Australasian Youth Justice Acknowledgement Day
Every day, youth justice staff go above and beyond to walk alongside young people, helping them to make better choices, reconnect with their families and communities, and create brighter futures. Their professionalism, resilience, and compassion make a real and lasting difference.
On Australasian Youth Justice Acknowledgement Day (14 October 2025) we celebrate and recognise the incredible dedication and impact of youth justice staff in South Australia - people who work tirelessly, frontline or behind the scenes, to support vulnerable children and young people.
So, in the lead-up to this important day, we caught up with some staff and young people in care to talk about what it takes to be a great youth justice worker and the difference they make.
Young people’s voices
We asked some of the young people how youth justice staff have supported them on their journey, what they’ve learned and what they’re most grateful for. Here’s what they had to say:
[Gentle music plays: On My Way by Justin Lee]
Title: Australasian Youth Justice Acknowledgement Day 2025
Screen text:
In light of Australasian Youth Justice Acknowledgement Day, we have asked some of the young people in our care how youth justice staff have inspired and supported them, what they're grateful for and what they have learned. The voices you hear are those of young people in our care. For privacy reasons, stock footage is used in this video.
Screen text:
What helped you the most while you were in any of the programs?
Person A:
Support from youth workers have helped me during my time here.
Person B:
To learn how to look after myself.
Person C:
Looking back on my actions and reflecting.
Screen text:
Who made the biggest difference for you and how?
Person A:
Doing programs talking to youth workers have helped me during my time here and I hope it continues.
Person C:
It made me look at things differently.
Person D:
Myself again. Because I can control what I do.
Screen text:
What's the best piece of advice you got from youth justice staff?
Person A:
Keep it real.
Person E:
Do my own thing. Don’t worry about other people.
Person B:
Get out and be good.
Screen text:
Looking back, what are you most grateful for?
Person A:
Youth workers support me and they want me to do better.
Screen text:
Is there something you learned that you'll take with you in the future?
Person A:
How to talk to certain people.
Person C:
To stop, think and look around.
Person D:
Be good.
Person F:
To not do crime.
Screen text:
What's one way you've grown or changed since taking part in some of the programs or services?
Person A:
Being able to talk openly and just understanding other people's views and points has helped me.
Person C:
To think about others.
Person D:
I'm very positive and influential now.
Person B:
That this place isn't that bad.
Person F:
There's other ways to life.
Screen text:
Did you learn any additional skills?
Person A:
Empathy.
Person F:
Learning how to clean, and just normal stuff like that.
Person D:
Now I can play soccer.
Person E:
At school — how to do more art.
Person B:
Cooking.
Screen text:
What emoji would you use to describe how you feel now compared to before?
Person A:
Smiley face emoji.
Person C:
The emoji with the stars on his eyes; the smiley face.
Person D:
Smiley face.
Person E:
The happy one. Yeah, thumbs up.
Person B:
Happy.
Person F:
Happy.
Screen text:
A young person in Community Youth Justice said, “There’s 2 youth justice staff who made a big difference for me. They make me feel like I am able to discuss my feelings in a safe space where I don’t feel judged. They have taught me to focus on myself and my well being instead.”
Screen text:
Every conversation, every program and every act of support can create positive change and opportunity. Thank you to our dedicated youth justice staff who walk alongside young people. And thank you to the young people who remind us why this work matters.
Endtitles: Department of Human Services, Government of South Australia.
[Music fades]
“There’s two youth justice staff who made a big difference for me. They helped me with my emotional regulation, and made me feel comfortable discussing sensitive topics.
They make me feel like I am able to discuss my feelings in a safe space where I don’t feel judged and have supported me when I felt like I didn’t have anyone else to turn to.
They have taught me to focus on myself and my wellbeing instead of what other people are doing so that I don’t get myself into trouble, and they also taught me that it is important to pay attention to red flags.” - A young person in community youth justice
The heart behind the work
Youth justice workers provide guidance, mentoring, case management, and restorative approaches that focus on accountability, growth, and opportunity. They carefully balance community safety with rehabilitation, ensuring young people have the best support they need to achieve their potential.
Watch this short video to hear some of our youth justice staff share what drives and inspires them.
[Gentle music plays: Reflections of Hope by Denys Brodovskyi]
Title: Australasian Youth Justice Acknowledgement Day 2025
Screen text:
What drew you to work in youth justice?
Lisa Stanford, DHS Youth Justice Supervisor, Central Case Management, is seated in an office. She has long hair and is wearing a dark top.
Lisa:
When I envision my future career, I never imagined working with teenagers. It's something that I stumbled It's something that I stumbled into. But since that time, I've loved it. I think the young people that we work with are incredible in their own right. They're survivors, resilient, resourceful, and street smart, and they've learned how to navigate the world in their own ways, sometimes in challenging ways. So the task for us is to understand their motivations and ways of working in order to support effective change.
Screen text:
What motivates you to work in youth justice?
Niti Patel, DHS Case Manager, Community Youth Justice is seated in a conference room. She has long hair and is wearing a dark jacket over a lighter top.
Niti:
To witness these young people regain hope in the most basic aspects of life such as having someone who believes in them or looking at a school campus and hoping that one day they will be able to complete their education.
Sarah Jamieson, DHS Case Manager, Community Youth Justice, has her hair tied back and wears a denim jacket over a lighter shirt.
Sarah:
One of the biggest highlights of working in youth justice is when I've had clients that have appreciated the work that I've done and have been so thankful for the support they’ve been provided and the opportunities they’ve been given.
Lisa:
I think it's common to see young people become involved with youth justice, where it appears that there have been lots of missed opportunities for support or intervention much earlier in their lives. So a value that I hold is that systems have responsibilities to support people in need, and so I'm motivated to look for opportunities wherever possible within community youth justice, to support workers to mitigate risks of retraumatisation, to promote accountability and responsibility, and to ensure that systems are coordinating to provide the best type of support.
Screen text:
What inspires you most when you see young people facing such difficult past experiences?
Niti:
Imagining a better future despite having traumatic life experiences.
Screen text:
Can you share a moment in your work that stuck with you where you saw great progress or change?
Lisa:
I don't think I can pin it down to one singular moment. So, seeing a young person getting to the stage where they trust their case manager enough to open up, where they begin to reflect on their own decisions and their own journey and start becoming open to change. Where you see frequency or severity of offending decrease or young people reconnect with education and culture. All those small wins start to add up and they become big wins.
Screen text:
What do these moments of change mean to you in your work?
Niti:
That a change is possible, even when it starts from a very small space.
Sarah:
That's probably the best part of the job.
Screen text:
What would you like the community to know about young people in youth justice?
Lisa:
I think that treating someone with dignity, holding accountability, respectfully challenging their decisions, and supporting them as a community change makes a world of difference.
Screen text:
Thank you to all South Australian youth justice staff for making a big difference in young people's lives!
Endtitles: Department of Human Services, Government of South Australia.
[Music fades]
“When I envisioned my future career, I never imagined working with teenagers. It's something that I stumbled into, but since that time, I've loved it.
I think the young people that we work with are incredible in their own right. They're survivors, resilient, resourceful, and street smart, and they've learned how to navigate the world in their own ways, sometimes in challenging ways.
So the task for us is to understand their motivations and ways of working in order to support effective change.” - Lisa Stanford, DHS Youth Justice Supervisor Central Case Management
Thank you to our dedicated youth justice staff — and to the young people who remind us why this work matters.