Child and Youth Justice Service Practitioner
Location: Central and East Lancashire (Preston, Burnley, and surrounding areas)
About the Role
We are seeking a committed and professional practitioner to join our Child and Youth Justice Service. The successful candidate will work within a multi-agency environment to support children involved with the youth justice system, with a focus on preventing offending, reducing re-offending, and lowering custody rates. You will manage a varied caseload of children in both community and custodial settings, ensuring high-quality assessment, intervention, supervision, and support.
This role requires a practitioner who is resilient, child-centred and motivated to deliver high-quality work in line with the Youth Justice Board principles of Child First, Trauma-Informed and Restorative practice, and the Probation Service values of Purpose, Humanity, Openness and Together.
Qualifications & Requirement
Preference for a qualified Probation Officer.
Qualified Social Workers may also be considered.
Must be willing and able to work across Central and East Lancashire (Preston, Burnley and surrounding areas).
Ability to work collaboratively within multi-agency settings.
Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.Scope of Work
The post holder will:
Work as part of a multi-agency team to:
Reduce first-time entrants into the youth justice system.
Reduce reoffending among children.
Reduce the use of custody.
Supervise and manage children subject to statutory court orders or custodial sentences, including those assessed as high risk of harm or with significant safety and wellbeing concerns.
Complete high-quality assessments, intervention plans, reviews, and evaluations using the AssetPlus assessment framework.
Provide clear, evidence-based advice and written reports to Youth and Crown Courts.
Work in accordance with the Pan Lancashire Children’s Safeguarding Assurance Partnership policies and procedures.
Support families, parents, and carers to enhance children’s safety, engagement, and outcomes.
Act as a single point of contact to support transitions between Youth Justice and adult Criminal Justice Services.
Deliver restorative approaches, supporting children to understand the impact of their behaviour on victims and the wider community.Key Responsibilities
Assess the risks, needs, safety and wellbeing of children using AssetPlus.
Develop and deliver effective intervention plans tailored to each child’s needs.
Monitor, update and review assessments and plans regularly, reporting any significant change in risk to a YJS Manager.
Manage children assessed as high risk or with high safety and wellbeing needs.
Maintain accurate, timely case records using the YJS case management system.
Produce high-quality court reports in line with the Standards for Children in the Youth Justice System (2019).
Represent the YJS in Youth and Crown Courts, providing information to Sentencers and completing pre-/post-sentence work, including bail assessments and breach prosecutions.
Ensure compliance with court orders using enforcement procedures and compliance panels as appropriate.
Liaise effectively with partner agencies including Police, Health, Education, Children’s Social Care, Probation, and custodial establishments.
Undertake all responsibilities relating to Referral Orders, including attending and supporting community panels.
Promote and model pro-social behaviour and a strengths-based approach.
Work restoratively with children and victims.
Participate in quality assurance processes and take responsibility for ongoing professional development.
Promote diversity, inclusion and anti-discriminatory practice.
Contribute to flexible, collaborative team working and ensure service continuity during staff absences or changes in workload.If you are interested please contact Andy at Service Care Solutions on (phone number removed) or email (url removed)