Restorative Practice Facilitator

Portsmouth City Council; Portsmouth; Hybrid; GBP 31,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Job summary

Portsmouth City Council's Adolescent Service is seeking a dedicated practitioner to support vulnerable young people facing exploitation, trauma, and missing episodes. You will work with young people, families and partner agencies to build resilience using restorative approaches and relationship-based support.

Flexibility to work outside office hours, commitment to safeguarding, and ability to assess risk are essential; prior experience with children and families is highly valued, with NVQ4+ or

Qualifications

• Significant experience working with children, young people and families.
• Experience with exploitation, trauma-informed practice is advantageous.
• Ability to build relationships with resistant youths and assess risks.

Responsibilities

• Support young people facing exploitation, missing episodes and trauma.
• Work with families and partner agencies to build resilience and protective factors.
• Deliver restorative, relationship-based support and lead innovative youth initiatives across the city.

Skills

Relationship-building with youth

Risk assessment

Communication skills

Trauma-informed practice

Education

NVQ Level 4 or above

Social work degree or equivalent

Job description

Make a difference when it matters most. Join Portsmouth City Council's Adolescent Service and help young people at risk of exploitation build safer, more positive futures through restorative, relationship-based support.

Your new role

Help young people build safer, brighter futures. Working within our Adolescent Service, you'll support young people facing complex challenges such as exploitation, missing episodes, and the impact of trauma. Using a restorative, relationship-based approach, you'll work alongside young people, families, and partner agencies to build resilience, strengthen protective factors, and create positive, lasting change. This is a rewarding and dynamic role where you'll combine creativity, compassion, and determination to help young people realise their potential while leading innovative initiatives that make a difference across the city.

Who is the person summary:

We're looking for a confident and compassionate practitioner who is passionate about improving outcomes for vulnerable young people. You'll have significant experience working with children, young people and families, or hold a relevant qualification such as an NVQ Level 4 or above, social work degree or equivalent. You'll be skilled at building relationships with young people who may be resistant to support, assessing and managing risk, and working effectively with families and partner agencies. You will have a strong understanding of child protection, exploitation and trauma-informed practice, be able to make sound decisions independently, and thrive in a fast-paced environment where no two days are the same. Flexibility to work outside normal office hours, excellent communication skills, and a commitment to achieving positive outcomes for children are essential. Experience of restorative approaches, family-focused interventions, and training delivery would be an advantage.

For full details, please review 'who is the person' on the job profile below attached.

About Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.

We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals. Learn more about our values and behaviours .

Additional Information

Please ensure that you read the job profile for full details on the post. We offer hybrid working with the expectation to attend the office minimum 2 days a week (pro rata for part time), this remains flexible, depending on the role and subject to business needs.

We are not able to offer sponsorship for this position.

Interview date: 16th September 2026

Our recruitment process

Full information about our recruitment process can be found on our support for applicants' page: Support for applicants - Careers portal

We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard. More information can be found at Equality, diversity and inclusion - Careers portal

You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it.

Read more about working at Portsmouth City Council and our benefits on our career's portal homepage: Careers Portal - Find jobs with Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Every post is subject to PCC and Portsmouth Safeguarding Children Partnership safer recruitment procedures.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) at Enhanced level will be required prior to any offer of employment and this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Please read the relevant DBS privacy notice before submitting any information.

You will need to explain any gaps in your career history within the last 5 years - this is essential for all safeguarding roles.