Darcy Frost’s journey into youth work wasn’t linear, but every twist and turn brought her closer to the heart of what she was meant to do – supporting young people through some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
Now working in Hull City Council’s Vulnerable, Exploited, Missing and Trafficked (VEMT) team, Darcy is back on the frontline, helping young people navigate complex challenges. But her path here has been anything but conventional.
“I actually went to university thinking I’d become a social worker,” she says. “But at the open day, I wandered over to the youth work stand and something just clicked. The staff were more engaging, and the course sounded like it would give me real, hands-on experience.”
That decision led her into a youth work degree at the University of Hull, where she graduated with a deeper understanding of the challenges facing young people and the tools to support them. However, the sector was already facing cuts and full-time roles were scarce, so Darcy looked for ways to apply her skills elsewhere. She worked in trauma services, mental health care, and supported housing, gaining experience across the NHS and social care.
Darcy Frost,
Hull City Council
“I realised I missed being on the ground,” she says. “When you move into management, you lose that direct connection. I wanted to be back with young people, making a difference.”
A drive for positive change
That drive for positive change brought her full circle, back to youth work, and back to the kind of hands-on support that changes lives.
One story in particular has stayed with her. While working in a residential care setting, Darcy supported a young girl with a deeply traumatic background. The girl had become a carer for both her parents, one with addiction issues and the other with mental health problems. She had never truly experienced childhood.
“She was vulnerable, exploited and had been through so much,” Darcy recalls. “We made it our mission to let her be a child again.”
Creating space for joy and safety
Darcy and her team created space for joy and safety, organising trips to the coast, late-night McDonald’s runs, even a visit to Alton Towers. “Just daft little things,” Darcy says, “but things she’d never experienced before.”
Years later, the young woman reached out. She was applying to university in Yorkshire, the place she now considered her safe space. Over coffee, she told Darcy and her former colleagues, “You changed my life. You made me realise I was still a child, and what was happening to me wasn’t OK.”
With their support, she found the courage to speak out, identify her abuser, and pursue justice through the courts. “She broke the cycle,” Darcy says. “She chose a different path because she saw what was possible.”
For Darcy, it was a moment that reaffirmed everything.
“You don’t have to follow one path into youth work,” she says. “Every job I’ve had has helped shape the youth worker I am today.”
Her advice to anyone considering a career in youth work?
“Go for it. It’s not talked about enough, but it’s one of the most rewarding careers out there. And there’s no one way in. Your journey can be as unique as the young people you’ll work with.”
