Senior Youth Practitioner

Dorset Council; Wakeham; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Dorset Council is seeking a Senior Youth Practitioner to support Harbour East, focusing on preventing care escalation, improving outcomes for looked-after children, and strengthening family-based care paths. You will supervise residential and outreach work, apply trauma-informed and restorative approaches, and work closely with the Deputy Manager to reduce placement breakdowns.

The role requires leadership, resilience, and a commitment to continuous professional development within a supportive

Qualifications

• Ability to build strong relationships with children, young people and families.
• Experience delivering trauma-informed care and restorative practice.
• Willingness to work evenings, weekends and sleep-ins as required.

Responsibilities

• Provide on-the-ground support and drive change in local placements for Harbour East.
• Supervise and direct residential and outreach processes with evidence-based models.
• Collaborate with Deputy Manager to oversee care for young people and families.
• Work with partner agencies to improve social work practice and decision making.

Skills

Empathy and listening

Relationship-building

Resilience

Solution-focused approach

Flexible working

Education

QCF Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care

Job description

About the role

Do you have a passion for supporting young people to achieve the best possible outcomes in life? Are you ready to make a real difference by helping prevent care escalation, placement breakdowns, or facilitating placement step-downs? Join us as a Senior Youth Practitioner, where every day is an opportunity to inspire, support, and empower.

The pioneering Harbour model framework in the east of Dorset provides residential and outreach-based support for Dorset families. Our residential service in the East is a property near Ringwood, set on the edge of the beautiful new forest, and supports young people through their journey in residential care with a high level of support to develop key skills, enabling them to move into foster care or home. Our outreach provision will provide strengths-based and trauma-informed support through the advancement of outdoor activities to change the narrative around healthy relationships and ensure young people stay close to their families and loved ones in Dorset.

What’s in it for you

You will be part of our ever-improving Children’s Service, making a difference to children in Dorset. Recently rated as GOOD by Ofsted, our approach to how we work withour children, families, and communities is embedded in making Dorset a place where all children thrive.
You will be joining a supportive and inclusive council that will provide you with support, invest in you, and nurture you to enable you to thrive in your job. A comprehensive training programme is available to enable your professional growth and development.
You will make a difference by ensuring that our children stay in Dorset and are given the best start in life through outstanding care, support, and services. This includes the best education and training opportunities, which enable them to thrive,realise their potential, and be the best they can be.

What you can expect to be doing

As a Senior Youth Practitioner for Harbour East you will provide on-the-ground support and drive change in finding solutions, building sustainable and meaningful relationships and manage the reduction of risk, whilst focusing on local placements with the clear objective of improving work with families and safely reducing the number of children entering care.
You will provide supervision and direction using evidence-based models including Trauma Informed Model and Restorative Practice. You will work closely with the Deputy Manager to oversee key residential and outreach processes for Harbour East. You will also oversee and supervise, the care and support provided to young people and their families.
You will improve work with families and communities to safely reduce the number of children entering care. You will work with partner agencies to improve social work practice and decision making so that the best choices are made for every child, and lives are improved.

About you

We are looking for an experienced, dynamic and motivated Senior Youth Practitioner who is ready to develop this service, you will lead from the front to generate a change in culture, systems, relationships, practice and ways of working together, whilst making a real difference to the lives of children, young people and families.
You must have prior supervisory experience of residential and outreach processes, supporting children on the edge of care, those in care requiring placement stability support and or are missing in education. It is desirable that you have an active interest in your continuous professional development on related subjects.
You will be a kind and caring person with a passion for improving lives, be aspirational in attitude and resilient and flexible in approach.
As an inspirational leader you will be passionate about improving the lives of Dorset children and create opportunities for them to thrive.

Dorset has a comprehensive training programme which supports your professional growth and development. We invest in your long-term development with a training offer that’s comprehensive, accredited, and tailored to you.

Core skills & induction

• structured onboarding programme to help you settle in
• safeguarding, trauma-informed care, and behaviour management
• first aid and health & safety

Ongoing development

• monthly reflective supervision and peer learning
• access to e-learning, workshops, and specialist courses
• specialist training in therapeutic care and attachment
• deep dive into child development and neurodiversity

Career Progression

• leadership programmes, coaching, and mentoring

We’re looking for someone who

• Is resilient, empathetic, and skilled in forming meaningful connections with young people and families.
• Can deliver proactive, solution-focused interventions while celebrating individuality and diversity.
• Thrives in a flexible role that includes evenings, weekends, and sleep-in duties, ensuring consistent support.
• You’ll need to hold a QCF Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care (or equivalent) and have a commitment to continuous development.

Further Information

This is a full time role at 37 hours per week.

Please note that applications will be reviewed on submission and the vacancy may close early if filled before the closing date.

This post requires significant travel. You must have a vehicle (or transport we deem suitable) available for use as needed.

This post involves working with children and/or vulnerable adults and/or having access to significant information about them. It will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

See our policy on the employment of ex-offenders.

See our policy on safeguarding children and young

About Us

At Dorset Council, it's not just about the work we do, it's about how we do it. Hear directly from our employees about what makes Dorset Council special in this short video:

At Dorset Council, we are working together to create a fairer, more prosperous, and more sustainable Dorset for everyone, now and in the future.

We:

• provide essential services that support over 300,000 residents
• work in partnership to make a real difference
• value every role and the impact it has on our communities
• support our employees to grow, develop, and thrive

You will:

• be part of a team that works together for a better Dorset
• have access to a range of benefits and support
• receive training and development opportunities to help your career progress

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where different skills, perspectives, and backgrounds strengthen both our council and the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. We also want our recruitment process to be accessible, if you need any reasonable adjustments, just let us know on your application.

This role is UK-based, and we will need to confirm your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. We use generic job descriptions and person specifications, so the job title in any attachments may differ from the advert. If needed, we will provide additional details in a context statement.

If you’re passionate about making a difference, we’d love you to join us.