Youth Justice Practitioner

Surrey County Council; Staines-upon-Thames; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Staines-upon-Thames seeks a Youth Justice Practitioner to support adolescents and their families in the Youth Justice Service. The role involves managing a caseload and working collaboratively with various agencies to effect positive change. Competitive salary of £32,512 and numerous employee benefits are included. Candidates with experience in youth work and strong communication skills are encouraged to apply.

Benefits

26 days' holiday, increasing with service

Employee Assistance Programme

Lifestyle discounts

Paid volunteering days

Qualifications

• Experience of working with partners to manage risk and effect positive change.
• Proven written and oral communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to communicate with compassion and authority in challenging situations.

Responsibilities

• Managing a caseload of young people involved with the youth justice system.
• Supporting young people to achieve their potential using evidence-based approaches.
• Working alongside social workers and partner agencies to provide support.

Skills

Experience working with adolescents

Negotiation and influencing skills

Problem solving

Effective communication

Education

Relevant professional qualification

Job description

• Category: Care - Children and Young People
• Contract type: Permanent
• Working hours: 36 hours per week
• Posted on: 18 July 2025
• Closing date: 10 August 2025
• Location: The Leacroft Youth Centre, Staines-Upon-Thames, TW18 4PB

Description

We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

This role has a starting salary of £32,512 per annum, based on a 36 hour working week.

We are excited to be hiring a Youth Justice Practitioner in the North Youth Justice Team, to work within a specialist team situated within the Adolescent Service. Our Youth Justice Service are inviting creative individuals who enjoy working with adolescents (aged 11 to 18) and their families to join the team and help make a difference to our young people's lives. This is a full-time opportunity based in Staines and working across Elmbridge, Runnymede and Spelthorne.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Team

Surrey Youth Justice Service (YJS) is a high performing multi-agency partnership which provides services before and after court to meet the statutory requirements of the youth justice system. The YJS sits within the newly formed Adolescent Service portfolio which is part of the Children's, Families and Lifelong Learning Directorate and is committed to integrated working to achieve it's primary aim of preventing offending and reduce reoffending by children. The service works in partnership with a variety of agencies both externally and within the Adolescent Service to ensure children are offered appropriate intervention to address identified risks, meet their needs and build on their strengths. The service seeks to repair the harm caused to victims and communities by addressing the root causes of offending and reoffending by children.

We believe that the welfare of children and their families is paramount. We are enthusiastic and supportive; committed to the provision of quality services for young people and their carers. We are looking for people who share these qualities to join us and continue the good work already being done.

About the Role

Surrey's Youth Justice service works with young people who have either been given an out of court disposal for offending behaviour or who have gone through the Court process and received an outcome.As a Youth Justice Practitioner you'll be managing a caseload of young people who have received a variety of outcomes linked to their offending behaviour. They may have significant additional needs, whether this be neurodiversity, experiences of exploitation, substance misuse, or other significant ACE's (Adverse Childhood Experiences). You will work with the team to support young people to achieve their potential and reduce the likelihood of them coming to harm using motivational interviewing and other evidence-based approaches.

As a member of our team you will be working alongside social workers, other partner agencies and the voluntary sector to support children and their families in the community. You will be well supported and training will be provided to ensure competence and professional development so that you are confident in your role. We will also ensure you receive a full induction and monthly supervision.

Although the contractual base will be Leacroft Family Centre, whilst the role is based in the North of Surrey and substantial travelling across the North of Surrey will be expected, it should also be noted that travel across the whole of Surrey and further afield may also be required to support children in care placed out of county or those who go into custody.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following:

• Relevant professional qualification or considerable experience of working within the service area
• Experience of working with adolescents and the ability to demonstrate how your work has resulted in positive outcomes
• Experience of working with partners to manage risk and effect positive change
• Proven written and oral communication and interpersonal skills with good negotiation and influencing skills, and the ability to maintain effective working relationships at all levels
• High level problem solving skills with the capacity to devise and implement innovative solutions
• Ability to communicate with compassion and authority in challenging situations and with resistant individuals, be able to effectively engage with people in complex situations both short-term and building relationships over time

Application Questions

To apply, alongside your CV, you will be asked to answer the following questions:

• Please describe your professional qualifications or your experience within the relevant service area. How do you believe this background has prepared you for this role?
• Give an example of a time when you had to use your negotiation and influencing skills to maintain effective working relationships. How did you handle the situation?
• Can you discuss a complex problem you faced and the innovative solution you implemented? What was the impact of your solution?
• Describe a challenging situation where you had to communicate with compassion and authority. How did you engage with the individuals involved, and what was the outcome?

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 10/08/2025 with interviews to follow.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Local Government Reorganisation

Surrey County Council is preparing for Local Government Reorganisation which will allow us to implement the Government led policy of devolution, which is all about giving more powers to local areas.

Currently, Surrey has a two-tier council system, with 11 district and borough councils and a county council, all responsible for different services. All these councils will be reorganised into a smaller number of new unitary councils which will come into effect in April 2027. At this point, this role will be transferred, with all existing terms and conditions intact into one of the new unitary councils.

Our values are as important as our abilities and shape who we are as an organisation. Discover more about our values.

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description. OurLife at Surrey handbook provides insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.