Practice Lead Youth Justice Support Service

Stoke; Stoke-on-Trent; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 53,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Local Government Pension Scheme

28 days annual leave

Relocation and commuter support

Career development opportunities

Job summary

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is seeking experienced social workers to join the Youth Justice Support Service as Practice Leads, championing strengths-based, relational practice in safeguarding and family-focused work.

You will provide leadership, reflective supervision, mentoring and coaching to social work colleagues, undertake joint work, and strengthen partnerships to improve outcomes for children and families served by the Families First partnership.

Qualifications

• A recognised social work qualification with registration requirements.
• Extensive experience in complex children and families social work.
• Strong knowledge of childcare legislation and safeguarding procedures.
• Experience in strengths-based and relational practice.

Responsibilities

• Provide practice leadership, supervision, mentoring and coaching to practitioners within the Youth Justice Support Service.
• Undertake joint visits and complex assessments, and support risk and protective factor identification.
• Contribute to safeguarding decisions and coordinate multi-agency work.
• Chair meetings and group supervision to promote professional development.
• Contribute to practice observations, audits and performance monitoring.
• Support the Principal Manager with resources and service development.

Skills

Social work qualification

SWE registration

Post-qualifying qualification

Leadership

Complex cases experience

Court work

Childcare law

Safeguarding

Relational practice

Engagement skills

Chair meetings

Analytical skills

Education

Social Work degree

Post-qualifying management qualification

Job description

Location:

Location: Civic Centre

Job Type:

Job Type: Full Time, Fixed Term

Category:

Category: City Council (External Vacancy)

Closing Date:

Closing Date: 11/17/2026

Reference:

Reference: 0000027531

Description

Directorate: Children and FamilyServices

Section: Children’s Social Care – YouthJustice Support Service

Hours: 37 hours per week

Contract: Fixed term until March 2028

This advert is open to both internal andexternal applicants.

About us

We are a city of strengths, with a proudheritage and bright future. Working for Stoke-on-Trent City Council is morethan just a job; it is about making, protecting and improving services forlocal people, reducing inequalities and improving independence for those wholive and work in the city. That is where you come in. We are looking for peopleof the highest calibre, with the skills, knowledge and experience to help usdeliver our compelling vision.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s diverse andtalented workforce is its greatest asset. The skills, knowledge and experienceof our employees are essential to delivering our ambitions for the organisationand the city. We want to be an employer people are proud to work for, wherestaff are supported, developed and rewarded in an inclusive way that helps themexcel and deliver the high-quality services our residents need.

We are growing and developing our Childrenand Families workforce as part of an ambitious programme of servicetransformation. We are looking for talented, committed and values-ledprofessionals to join us.

The Role

Bring your social work expertise to ourYouth Justice Support Service and help practitioners make a lasting differenceto children, young people and their families. We are looking for experienced,qualified social workers to join us as Practice Leads, championingstrengths-based, relational practice and keeping children’s needs, safety andfamily relationships at the centre of support.

Working within the Youth Justice SupportService, you will provide practice leadership, reflective supervision,mentoring and coaching to social work qualified and alternatively qualifiedcolleagues. You will help practitioners understand the needs and experiencesbehind a child’s circumstances, recognise risk and protective factors, anddeliver coordinated, evidence-based support. Through joint work, professionalchallenge and strong partnerships, you will strengthen safeguarding and thequality of practice within the Families First Partnership model.

About You

• A recognised social workqualification and the ability to meet Social Work England registrationandre-registration requirements, alongside a post-qualifying social work ormanagement qualification, or willingness to work towards one.
• Extensive experience of complexchildren and families social work, including child protection enquiries, courtwork, care planning and supporting children across a range of needs.
• Sound knowledge of childcarelegislation, statutory guidance and safeguarding procedures, with a strongunderstanding of child development, parenting capacity, environmentalinfluences and evidence-based interventions.
• Experience of strengths-basedand relational practice, reflective supervision, and mentoring colleagues todevelop confident, analytical and child-centred practice.
• The ability to engage children,young people and families, chair complex meetings and communicate difficultinformation with clarity, empathy and professional confidence.
• Strong skills in analysingrisk, challenging practice constructively and working across agencies, with theresilience and judgement to support colleagues in complex situations within theYouth Justice Support Service.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide practice leadership,reflective supervision, mentoring and coaching to practitioners within theYouth Justice Support Service, modelling strengths-based and relationalapproaches.
• Undertake joint visits andpieces of work, support complex assessments and decision-making, and helpcolleagues identify risk, harm, strengths and protective factors.
• Bring social work expertise tosafeguarding decisions, including support for Section 47 enquiries and PublicLaw Outline processes where required, in consultation with the Multi-AgencyChild Protection Team.
• Chair relevant meetings andgroup supervision, promote professional curiosity and support coordinatedplanning with children, families and partner agencies.
• Contribute to practiceobservations, collaborative audits and performance monitoring, using research,learning and constructive challenge to improve practice and elevate unresolvedconcerns.
• Support the Principal Managerwith resources, allocation and service development, deputise when required, andensure children and families understand their rights to advocacy and to providefeedback.

Why Join Us?

• Use your social work expertisein a youth justice setting, helping practitioners see the whole child and buildsupport around their needs and relationships.
• Develop others through hands-onpractice leadership, mentoring and reflective supervision, with real influenceon the quality of work with children and families.
• Contribute to the FamiliesFirst Partnership model and strengthen joined-up working between youth justice,children’s social care and safeguarding partners.

What we offer

• A permanent role with a salaryof £49,817–£53,051 per annum.
• 28 days’ annual leave rising to33 days after five years’ continuous service, plus eight public/bank holidays.
• Access to the Local GovernmentPension Scheme.
• Professional development andlearning opportunities, with relocation and commuter support available wherescheme criteria are met.

Furtherinformation on our Rewards and Benefits can be found here

Any offer of employment will be subject tothe successful completion of required pre-employment checks. These may include:

• Right to Work in the UK.
• Proof of address.
• Satisfactory references.
• Occupational Health clearance.
• Evidence of relevantprofessional qualifications or registrations.
• A DBS check at the appropriatelevel.

Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding andpromoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and weexpect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. This position isexempt under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the successfulapplicant will be subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure andBarring Service (DBS).

Additional information

Your career matters here. At Stoke-on-TrentCity Council, we are committed to helping our people thrive. From competitivepay and a supportive working environment to opportunities for development andcareer progression, we invest in our workforce because we know it isourgreatest asset. We are building an inclusive organisation that reflects thecommunities we serve, where everyone is welcomed, valued and encouraged to makea difference.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Stoke-on-Trent City Council, we believeour strength comes from the diversity of our community, and we want ourworkforce to reflect that. We welcome applications from people of allbackgrounds and experiences. We understand that some people, especially thosefrom underrepresented or marginalised backgrounds, may hesitate to apply ifthey do not meet every listed requirement. If this role interests you and youthink you could be a good fit, we encourage you to apply. We are proud of whatmakes each of us unique and are committed to creating a workplace whereeveryone feels included, can be themselves and can succeed together.

If an employee who is currently at risk ofredundancy within the organisation applies for this vacancy, their applicationwill receive priority. If this happens, you will be advised accordingly.