Team Manager - Youth Justice Service

Bradford Children and Families Trust; Bradford; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retention payment

Generous annual leave 31-34 days

Local Government pension

Family-friendly policies

Health & wellbeing support

Professional development

National Living Wage employer

Job summary

Bradford Children and Families Trust is seeking a senior manager to oversee the Youth Justice Service in the Bradford District. You will lead multiagency teams, embedding safeguarding practices and ensuring high-quality service delivery for children, young people and victims.

You will maintain statutory responsibilities, collaborate with partners, and drive continuous improvement in social work practice within the Trust's values and leadership framework.

Qualifications

• Professional qualification in social work such as DIPSW, CQSW or a degree-level equivalent in a related field.
• Registered with Social Work England (if social work qualified) and responsible for maintaining registration.
• Demonstrates leadership and recent experience in Youth Justice/Criminal Justice with a drive to improve outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall operational responsibility and management of multiagency Youth Justice within BCFT.
• Ensure services prevent crime and protect victims.
• Enforce high-quality safeguarding practices and policies.
• Provide strong, visible leadership to continuously improve outcomes for children, young people and victims.
• Ensure adherence to statutory requirements and local/national policies for Youth Justice.
• Manage resources efficiently and work with the Service Management and Leadership Team.

Skills

Leadership

Interpersonal skills

Chair complex meetings

Education

Social work qualification (DIPSW / CQSW or degree level)

Job description

You will be responsible for the effective management within the Youth Justice Service teams in the Bradford District locality and of statutory Youth Justice provision within Bradford Children & Families Trust, ensuring that service provision achieves good outcomes for all our children, young adults and victims, you will be responsible for ensuring that high quality safeguarding practices and policies are fully implemented and embedded within the Service, across the district as a whole. You will look to build positive relationships with partners from both statutory and third sector organisations, to work together to achieve better outcomes for children, young adults and victims across Bradford. You will be responsible for ensuring that statutory requirements, and that national and local policies and procedures in relation to the provision of Youth Justice are adhered to, as well as managing resources efficiently and effectively, prioritising need and working cooperatively within the Service and Management Team. You will provide visible, restorative and dynamic leadership within the service, to support the continued improvement of social work practice, and live the Trust’s values to INSPIRE, (Integrity, Nurture, Safety, Pride, Inclusive, Respectful, Excellence).

Key Responsibilities

• To provide overall operational responsibility and management of the provision of the multiagency Youth Justice within the Bradford Children and Families Trust (BCFT).
• To ensure the service helps to prevent crime by children and young adults and protection of victims.
• Ensure high quality safeguarding practices and policies are in place and fully implemented.
• To provide strong and visible leadership to a service that seeks to continuously improve outcomes for all children, young adults and victims access the service.
• To ensure that all statutory requirements, key performance indicators, national and local policy and procedures in relation to the provision of Youth Justice are always adhered to.
• To manage resources efficiently and effectively, prioritising need and working cooperatively within the Services Management and Leadership Team.

About You

• Hold a Professional qualification in social work such as DIPSW, CQSW or a Degree level equivalenting a related, relevant field.
• If Social work qualified, you must be registered with Social Work England (SWE) and ensure responsibility for maintain registration.
• Be able to demonstrate interpersonal skills combined with excellent leadership and current / recent experience of Youth Justice / Criminal Justice, with a passion to improve the lives of our most vulnerable children and young people.
• Substantial experience in a care profession including working with children and teenagers with challenging attitudes and behaviours and supporting families.
• Ability to apply safeguarding practices and promote the welfare of the child and young person, recognising and responding to harm or abuse proportionately, assessing risks and making informed judgements, acting within local procedures, arrangements and resources.
• Experience and ability to chair complex meetings.
• Ability to manage successful service delivery and an ability to build and manage relationships effectively and to bring people together to utilise partnership working.

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) (if social work qualified)
• 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

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.

Internal candidates: If you wish to apply for this secondment, you must obtain explicit consent from your line manager. A secondment does not affect your permanent role, and you will retain your permanent employee status throughout.

Closing Date - 30th September 2026 Interview Date - 19th October 2026 Interview Location: Sir Henry Mitchell House, 4 Manchester Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD5 0QL