Youth Justice Worker Horsham, England
Job description
West Sussex Youth Justice Service (YJS) is a high performing multi-agency statutory partnership which provides services before and after Court to meet the statutory requirements of the youth justice system. Its primary aim is to prevent offending and reduce reoffending by children.
For more information about West Sussex County Council, please visit our WSCC About Us page.
About The Job
Salary: £28,371 - £34,723
Working Pattern: Full time, 37 hours per week
Contract Length: Fixed term or Secondment for 12 months
Location: Parkside, Horsham
As a Youth Justice Officer you will be passionate about making a difference to high risk, complex and vulnerable children at risk of prosecution, on bail / remand, or subject to Court Orders; ensuring children involved in the youth justice system receive the right intervention at the right time to achieve and sustain best outcomes.
You will be a professional who practices effectively, with high quality assessment and judgement skills. Be able to independently manage caseloads with confidence, utilising strong engagement skills and creative interventions. Be recognised as a source of reliable knowledge and advice and be accountable for your own professional development.
You will support and advocate for equality and diversity, respecting anyone working for or in contact with WSCC.
Relevant professional qualification recognised by one of the YJS statutory partner agencies (Social Work, Probation, Education, Health, Police), e.g. Social Work Degree, Professional Qualification in Probation (PQiP), BA (Hons) Youth Work, Diploma in Counselling/Careers Guidance, PGCE, Registered Nurse qualification, Police Sergeant Level. (NB - Social Work qualified staff are required to be HCPC registered).
OR
- Youth Justice Effective Practice Certificate (YJEPC) and relevant training, and to have practised as a Youth Justice Support Officer or equivalent.
Experience and Skills
Key Skills:
- Good interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to explain information to others and use negotiation and persuasion skills to influence the actions of others.
- Good literacy, numeracy and sound IT skills, to write reports to a high standard and present information clearly, concisely and accurately in ways that promote understanding.
- Able to research, assess, analyse and interpret information and data from varying sources, prioritise needs and identify strengths, to effectively formulate collaborative plans for intervention and service provision; including the voice of children, families and victims.
- Good organisational skills and the ability to prioritise your workload to effectively respond to unanticipated problems, whilst recognising the limit of your own accountability and responsibility and when to seek appropriate support, advice and supervision.
- Able to gain trust and respect, and work in partnership with parents, carers, colleagues and external agencies to deliver an effective service.
- Able to act in an appropriate manner, with discretion, whilst hearing confidential, sensitive or disturbing information.
Qualifications and experience:
- Relevant professional qualification recognised by one of the YJS statutory partner agencies (Social Work, Probation, Education, Health, Police), e.g. Social Work Degree, Professional Qualification in Probation (PQiP), BA (Hons) Youth Work, Diploma in Counselling/Careers Guidance, PGCE, Registered Nurse qualification, Police Sergeant Level. (NB - Social Work qualified staff are required to be HCPC registered).
OR
- Youth Justice Effective Practice Certificate (YJEPC) and relevant training, and to have practised as a Youth Justice Support Officer or equivalent.
- Theoretical knowledge, practice and skills in terms of youth justice and child/ adolescent behaviour, e.g. attachment and developmental trauma, child development, restorative practice, good lives model, desistance theory, RNR.
- Excellent assessment skills and experience of case management.
- Demonstrable experience of writing reports and presenting to a high standard in a Court/formal setting, being able to defend case and confidently challenge when appropriate.
- Extensive experience of multi-agency working to address the needs and risks of adolescents and their families.
- Training and development skills with the ability to successfully transfer bespoke knowledge and “up-skill” new colleagues to enhance and maximise their capabilities.
Rewards and Benefits
As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do.
In addition to working within a great team and a competitive salary you will have access to:
- 24-26 days annual leave + bank holidays.
- A generous pension scheme.
- Training and development opportunities, including coaching and mentoring.
- A strong supportive management team.
- A range of discounts giving our staff access to hundreds of offers with the opportunity to save over £1,000 (Including: Argos, Samsung, Asos, B&Q and many more).
- Free access to employee assistance programmes.
- Discounted membership at selected local sports and fitness centres.
- Car benefit scheme.
- A range of commuting and business travel discounts and initiatives
For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.
Further Information
The reference number for this role is CAFHE04043
For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact [email protected] For issues or queries regarding your application please contact [email protected].
Internal candidates wishing to apply for this role will be considered for a secondment position. Please can you therefore discuss and agree this with your manager before applying for this position.
To apply, please follow the links below upload your CV and Cover Letter explaining how you meet the skills in full and experience you can bring to the role ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. (You will be shortlisted on the key skills) Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and a health check.
Internal candidates wishing to apply for this role will be considered for a secondment position. Please can you therefore discuss and agree this with your manager before applying for this position.
To apply, please follow the links below upload your CV and Cover Letter explaining how you meet the skills in full and experience you can bring to the role ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. (You will be shortlisted on the key skills) Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject an enhanced DBS check, 5/3 years referencing and a health check.
West Sussex County Council is an equal opportunities employer committed to promoting an environment that is inclusive and free from all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination and values the diversity of its people. We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and take every possible step to ensure that no individual will be disadvantaged.
For information regarding your eligibility to apply for this role under our Disability or Veteran’s Guaranteed Interview Scheme, this can be found on our application help page.
Note for Recruitment Agencies: We prefer to hire people directly, but we do have a supplier list for when we need a helping hand. We'll be in touch directly if we need you!
Job Reference: CAFHE04043
