Social Worker - Youth Justice Service

Bradford Children and Families Trust; Bradford; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 31-34 days

LG Pension scheme

Health & wellbeing support

Professional development

National Living Wage employer

Job summary

Bradford Youth Justice Service (YJS) within the Bradford Children and Families Trust is seeking a committed social worker to engage with children, families and victims while ensuring safeguarding and high-quality assessments. The role covers statutory and voluntary work, including court and multi-agency meetings, to reduce youth crime.

You will be responsible for risk assessments, pre-sentence reports and maintaining strong partnerships with partners and stakeholders across Bradford.

Qualifications

• Registered social worker with Social Work England.
• Experience with children aged 10+ and challenging behaviour.
• Proven ability to manage caseload and meet deadlines.
• Willingness to travel across the district.
• Experience of/ability to undertake assessments of a child’s safety and risk.

Responsibilities

• Engage with children, young people and families across statutory and voluntary settings.
• Prepare high-quality pre-sentence reports and attend court and custodial settings.
• Represent the service in multi-agency meetings and maintain robust court links.
• Collaborate with partners to reduce youth crime and safeguard children.
• Manage a caseload with timely, accurate documentation.

Skills

Excellent communication

Relationship building

Court/tribunal experience

Risk assessment

Caseload management

Education

Social Work degree

Registered with Social Work England

Job description

Working for the Bradford Children and Families Trust offers the opportunity to work with some great people who are passionate about delivering change in a city whose culture offers as much diversity as its geography. You can make a real difference to families and children and be an active part in delivering the service Bradford families should receive.We are fully committed to equal opportunities and we welcome applications from all backgrounds.

About the Role

An exciting opportunity has arisen within Bradford Youth Justice Service (YJS) to make a positive impact on children and families in Bradford. Bradford Youth Justice Service (YJS) is a dynamic, positive organisation. Bradford YJS has won several awards for the innovative work undertaken in the last few years. The YJS benefits from the support and confidence of a wide network of partners from the statutory and voluntary sectors. Bradford YJS is committed to helping make Bradford a safer place to live. You can help assist us in our aims of preventing and reducing youth crime, safeguarding children, young adults and protecting the public. If you are enthusiastic and committed to working with children, their families, and the victims of crime to we can offer you an attractive working environment with comprehensive professional support and guidance.

Your role will involve working with children who have come into contact with the Criminal Justice System for low to high level offending. You will be required to engage with children, young adults and families on a statutory and voluntary basis and represent the service across a number of areas including court, custodial establishments and multiagency meetings, therefore you will need to have excellent communication skills.

Our strategic vision and values https://www.bradfordcft.org.uk/about-us/our-vision-and-values/ are upheld across the Trust, fostering a reliable and supportive environment for both staff and the children in our care. Our approach is rooted in restorative and relational practice, fostering trust, mutual respect, and meaningful relationships with children, families, and professionals.

To be successful in this role you will need:

• Experience of working with children aged 10 and above who could present with challenging behaviour and attitudes.
• Experience of working with children and families to bring about positive change.
• Be able to create and maintain good working relationships with all partners and stakeholders.
• Experience of/ability to undertake assessments of a child's safety to others and to themselves, as well as their risk of committing further offences.
• Be able to work in court and complete quality pre-sentence reports.
• Demonstrate the ability to manage own caseload, be flexible, meet deadlines and timescales.
• You must hold a valid driving licence with access to transport unless a disability prevents this as the role requires the ability to travel across the district and beyond.
• Must be registered with Social Work England and substantial social work experience.

You'll also be joining an organisation that truly values its people, offering a range of benefits designed to support your wellbeing, growth, and work-life balance, including:

• Retention Payment: You will be eligible for our annual retention payment, paid in 12 monthly instalments. This is non contractual (reviewed annually)
• Generous annual leave - 31 days rising to 34 with service, plus bank holidays
• Excellent Local Government pension
• Family-friendly policies and enhanced parental leave
• Health & wellbeing support, including Occupational Health and counselling
• Professional development and career progression opportunities
• we are a National Living Wage employer
• For full details of our benefits, please see the attached 'Our Benefits' brochure.

Bradford Children and Families Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all employees to share this commitment.

If shortlisted, you will be required to disclose relevant information regarding criminal history prior to interview. A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check including a check against the Children's barred list, will be carried out on preferred candidates.

Closing Date: 4th October 2026

Shortlisting Date: 8th October 2026

Interviews: 20th October 2026