Youth Offending Service Officer

Bolton Council; Bolton; On-site; GBP 39,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

Bolton Council is recruiting a Youth Justice Officer to join Bolton Youth Justice Service for a 12-month fixed-term maternity cover. You will work with children, young people and families to reduce offending, undertake assessments, and prepare court reports.

You will manage a varied caseload, collaborate with education, social care, health, police and voluntary sector, and contribute to safer communities through safeguarding and strengths-based practice.

Qualifications

• Experience working with children, young people and families.
• Experience in safeguarding and child-first practice.
• Ability to work in a multi‑agency environment and deliver meaningful interventions.

Responsibilities

• Manage a varied caseload and undertake assessments.
• Plan and deliver interventions and prepare reports for courts/panels.
• Collaborate with partners across education, social care, health, police and voluntary sector.

Skills

Social Work

Education

Social Work qualification or equivalent

Job description

Grade £39,481- £43,149 plus essential car user allowace

Hours: 37

Contract: Fixed term for 12 months

Role specifics Social Work qualification OR equivalent professional qualification in a relevant field

Interview date: Wednesday 2nd December

For further information about this role, contact: [e-mail]

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Please read the detailed information at the bottom of this advert before you make an application as it may be rejected if we detect AI use.

If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme, please indicate this within the ‘About You’ or ‘Supporting Statement’ section of your application

Ask us about flexible working options to fit with your work/life balance - #HappytoTalkFlexible

The Role

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join Bolton Youth Justice Service as a Youth Justice Officer. Working within a dynamic multi‑agency team, this is a 12‑month fixed-term maternity cover opportunity that will see you work directly with children, young people and their families to reduce offending and reoffending, address underlying needs and vulnerabilities, and support positive outcomes. You will manage a varied caseload, undertaking assessments, planning and delivering interventions, preparing reports for courts and panels, and working closely with partners across education, social care, health, police and the voluntary sector.

As a Youth Justice Officer, you will play a vital role in helping to create safer communities by reducing the risk of harm, protecting victims and supporting children to make positive and lasting changes in their lives. The role requires a strong commitment to safeguarding, public protection and reducing the impact of crime, while balancing the needs of children, families, victims and local communities. Working within a child‑first and strengths‑based framework, you will contribute to improving community safety, supporting rehabilitation and helping children realise their potential and achieve better futures.

About You

We are looking for an enthusiastic, motivated and compassionate practitioner who shares our belief that every child deserves the opportunity to succeed.

You will have experience of working with children, young people and families, particularly those facing complex challenges or involved in the justice system. You will be skilled in building positive relationships, understanding the factors that influence behaviour and delivering meaningful interventions that support children to make safer and more constructive choices.

You will be an excellent communicator who thrives in a multi‑agency environment and can work collaboratively with children, families and partner agencies to achieve the best possible outcomes. You will bring a strong commitment to safeguarding, child‑first practice and recognising the strengths and potential of every child you work with.

Most importantly, you will be passionate about helping children make positive and sustainable changes in their lives, reducing offending and reoffending, and contributing to safer communities. You will share our commitment to supporting children to realise their potential and achieve positive outcomes. If you are looking for a role where your work genuinely matters and where you can make a lasting difference to the lives of children, families and communities, we would love to hear from you.

About Us

This is your opportunity to join us at an exciting time as we have strong ambitions for the borough.

Bolton is a great place to work. We are a welcoming organisation that wants to contribute to a place where people feel active, connected and prosperous. We are passionate about improving the outcomes and experience of Bolton people. We want Bolton to be a vibrant place built on strong cohesive communities, successful businesses and healthy, engaged residents.

As an employer we want to thank our employees for their hard work and commitment, by giving them the opportunity to access a range of exclusive rewards and benefits, including discounts and exclusive gym membership prices and salary sacrifice schemes. In addition, we offer a generous annual leave allowance, flexible work opportunities, access to a Pension Scheme, as well as a range of employee wellbeing and support services.

Our Values are really important to us, read all about them below, along with all our great staff benefits, the job description/person specification for the role and the important legal bits, and our Top Tips too.

Within Greater Manchester, local authorities have made a commitment to improve the employment opportunities for people with disabilities, care leavers, carers, and ex‑military personnel. Please see greater.jobs for further information before you apply.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable adults and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) clearance - this post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (amended in 2013). Employment offers are conditional subject to satisfactory clearances. For roles where a criminal records check from the DBS is required, this includes satisfactory clearance of this check. The possession of a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of an individual’s offense/s. Information provided by you or the DBS will be dealt with in a confidential manner and in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice which can be viewed here. Bolton Council’s policy on the Employment of Ex-Offenders is available here.

This post is a designated customer facing role under the fluency duty and requires a specified level of spoken English as per the person specification.

This organisation has signed up to the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment. That means we will recognise your continuous or ‘unbroken’ service in any Greater Manchester local authority or NHS organisation that has signed the commitment, Transport for Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service or Greater Manchester Combined Authority, giving you access to our service‑related benefits. Please see the home page of greater.jobs for more information.

For more information about working for Bolton Council, please see greater.jobs; for advice and support with your application, contact [e-mail]

Supporting Documents

• Documents for DBS
• Documents for Right to Work
• Staff Benefits
• Privacy Policy 2026
• Job Description