Progression decisions have been reached by comparing the knowledge and skills statements between occupational standards, combined with individualised learner movement data.
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