Tell us a bit about yourself
My name’s Chris, I’ve been working with Edmen as a Residential Youth Worker since September last year in the Caboolture region, Queensland. I’m originally from Birmingham in the UK and have been living in Australia for around 5 years now.
What were you doing before becoming a Youth Support Worker?
Before working with Edmen I was working in sales and marketing for the Not-for-Profit sector. I was basically one of those annoying people in shopping centres that would pester passers-by to ask if they’d like to donate to various foundations. I did this for about 7 years until I decided I wanted to return to my passion and work with kids. At the time, I didn’t really know what career pathway to take to be honest, I sort of fell into youth work. I knew it would be a rewarding avenue where I could support kids from trauma backgrounds and support them to make positive change.
What does a typical day at work look like?
The shifts usually start in the morning and will vary depending on the house you are rostered to, as well as the kids’ needs. Sometimes kids are reluctant to go to school and have behavioural issues, that’s where we would work with them on more of a 24-hour basis.
But usually while the kids are at school, we do housework and make sure the house is presentable for when they come back in the afternoon. The time we spend with the kids is all about engagement and unpacking and identifying their problems. Inspiring them to make change, work through their issues, and build positive relationships are focuses throughout the workday.
On weekends, we’ll take the kids to different activities and appointments – we’re just there to support and assist them. I’m kind of like the parent who’s not the parent in many ways.
Do you have any highlights in your career as a Youth Worker so far?
I was fairly new to the youth service sector when I worked with a 6-year-old boy who had recently moved into residential care. Before I had worked a shift with him, there were holes he’d put through the walls, and he had some challenging behaviours. But having worked with him over the past 6 months, it’s quite incredible to see how much he has changed and can now take responsibility and regulate his behaviour. Before, he wasn’t going to school but now he’s attending consistently. It’s a small win, but I guess when you work with someone so closely for a length of time, this sort of progress is a massive milestone. You don’t always get thanked for it in this job [laughs] but it’s really rewarding to see the positive impact you are making in the lives of these kids.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
There’s two parts for me. Firstly, the flexibility that Edmen offers enables me to work my work life around my personal life. If I have things coming up and need to request days off, there’s never any push back from Edmen.
Secondly, it’s the relationship I have the Edmen team. I work closely with Brookelyn and Michael in the Service Delivery team, and it makes a big difference having someone on the other end of the phone who you have a genuine relationship with and is there to support you. They’re great to chat to and I know I can always put my requests forward and they’ll do their best to meet my needs - they’re not the type of managers where you dread picking up the phone!
How did you get started as a Youth Worker at Edmen?
When I first started applying for Youth Worker jobs, I got a lot of rejection because I wasn’t fully qualified (while working with Edmen I’m also currently studying a Certificate IV in Youth Work). Instead of overlooking me because I had little experience and was mid-way through my course, it was quite the opposite when applying with Edmen. They gave me the opportunity to get my foot in the door and saw my potential and eagerness to learn and make a difference. The fact they were willing to take a chance on me is why I put 100% into the job.
What are some of the main challenges in your job?
For people who are new to youth work, I think being confronted with challenging behaviours and deciding on how to best manage those situations to get the best out of the young person is probably one of the hardest aspects of the job. But it’s kind of like muscle - the more you work on it, the stronger you get. These scenarios are part of the job and they do happen on a frequent basis, and they do get easier to manage with experience.
What would your advice be to someone thinking about changing careers to become a Youth Worker?
Before I started at Edmen, I had a dilemma where I had been working in the same industry for so long that thought that I didn’t know much else outside of it. Taking a step away from what I knew took me a long time to do because I was doubting myself and felt uncertain about taking the next step. But since starting as a youth worker, I’ve literally loved it. So my advice would be to just give it a go. I think it’s one of those jobs that you’ll either love or hate and you’ll find that out within the first 3 months.
What next for you?
I see myself building a career in the Youth Service sector. Eventually I could see myself in a team leader / training role where I could mentor new Youth Workers to support them in the job and help progress their own careers.