Youth Offending Service Team Leader

Wirral Council; Liverpool City Region; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A local council in England is seeking a Youth Offending Service Team Leader with substantial experience in youth justice and safeguarding. The successful candidate will provide operational leadership to practitioners, ensure compliance with standards, and foster a commitment to equality and trauma-informed practice. This position includes competitive benefits, a strong focus on staff wellbeing, and an inclusive work culture that champions diversity. The role requires a DBS check, and applicants must demonstrate their eligibility to work in the UK.

Benefits

Excellent pension scheme

Generous annual leave package

Family-friendly employment initiatives

Flexible working approach

Staff discounts

Qualifications

• Substantial experience in youth justice and safeguarding.
• Proven leadership and management skills.
• Commitment to equality and trauma-informed practice.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational leadership to Youth Justice practitioners.
• Oversee risk and vulnerability management.
• Ensure compliance with Youth Justice Board standards.

Skills

Leadership in youth justice

Knowledge of criminal justice legislation

Understanding of safeguarding practices

Multi-agency collaboration

Education

Qualified professional in youth justice or related field

Job description

There has never been a more exciting time to join Wirral Council. We’ve got ambitious targets to meet and to achieve everything we have promised to our residents, we need people who are ready to deliver the very best for our communities and show how they can #BeTheDifference. Our vision is to secure the best possible future for our residents, defined by the community prosperity we create and supported by our excellent people and services. If you strive to #BeTheDifference and want to be at the heart of our change and improvement journey, then this could be the perfect job for you.

Youth Offending Service Team Leader

About The Role

As Team Leader, you will be part of a multi‑agency service committed to early intervention, restorative practice, and contextual safeguarding under the Harm Outside the Home umbrella. This role provides operational leadership and supervision to Youth Justice practitioners, oversees risk and vulnerability management, safeguarding, and public protection. You will ensure compliance with Youth Justice Board standards and HMIP inspection frameworks.

About The Candidate

The successful candidate will be a qualified professional with substantial experience in youth justice, safeguarding, and multi‑agency working. You should have proven leadership and management skills with a strong understanding of criminal justice and childcare legislation. We’re looking for someone with a commitment to equality, trauma‑informed practice, and child‑first approaches. This post requires a DBS check.

How to Apply

To find out more about the role, contact Mark Evans, Service Manager on 0151 666 3451 or [e-mail].

Applications will be accepted until midnight on the closing date. We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier if sufficient applications are received. All applicants must evidence their right to work in the UK. Applications can only be accepted through the Jobs page following registration.

Working at Wirral

You’ll also want to know what it’s like to work here, so as a start:
We believe in ensuring staff are well looked after, staff wellbeing is a priority for us. We’re serious about recognising and rewarding people for the great things they do. You’ll benefit from our track record of developing, growing and investing in our people. We have a range of staff benefits including staff discounts, an excellent pension scheme with a generous employer contribution rate, immediate life cover and ill‑health protection. We have a strong flexible working approach, hybrid working, family‑friendly employment initiatives and an annual leave package starting with 28 days leave plus public holidays. We have an inclusive, engaged culture, everyone has a voice, everyone is valued for their contribution and understands the role they play in delivering our strategic priorities. We support an inclusive culture that champions differences and nurtures a sense of belonging. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply.

All applicants invited to interview must evidence their right to work in the UK. Details of required documents can be found on the Jobs page. The job description and other supporting documents will not be accessible once the vacancy closing date has passed, so if a copy is required you should download it now.

We do not accept applications or CVs from recruitment agencies unless otherwise stated, and any candidates submitted via an agency will not be considered for this role.