About the role
We are seeking an experienced and passionate Senior Youth Justice Officer - Practice Excellence Lead to join the Hillingdon Youth Justice Service (YJS).
This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in shaping and developing high-quality, evidence-based practice that supports children and young people to achieve positive outcomes, reduce reoffending, and uphold our statutory responsibilities and National Standards.
You will champion best practice across the service, driving continuous improvement through coaching, quality assurance, reflective practice, and innovation. Working closely with colleagues, partners, and the local community, you will help deliver our vision:
To be a fair, inclusive, child-first youth justice service that empowers every young person to thrive, supports victims of crime, and repairs harm within safer, stronger communities.
Key responsibilities
* Provide professional leadership, coaching, and guidance to Youth Justice Officers, promoting reflective, evidence-based practice.
* Support the implementation of trauma-informed, child-first, and restorative approaches in line with Youth Justice Board (YJB) guidance.
* Lead quality assurance activities, including case audits, observations, and feedback, ensuring consistent high standards of practice.
* Oversee the Out-of-Court Disposal process, including coordination and facilitation of the Scrutiny Panel.
* Act as a point of expertise for safeguarding, risk management, desistance theory, and restorative practice.
* Lead on embedding learning from audits, inspections, and serious incidents into day-to-day practice.
* Coordinate and deliver workforce development sessions, including reflective practice, training, and peer learning groups.
* Use data, analytics, and stakeholder feedback to monitor performance, inform improvement plans, and drive innovation.
* Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion across all areas of service delivery.
* Work collaboratively with key partners – including police, courts, education, health, and voluntary agencies – to deliver holistic support to young people and their families.
* Participate in the Duty Senior rota, including occasional weekend or Bank Holiday cover.
About you
* Substantial experience in Youth Justice or a closely related field.
* Strong understanding of youth justice legislation, safeguarding, and risk management frameworks.
* Excellent communication, coaching, and leadership skills.
* Proven ability to drive service improvement through reflective practice and quality assurance.
* Commitment to child-first, trauma-informed, and restorative practice principles.
* Ability to analyse performance data and use insights to influence practice and outcomes.
Why join Hillingdon?
* A supportive environment committed to continuous learning and development.
* Opportunities to shape service delivery and influence practice across the borough.
* A workplace that celebrates diversity and inclusion.
If you are passionate about leading excellence in youth justice practice and want to make a meaningful difference in the lives of young people, we’d love to hear from you.
Apply now to join us in delivering safer, fairer, and stronger communities in Hillingdon.
For an informal discussion about this role, please email Jas Kamboj – jkamboj@hillingdon.gov.uk.
#J-18808-Ljbffr