Exploitation Practitioner (6212)

The Children's Society; Newcastle upon Tyne; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 36 days

Pension matching 8%

Free counselling

Volunteer time

Travel across North East

Job summary

The Children’s Society in Newcastle is seeking an Exploitation Practitioner to deliver direct support for young people at risk of exploitation, including 1:1 work, group activities and outreach. You will build positive relationships, work with police, social services, schools and other agencies to secure safe interventions, and contribute to safeguarding, training and awareness-raising.

A relevant professional qualification is preferred; the role offers generous leave, pension, DBS checks and

Qualifications

• Knowledge and experience of building positive relationships with children and young people.
• Awareness of risk factors and indicators of exploitation and related risks.
• Understanding of children’s rights and commitment to promoting them.
• Knowledge of safeguarding and child protection systems, including how to identify concerns and refer appropriately.

Responsibilities

• Provide and develop direct support services for young people at risk of exploitation through outreach and referral methods.
• Build positive relationships with individual young people and deliver high quality one-to-one support to enhance skills and self-confidence.
• Deliver targeted youth support in caseloads and lead group support and awareness activities in multiple settings.
• Collaborate with police, social services, education and other agencies to ensure project development locally and nationally.
• Contribute to a multi-agency setting to ensure effective referrals and interventions for young people.
• Raise awareness of exploitation issues with local services and participate in related training.
• Liaise with local authorities and police to support vulnerable children and inform strategy development.
• Champion next steps activities including Youth Voice and Participation opportunities.

Skills

Relationship building

Risk awareness

Rights awareness

Safeguarding knowledge

Education

Relevant professional qualification (social work / youth work / NVQ)

Job description

Location

Haylofts, Newcastle. With travel across North East

Benefits include but not limited to:

• 36 days’ annual leave, inclusive of flexible bank holidays, increasing with length of service
• Enhanced maternity/paternity leave
• We match up to 8% pension
• Free counselling service
• Opportunities to develop and widen your skills
• 2 days of paid volunteering time per annum to support another part of the organisation

About us:

The Children’s Society has been helping children and young people in this country for over 140 years. We deliver essential local services that provide safe, trusted support to children and young people during times of significant need.

Our Youth Impact domain creates impact for children and young people. With highly skilled and experienced staff working across England and Wales, we provide direct support to children, young people, parents and carers, as well as conduct research and influence Government to make changes. We also provide training for professionals. Our value driven team change the lives of children in this country for the better - and with your help and expertise, tomorrow we can support even more.

About the role:

You’ll play a key part in our SCARPA Service:

• To provide and develop direct support services for young people who are at risk of Child Criminal and Child Sexual Exploitation in accordance with current legislation and good practice guidelines through a variety of outreach and referral methods
• To build positive relationships with individual young people at risk and deliver high quality one to one support to enhance their skills, knowledge and self-confidence to so they develop alternative strategies
• To deliver targeted youth support to individuals within a caseload, and to lead group support and awareness raising activities in multiple settings
• To work in partnership with the police, social services, education and other relevant voluntary and statutory agencies to ensure the projects development both locally and nationally, through regular communication and good working relationships.
• To contribute effectively to a multi-agency setting to ensure a positive referral system leading to effective interventions with young people.
• To raise awareness of the issues raised by children and young people who are at risk of Exploitation with the local children’s services workforce, including the delivery of training
• To liaise closely with local authority, police and other colleagues to support vulnerable children and young people, and inform relevant strategy development
• Champion and support next steps activities including participation with TCS’ Youth Voice and Participation opportunities

We’re looking for a dedicated and skilled Exploitation Practitionerwith the ability to support young people experiencing or at risk of experiencing child exploitation to work 1:1, in groups, and in professional networks, making a real impact in the lives of children and young people.

Key skills and experience:

The required skills and competencies for this role are:

• Knowledge and experience of methods in building positive relationships with children and young people
• Awareness of risk factors and indicators of Exploitation and the associated risks that young people are exposed to
• Clear understanding of children’s rights and a commitment to promoting those rights
• Knowledge of safeguarding children and child protection systems. Including identify safeguarding concerns, taking appropriate action to ensure the child/young person and/or vulnerable adult is protected, complete detailed safeguarding referrals, and contribute to a safe practice environment, including the supervision of others.

Qualifications

• A relevant professional qualification e.g. diploma in social work, certificate in youth and community work, or related NVQ.

It would also be an advantage if you have any of the following skills and competencies:

• Experience of supporting people who are dealing with complex and sensitive issues. Experience of advice or advocacy work with vulnerable people.
• Experience of working within a team
• Substantial relevant experience in working with children and young people at risk, from diverse backgrounds
• One to one working and group working skills
• IT Skills
• Ability to record interventions delivered in an effective, concise professional manner

Closing date:

Midnight on 25th September 2026

Interviews:

To be confirmed

The Children’s Society is committed to safeguarding and protection of the children and young people we work with. As such, our safer recruitment process includes a Basic or Enhanced DBS check, 5 years of references, and additional vetting checks relevant to the role. We have a comprehensive range of policies and procedures in place to promote safeguarding and safer working practices across all areas of our organisation.

In support of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, shortlisting is carried out on an anonymised basis. Personal details are hidden from the shortlisting panel, and candidates are referenced by a candidate number only. As part of this process, we ask that your CV is anonymised before submission - this means removing personal information such as your name, contact details, age, and any other identifying details.

AI tools can support your application but only when used appropriately. You’re welcome to use them to improve clarity, structure, and research. However, overuse or misuse (e.g. inventing experience or using AI during assessments) may lead to rejection at any stage. We want to hear the real you - authenticity matters.

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