Senior Youth Justice Officer - Practice Lead

Hillingdon Council; Uxbridge; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority organization in Uxbridge seeks a Senior Youth Justice Officer - Practice Excellence Lead to enhance youth justice practices. The ideal candidate will lead quality assurance, support trauma-informed approaches, and promote effective communication among Youth Justice Officers. This role is pivotal to shaping evidence-based practices that help young people thrive and reduce reoffending. Applicants should have substantial experience in Youth Justice and a commitment to inclusive practices. Join us in making a meaningful difference in the community.

Benefits

Flexible Working Hours

36 Hour Workweek

Generous Holiday Entitlement

Local Government Pension Scheme

Mental Health Support and Counselling Services

Qualifications

• Substantial experience in Youth Justice or closely related field.
• Strong understanding of youth justice legislation, safeguarding, and risk management.
• Excellent communication, coaching, and leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional leadership and guidance to Youth Justice Officers.
• Support implementation of trauma-informed and restorative approaches.
• Lead quality assurance activities ensuring high standards.

Skills

Leadership

Coaching

Communication

Analytical Skills

Education

Substantial experience in Youth Justice

Job description

About the role

Do you have experience working within Youth Justice? If so, we would love to hear from you!

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Senior Youth Justice Officer - Practice Excellence Lead to join the Hillingdon Youth Justice Service (YJS).

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in shaping and developing high‑quality, evidence‑based practice that supports children and young people to achieve positive outcomes, reduce reoffending, and uphold our statutory responsibilities and National Standards.

You will champion best practice across the service, driving continuous improvement through coaching, quality assurance, reflective practice, and innovation. Working closely with colleagues, partners, and the local community, you will help deliver our vision:

“To be a fair, inclusive, child‑first youth justice service that empowers every young person to thrive, supports victims of crime, and repairs harm within safer, stronger communities.”

Key responsibilities

• Provide professional leadership, coaching, and guidance to Youth Justice Officers, promoting reflective, evidence‑based practice.
• Support the implementation of trauma‑informed, child‑first, and restorative approaches in line with Youth Justice Board (YJB) guidance.
• Lead quality assurance activities, including case audits, observations, and feedback, ensuring consistent high standards of practice.
• Oversee the Out‑of‑Court Disposal process, including coordination and facilitation of the Scrutiny Panel.
• Act as a point of expertise for safeguarding, risk management, desistance theory, and restorative practice.
• Lead on embedding learning from audits, inspections, and serious incidents into day‑to‑day practice.
• Coordinate and deliver workforce development sessions, including reflective practice, training, and peer learning groups.
• Use data, analytics, and stakeholder feedback to monitor performance, inform improvement plans, and drive innovation.
• Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion across all areas of service delivery.
• Work collaboratively with key partners – including police, courts, education, health, and voluntary agencies – to deliver holistic support to young people and their families.
• Participate in the Duty Senior rota, including occasional weekend or Bank Holiday cover.

About you

• Substantial experience in Youth Justice or a closely related field.
• Strong understanding of youth justice legislation, safeguarding, and risk management frameworks.
• Excellent communication, coaching, and leadership skills.
• Proven ability to drive service improvement through reflective practice and quality assurance.
• Commitment to child‑first, trauma‑informed, and restorative practice principles.
• Ability to analyse performance data and use insights to influence practice and outcomes.

Why join Hillingdon?

• A supportive environment committed to continuous learning and development.
• Opportunities to shape service delivery and influence practice across the borough.
• A workplace that celebrates diversity.

Benefits

Flexible Working Hours – We recognise the importance of flexibility in managing your work and personal life.

36 Hour Week – Enjoy a standard 36‑hour workweek for all full time staff.

Generous Holiday Entitlement – increasing with length of service (for non‑casual roles).

Hillingdon Sports & Leisure – Stay active and healthy with discounts at council owned leisure centres and swimming pools across the borough.

Salary Sacrifice Schemes – option to join schemes for cycle purchase, electric vehicle leasing and additional voluntary pension contributions (subject to scheme rules).

Cycle to Work – Eco‑friendly commuting with our cycle purchase scheme. We also provide bicycle parking, lockers, and showers at the Civic Centre.

Local Government Pension Scheme – access to Local Government Pension Scheme and membership to the Credit Union.

Vivup Benefits – Access a variety of offers and discounts through our Vivup Benefits.

Mental Health Support and Counselling Services – Our mental health first aiders are trained to identify, understand, and help employees experiencing mental health issues. Access free 24‑hour confidential advice and counselling as well as a legal advice service for you and your immediate family.

Travel Support – Make your daily commute easier with our season ticket loans and free car parking.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

At the London Borough of Hillingdon, we are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. This commitment means that all employees, job applicants and others who work for us will be treated fairly.

The aim is for our workforce to be representative of all sections of society and Hillingdon residents so we welcome applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds. We strive to ensure that our recruitment process is free from discrimination and bias, and we are dedicated to providing reasonable adjustments to applicants with disabilities.

Join us in building a workplace where everyone feels respected, able to give their best and be themselves at work, whilst contributing meaningfully to our organisation's success.

Recruitment Information

Hillingdon Council operates a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities that meet the essential criteria for the role and wish to be considered under this scheme. We believe in the option to choose, so candidates declaring a disability have the choice to opt in for consideration under this scheme, on a ‘per application’ basis.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable groups and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Some posts are subject to The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2019 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

In addition to verifying Right to Work in the UK and a new starter health questionnaire, the post is subject to the following pre‑employment screening:

• Enhanced DBS Check
• 5 years of Referencing

Priority will be given to those at risk of redundancy within Hillingdon Council. Current employees who are part of the redeployment pool must meet the essential criteria for shortlisting to be prioritised.

It may be necessary due to a high volume of applications to close this role early. We therefore recommend you apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

If you are passionate about leading excellence in youth justice practice and want to make a meaningful difference in the lives of young people, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply now to join us in delivering safer, fairer, and stronger communities in Hillingdon.

For an informal discussion about this role, please email Jas Kamboj [e-mail].