youth justice worker

Ministry of Justice; Linton; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

The Ministry of Justice's Youth Custody Service is recruiting a Youth Justice Worker to support children and young people in custody. You will be responsible for ensuring safety, supervising daily activities, and applying safeguarding policies in a custodial setting.

Successful candidates will undergo comprehensive training, a 12-month probation, and opportunities to pursue a Level 4 qualification focused on working with young people in custody, with ongoing supervision and career progression.

Qualifications

• Demonstrates ability to communicate and influence in complex environments.
• Able to manage a quality service and standards.
• Makes effective decisions under pressure.
• Cares about vulnerable children and families.

Responsibilities

• Show a passion for supporting children, young people, and families
• Identify and assess complex needs of children and young people
• Collaborate with families or carers to agree interventions
• Handle interventions including de-escalation and conflict resolution
• Work with other professionals to improve outcomes
• Exercise sound judgment using evidence-based practice and reflect on practice

Skills

Passion for children

De-escalation

Conflict resolution

Interventions

Job description

All staff have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The post holder must undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organisation., Sponsorship is not guaranteed, and applicants are responsible for ensuring they have, and can maintain, the appropriate right to work in the UK. Skilled Worker visa sponsorship may be available for this role, subject to eligibility and in line with the UK Immigration Rules in force at the time of application. However, due to current immigration requirements and recruitment timescales, candidates who require Skilled Worker visa sponsorship are unlikely to be sponsored if applying to this campaign. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consider their right to work in the UK carefully before applying. You can read more about Skilled Worker visas and eligibility criteria at gov.uk. The Department will continue to comply with UK Immigration Rules applied in the UK and Civil Service. Someone like you The Youth Custody Service is transforming its workforce, and we invite you to be part of this journey. The youth justice worker role is similar to that of a prison officer, but specifically focused on supporting children and young people in custody. This role is vital in reshaping how children and young people are cared for in custody. In this role you will be responsible for ensuring the security and safety of children and young people while providing day-to-day support in a custodial setting. Comprehensive training and development will equip you with the knowledge to understand the diverse backgrounds and individual circumstances of those in youth custody, and how your responses in complex or dynamic situations can help these individuals build better futures. We are seeking individuals with a special ability to support and guide vulnerable children and young people. You will need a DBS check. An extraordinary job This role will be dealing with the practical side of life for children in custody. This includes, but is not limited to, interventions when required, overseeing and facilitating safe movement around the site, and providing supervision to ensure safety. You will be working with children and young people who may have committed serious offenses, come from challenging backgrounds, and/or have mental health needs. These young individuals may test boundaries, but they also have significant potential for positive change. You will play a significant part in providing them with opportunities to better their future., As a practitioner, you will work with children, young people, and their families or carers to help achieve meaningful and lasting changes in their lives. You will:

• Show a passion for supporting children, young people, and families
• be skilled in identifying and assessing the complex needs of the children and young people you work with
• collaborate with young people, their families, or carers to agree on interventions or referrals that support their needs
• handle interventions when necessary, including de-escalating situations, managing behavioural issues, and applying conflict resolution techniques
• approach your work with respectful curiosity, balancing challenge and support to help young people reach their potential and stay safe
• work closely with other professionals and organisations to collectively improve outcomes

Each child's journey is unique, and you will need to exercise sound judgment, using evidence-based approaches to inform your practice. You will continuously evaluate the effectiveness of your actions and methods. Regular supervision with an experienced practitioner will help you reflect on and improve your practice. Following successful completion of your 12-month probationary period you will also be offered the opportunity to undertake a Level 4 Qualification focussed on working with children and young people in custody, the high standard of your work will be making a genuine difference to the lives of those you support., During the recruitment process you will be assessed on the behaviours, strengths and abilities you need to become an effective youth justice worker. These include:

• communicating and influencing
• managing a quality service
• making effective decisions
• caring

Your natural strengths are assessed to find out what motivates and energises you. We will also assess your numerical, written English and spoken English abilities.

Online Tests

Once you have completed your initial application form, you will be invited to complete stage 1 of the online test, to see if you have the basic judgement and numerical skills expected of a prison officer. If you are successful, we will invite you to the stage 2 online test (values-based assessment). We use this assessment to understand how well you demonstrate the values needed to be an effective prison officer. If you successfully pass the Values Based Assessment (VBA), you'll be eligible to progress to the Online Assessment Centre (OAC), where we'll assess the behaviours, strengths and abilities needed to become a Prison Officer. As demand for assessment places can vary, candidates who achieve a higher pre-determined VBA score may be invited to the OAC sooner. This approach is applied consistently and fairly to all applicants within the campaign. If you meet the required VBA pass mark but are not selected for an initial invitation, you will remain under consideration and may be invited to attend an OAC as additional assessment capacity becomes available., Once we identify a vacancy for you, we will invite you to complete a medical and fitness test. This will cover an eyesight test, hearing test and basic health screening, including a blood pressure check. Please note we are not able to facilitate medical and fitness assessments outside of the UK. Applicants will be required to attend a UK based medical and fitness assessment centre to progress their application. Find out more about the medical assessment and fitness test on the application information centre

Training and career progression

Working within youth custody, you'll have a clear progression pathway. Following successful completion of your 12-month probationary period, you will be offered the opportunity to undertake a Level 4 Qualification focussed on working with children and young people in custody. Full details regarding this course will be made available prior to the time of enrolment. Once you have successfully completed your qualification you have the opportunity to progress to a band 4 Youth Justice Worker Specialist role. Ongoing training and development for specialist skills such as child protection and safeguarding will be provided., The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy

Reasonable Adjustment Support

As a Disability Confident employer, the MoJ is committed to ensuring that everyone can demonstrate their skills, talent, and abilities. Offering reasonable adjustment support to candidates when they apply for one of our jobs is just one way, we do this. Before completing online tests or attending an online assessment centre, it is essential to arrange reasonable adjustment support. Due to practical and logistical constraints, our assessors cannot accommodate requests on the day of the assessment centre. Therefore, we kindly request that you let us know in plenty of time if adjustments are required. This will help ensure the right support is in place for you when you need it., The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve