Young Persons Practitioner

Action for Children; Ellon; Hybrid; GBP 27,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

7 weeks paid leave

Training & development

Parental leave options

Life assurance

Blue Light Card

Wellbeing day

Job summary

Action for Children seeks a Young People’s Practitioner to deliver focused interventions with young people and their families in community settings. The role includes outreach work and home visits, supporting positive lifestyle choices.

You will build trusting relationships, manage an active caseload, and work with partner agencies to facilitate education, training, or employment opportunities for young people across a large rural catchment.

Qualifications

• SVQ/Diploma Level 3 in early years and childcare, social care, or a closely related field.
• Experience supporting young people within social work settings or related to the criminal justice system.
• Background in multi-agency environments with safeguarding procedures.
• Experience managing a caseload, following processes to complete assessments, plans and reviews.
• Strong communication skills with professional boundaries and independent working.

Responsibilities

• Deliver tailored interventions to support positive outcomes while following organisational policies and statutory requirements.
• Help young people reconnect with education, training, or employment, providing guidance and encouragement.
• Manage an active caseload and ensure high-quality support across all allocated cases.
• Build trusting relationships with young people, families, partners and agencies, including home visits when appropriate.
• Participate in meetings as needed, e.g., presenting case updates at monthly reviews.
• Promote a safe, supportive environment by following safeguarding and health and safety procedures.

Skills

Practical experience with young people

Multi-agency background

Strong communication

Safeguarding procedures

Flexible working

Driving licence

Education

SVQ/Diploma Level 3 in early years / childcare or social care

Willingness to work towards qualification

Job description

Young Person’s Practitioner

Salary: £30,000 per annum

Location: Ellon, Aberdeenshire, however this will be a hybrid role including outreach work and working from home

Contract/Hours: The post is funded initially for 12 months, with a commitment to continued funding for Years 2 and 3 / Full Time - 37 hours per week

Closing date for applications is midnight of Monday 5th October and interviews are provisionally scheduled to take place week commencing 12th October

Benefits:

• Over 7 weeks inclusive paid leave and the option to buy or sell leave
• Excellent training and the opportunity to undertake professional training for some roles
• Flexible maternity, paternity and adoption packages
• Up to 5% employer contribution and life assurance cover
• Blue Light Card eligibility with discounts at 15,000 national retailers
• As part of our commitment to staff wellbeing, you’ll receive a paid annual Wellbeing Day to use however you choose, supporting a healthy balance between work and life.

At Action for Children, we offer more than just a job. Join us and you’ll be part of a team dedicated to giving children safe and happy childhoods. See how your skills can make a real difference, helping solve the problems children and young people face every day.

A bit about the role

We’re looking for Young People Practitioners to join us as we develop new, meaningful work with young people and their families.

In these roles, you’ll provide focused, compassionate interventions that help young people overcome challenges, recognise their strengths, and move toward positive lifestyle choices.

You’ll work within community settings and alongside families, building trusting relationships and offering steady, reliable support. Strengthening family connections and addressing vulnerabilities is central to the role, ensuring each young person has the best possible foundation to thrive.

About the Service

Action for Children’s Intensive Intervention Service is a voluntary programme that supports children and young people aged 11–18 who may be at risk ofor coerced into, serious offending or criminal exploitation.

The service offers intensive 1:1 support, group sessions, and positive diversionary activities that help young people build confidence, develop new skills, and make choices that lead them toward safer and more fulfilling futures. A key focus is helping them reconnect with their local community and work in partnership with other agencies to support routes into education, training, or employment and feel able to sustain those opportunities.

What you do could make a difference

Key responsibilities of a Young Persons Practitioner include:

• Delivering tailored interventions that support positive outcomes while working in line with organisational policies and statutory requirements.
• Helping children and young people reconnect with education, training, or employment, offering guidance and encouragement throughout the process.
• Managing an active caseload and ensuring high quality support across all allocated cases.
• Building trusting relationships with young people, families, partner organisations, and agencies, including carrying out home visits when appropriate.
• Participating in meetings as needed, such as presenting case updates during monthly reviews.
• Promoting and maintaining a safe, supportive environment by following safeguarding and health and safety procedures.

Let’s talk about you

• SVQ/Diploma Level 3 (or equivalent or a willingness to work towards) in early years and childcare, social care, or a closely related field.
• Practical experience supporting young people, either within social work settings or through work connected to the criminal justice system.
• Background in multi-agency environments such as social care, early years, or health services, with confident application of safeguarding procedures.
• Experience managing a caseload, following agreed processes to complete assessments, develop plans, and carry out reviews that support positive outcomes.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively while maintaining professional boundaries and independent working relationships.
• To participate in a flexible working rota to provide support for young people, some evening and weekend work will be required
• Driving licence and access to a car. The job requires the ability to travel across a large rural catchmentaccording to the needs of the job, with reasonable adjustments, if required, according to the Equality Act.

Why Action for Children?

Every child should have a loving home, food, warmth, the chance to grow and learn - the support to cope with life’s challenges. But too many children don’t. By bringing your passion and unique skills and experience, you’ll help us change that where it really matters.

We've been driven by love to take action for children for over 150 years, giving them the protection and practical help they need. A lot’s changed since 1869. But what children really need, hasn’t. So as long as children need us, we’ll be here.

Will you join us?

Our Commitment to Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism

At Action for Children, we are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and able to thrive. We know that racism and discrimination create barriers, and we are taking active steps to challenge these inequalities in our organisation and in the communities we serve.

We strongly welcome applications from people who are Black, Asian, or from other racialised and ethnically marginalised communities, as well as disabled people, who are currently under-represented in our workforce. We are committed to removing barriers in our recruitment processes and ensuring fair access to opportunities.

We also encourage applications from men, who are under-represented in our Children’s Services roles. We recognise that people hold multiple identities, and we value the richness this brings to our team.

Find out more about Action for Children here:and onLinkedIn,Facebookor YouTube to get to know us better.

The difference is what you do. You can learn more about why we do it, by checking outour