Location: Aylesbury
Overview
Are you passionate about making a real difference to the lives of children? Do you thrive in fast‑paced, emotionally rich environments where no two days are the same?
We are excited to be expanding our ACT NOW project — a vital and innovative service providing immediate mentoring and safeguarding support to children in Police custody. As an Act Now Worker, you will play a key role in preventing offending, supporting families, and offering children a safe, trusted adult at the moments they need it most. This is meaningful, hands‑on work that directly impacts outcomes for children.
This is a fixed term role until 31st March 2027.
The role requires evenings and weekend working. Working hours include 1.30-10pm on a week day and shifts on both Saturday’s and Sunday’s.
About the role
As an Act Now Worker, you will provide responsive, high‑quality mentoring and support to children who enter Police custody with eligible offences. Working as part of a rota that includes evenings and weekends (between 9am–10pm), you’ll ensure children are seen quickly, supported effectively, and given every opportunity to make positive choices. You will then continue to support these children through assessment, planning and intervention.
Your responsibilities will include:
1. Providing youth work and mentoring interventions using the “Stay True to You” approach
2. Responding to requests from Police and attending custody suites within set timescales
3. Managing a varied caseload and completing holistic assessments of need
4. Working in partnership with families, Police, YJST colleagues, and wider services
5. Maintaining accurate case records and contributing to project reporting
6. Engaging in bi‑monthly coordination meetings and ongoing professional development
7. Using a whole‑family approach to assessment and intervention
8. Gathering meaningful feedback from children and families to drive service improvement
You’ll be part of a committed, supportive team who share a passion for improving outcomes for children. Full supervision and development opportunities are provided.
About you
You’ll bring energy, empathy, and a genuine desire to support children. You’ll be confident working in emotive situations and able to build trust quickly with children who may be scared, confused, or facing significant challenges.
We’re looking for someone who has:
9. Experience in youth work, mentoring, or working within/alongside the Youth Justice system
10. Strong assessment, planning, and intervention skills
11. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to motivate and influence
12. The confidence to work independently and manage competing demands
13. The ability to work predominantly evenings and weekends
14. Accurate recording, report‑writing, and data‑handling abilities
15. Knowledge of Police or Youth Justice legislation (desirable but not essential)
16. The ability to engage children voluntarily and advocate for their needs
17. A commitment to working collaboratively across services
You will also need to:
18. Work flexibly, including evenings and weekends
19. Hold a full driving licence and be able to travel across the county
20. Live within 60 minutes of Aylesbury Police Station
21. Converse confidently with the public in spoken English