Youth Justice Assistant Service Lead

Stockport Council; Stockport; On-site; GBP 53,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Stockport Youth Justice & Complex Safeguarding Service, based within Stockport Council, is recruiting an experienced Youth Justice Assistant Service Lead. The role involves strategic management of the Youth Justice Service, Serious Violence Reduction, and safeguarding delivery, supervising Team Leaders and coordinating a multi-agency team to protect vulnerable children and prevent offending.

You will work across Greater Manchester authorities, ensure compliance with HMIP standards, and

Qualifications

• Significant experience in leading youth justice or similar multi-agency services.
• Qualified to degree level with professional qualification desirable.
• Familiar with HMIP framework and inspection readiness.
• Ability to supervise managers and work across agencies.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage Team Leaders to deliver youth justice and safeguarding services.
• Ensure services comply with statutory requirements and evidence-based practice.
• Drive inspection readiness and quality assurance across GM/YJS initiatives.
• Collaborate across Stockport Family and Safer Stockport Partnership.

Skills

Youth justice leadership

Strategic management

Multi-agency partnership collaboration

Quality Assurance experience

Restorative approach

Education

Bachelor's degree

Professional qualification (Social Worker or Probation Officer) desirable

Job description

Youth Justice Assistant Service Lead
MB3 (£53,051 - £60,084)
37 hours, Full-time (including evening, weekends, bank holidays as part of the duty management cover)
Permanent
Central House, Stockport

Application Deadline: 7 October 2026, 11:59pm
Shortlisting Date: 9 October 2026
Interview Date: 16 October 2026
Interview Type: Face to face

Your Role

Stockport Youth Justice & Complex Safeguarding Service are a high performing multi-agency partnership committed to preventing children and young people from offending, reducing their exposure to serious youth violence, identifying child exploitation by safeguarding in partnership and providing a targeted youth support offer which protects against some of the negative impacts that can affects children’s lives within their communities. This will be achieved through the statutory functions of the Youth Justice Service (YJS); whose principal aim is to prevent offending and reduce re-offending. In addition, we also lead on the delivery of Complex Safeguarding, the Serious Violence Reduction (VRU) programme and provide services to support vulnerable children and young people who are at risk of engaging in risky behaviours that will affect their life chances.

About You

We are looking for a Youth Justice Assistant Service Lead who will act as one of the strategic management leads for the delivery of youth justice, serious violence reduction and targeted support services and delivery of associated services, including complex safeguarding. The post will lead and manage Team Leaders, working in a multi-agency team of staff to ensure services are delivered in accordance with evidence-based practice, legislative and statutory requirements.

The successful candidate will be required to work as part of the statutory multi-agency service providing a restorative approach through Stockport Family and community safety functions through the Safer Stockport Partnership, as well as working collaboratively across the 10 Greater Manchester Local Authorities, to ensure delivery of the GM Youth Justice Transformation programme, as defined through the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and the national requirements of the Youth Justice Board and the MoJ. This post is also instrumental in ensuring that we are inspection ready and the successful candidate will be familiar with the HMIP framework and have significant experience of Quality Assurance.

About Us

We are a lively, hardworking and dynamic service based within ‘Stockport Family’ integrated services. We are looking for a flexible, enthusiastic and highly motivated individual who has experience of supervising managers, who support a team working with complex and vulnerable children and young people.

Significant recent experience of working in a Youth Justice Service or similar multi-agency partnership that deals with factors that lead children and young people into crime is essential.

You will be qualified to minimum degree level and hold a relevant professional qualification. Being a qualified and registered Social Worker or Probation Officer is desirable.

This post includes some weekend, bank holiday and out of hours work as part of the management duty rota system (with additional pay).

Potential candidates may find it useful to refer to Stockport’s latest published Youth Justice Plan 2025/26 for more details about the youth justice partnership, which sets out our priorities and vision.

At Stockport Council we are one ambitious team on a mission to create opportunities for everyone who lives, works and spends time in the borough. Working at Stockport Council means contributing to one of the most thriving towns in the North. We’re keen to recruit people with the right values and behaviours that can help us ensure our workplace values are at the heart of everything we do.

We are proud to be recognised under the Good Employment Charter as an organisation committed to the wellbeing of our colleagues. As members of the charter, we have been recognised as a great place to work for all colleagues and pledge to pay the real living wage, engage staff in key decisions and endorse fair and flexible working conditions.

If you would like an informal discussion about the role or have any specific questions please contact: Sarah Kelly, Service Lead Youth Justice & Complex Safeguarding at [e-mail]

The successful applicant’s appointment will be subject to satisfactory pre-employment clearances including an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Stockport Council holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not currently qualify.

Please note that we have made a commitment to improve the employment opportunities for people with disabilities, care leavers and ex-military personnel. As part of the Guaranteed Assessment Scheme you will therefore be guaranteed to be shortlisted for Assessment if you meet both the criteria for the scheme and the essential job role criteria.

Find out if you meet the criteria here: https://www.greater.jobs/our-guaranteed-assessment-scheme

Supporting Documents

Job Profile