Youth Worker / Support Worker | Residential Care | Darwin

Contract: Now until end of January (12 weeks preferred, 6+ weeks considered)

Location: Darwin and Palmerston, NT

Pay: $44 to $54 per hour plus super, with penalty rates for afternoons, nights, weekends and public holidays, plus a sleepover allowance

Shifts: Day, afternoon, active night and sleepover shifts across a 24/7 roster, including weekends

Training: Two weeks of training and induction before your first shift

About the role

Unite Healthcare is recruiting Youth Workers and Support Workers on behalf of a not-for-profit organisation providing intensive therapeutic residential care in Darwin. You’ll be supporting young people aged 12 to 17 who have experienced significant trauma and live with complex needs, including disability and behaviours of concern.

You’ll work as part of a small team in a home-based setting, helping young people feel safe, build routines and develop the skills and confidence to thrive. This is meaningful, hands-on work suited to people who are patient, resilient and genuinely committed to making a difference.

What you’ll be doing

- Supporting young people with daily routines, including meals, personal care, school and appointments
- Building positive, trusting relationships through activities and everyday engagement
- Supporting family time and connection with significant people in each young person’s life
- Following individual care plans and behaviour support plans
- Using trauma-informed practice and de-escalation techniques to respond to challenging behaviours
- Keeping the home secure, clean and welcoming
- Completing case notes, incident reports and handovers accurately
- Working collaboratively with the team, house supervisor and case managers





Backgrounds we’d love to hear from

You don’t need to have worked in residential care before. If you’ve worked in any of these areas, your experience is likely to be relevant:

- Youth work and youth services
- Residential care and out-of-home care (OOHC)
- Child protection and family support
- Youth justice and detention
- Disability support, including NDIS and supported independent living (SIL)
- Behaviour support
- Mental health support and community mental health
- Alcohol and other drugs (AOD)
- Homelessness and crisis accommodation services
- Community services and community development
- Aboriginal health
- Education support
- Nursing, particularly with mental health or disability experience
- Nursing, social work, psychology or other relevant students

Job titles we’ll consider

If your current or previous title is one of these, we’d like to hear from you:

- Youth Worker / Residential Youth Worker
- Residential Care Worker / Residential Support Worker
- Therapeutic Residential Carer / Intensive Therapeutic Care Worker
- Child, Youth and Family Support Worker
- Family Support Worker / Case Worker
- Youth Justice Officer / Youth Development Officer
- Support Worker / Community Support Worker
- Disability Support Worker / Lifestyle Support Worker
- Behaviour Support Worker
- Mental Health Support Worker / Peer Support Worker
- AOD Worker




- Crisis Accommodation / Refuge Worker
- Aboriginal Health Worker / Aboriginal Health Practitioner
- Aboriginal Community Worker / Aboriginal Liaison Officer
- Teacher Aide / Education Support Officer
- Assistant in Nursing / Personal Care Worker
- Enrolled Nurse

Requirements

Essential:

- A relevant Cert IV (Child, Youth and Family Intervention, Youth Work, Disability, Mental Health, AOD, Community Services or similar) or working towards one, or a relevant diploma or degree or working towards one
- Experience supporting young people or people with complex needs
- An open (unrestricted) driver’s licence
- Current First Aid and CPR, or willingness to obtain before starting
- An NT Working with Children Clearance (Ochre Card), or willingness to apply
- National Police Check

Desirable:

- Experience in residential care or out-of-home care
- Knowledge of trauma-informed practice or Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI)
- Experience supporting young people with disability or behaviours of concern
- Experience working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people and communities

Also recruiting

Senior Support Workers, Team Leaders / House Supervisors, Aboriginal Health Workers and Aboriginal Health Practitioners. Rates for these roles reflect experience and responsibility.

What’s on offer

- Competitive hourly rates above award, plus penalties and super
- Two weeks of training and induction before your first shift
- Travel and accommodation arranged for interstate workers
- Ongoing support from your Unite consultant throughout your placement
- The chance to make a real difference for young people during a critical period

📌 Youth Support Worker (Darwin)
🏢 Unite Recruitment
📍 Darwin