Youth Offending Service Practitioner

As part of Staffordshire County Council, the Service operates within Children and Families and is an integral part of the Futures Matter Specialist Safeguarding Delivery Service.

Staffordshire’s Youth Offending Service (SYOS) is one of the largest Youth Justice Services in England and therefore there are excellent career opportunities for highly motivated and experienced staff to join a good Youth Offending Service. The most recent inspection completed stated that “there remained a competent and committed workforce dedicated to doing their best for children and young people in Staffordshire. Assessment, planning and review were done to a very high standard”.

We are looking for a YOS Practitioner to work across Staffordshire, with a base at the North (Newcastle-Under-Lyme) Operations Hub.  You will be required to work flexibly, with some evening and weekend duties, on a planned basis.

As part of this role, you will be expected to:

• Support and manage children subject to out of court disposals, community based sentences.
• Have the skills to develop and maintain positive working relationships with complex children subject to Staffordshire Youth Offending Service interventions
• Act as a Duty Officer and Appropriate Adult in line with Service requirements, providing cover at both local Police Stations and local secure estate and custodial provision.
• Provide high quality and timely assessments (Asset Plus) and reports, including for Referral Order Panels and low level Community Options Court Reports.
• Contribute to the development of Restorative Justice and trauma-informed practices.

We have a full-time vacancy in the North Hub. We would be willing to consider a job share arrangement for the right candidates. 

You do not need to hold a professional qualification but a willingness to work towards Youth Justice Qualifications and ongoing professional development is a must. 

The role is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

You will have:

• Experience of working with children and families and ability to develop positive working relationships. 
• Fundamental knowledge and understanding of legislation applicable to the Youth Justice sector
• Understanding of the effect of trauma in childhood and the impact on child development
• Ability to work within a diverse range of settings to promote effective practice
• Proven track record of using assessment, planning and review process in meeting the needs of children and families and public protection
• Ability to write and maintain accurate records and analytical assessments.

We are looking for individuals who are enthusiastic, committed and motivated to make a difference to the lives of children, young people and families across Staffordshire.

For an informal discussion about this position please contact: Nicola Bull Senior Practitioner at nicola.bull@staffordshire.gov.uk or  Rachael Bird, Operations Manager at: rachael.bird@staffordshire.gov.uk 

If sufficient applications are received, then interviews are likely to be week commencing 29th May. 

We are no ordinary county council:

Our Values:

The core of who we are as an organisation. Just like we all have personal values that shape our thoughts and behaviour, organisational values drive how we think and act collectively.

Our values were created and shaped by colleague feedback and national best practice and they sit at the heart of People Strategy:

We have a real sense of community spirit that brings our people together. This feeling of belonging means we are all connected to what we do and take pride in the difference we make every day for Staffordshire people. We are ambitious and our sights are set firmly on a better future.

We look forward and race ahead - that goes for your career too. 

Our benefits:

We recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive working environment where employees can achieve their full potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance. 

In addition to your salary, as a member of staff, you will have access to Our rewards and benefits - Careers at Staffordshire

Our recruitment process:

As an Authority we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Staffordshire County Council is an equal opportunities organisation and Disability Confident employer. We encourage applications from all background and communities

As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the minimum criteria for the post. 

As you’ll know safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children and young people/vulnerable adults is important to us and that’s why this position is subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service. If applicable you should disclose details of unspent and unfiltered spent reprimands, formal warnings, cautions and convictions in your application form.