Youth Offending Team Officer - Level 3

Milton Keynes City Council; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Great holiday benefits

Excellent pension

Health cash plan

Bike purchase scheme

Blue Light Card

Salary sacrifice car scheme

Job summary

Milton Keynes City Council is recruiting a Youth Offending Team Officer for the Youth Justice Service. The role combines direct work with young people and victim support to reduce offending and improve outcomes, working with families, schools and partners from a site-based workplace.

The ideal candidate will have relevant qualifications in social work or related fields, strong assessment skills, and the ability to manage priorities while collaborating with multiple agencies.

Qualifications

• Qualified in social work or related field with strong assessment and planning skills.
• Clear communication with young people, families and colleagues.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and adapt to changing needs.
• Ability to work collaboratively with other agencies to support children, young people and victims.

Responsibilities

• Complete assessments and clear, well-evidenced reports including court and referral order reports.
• Develop intervention plans to reduce offending and manage safety concerns.
• Manage a varied caseload including statutory orders and diversion/prevention.
• Work with other agencies sharing information and planning support.
• Support victims of crime through direct and indirect interventions.
• Participate in duty systems, court attendance and out-of-hours rosters.
• Contribute to service development or quality assurance activity.

Skills

Clear communication

Prioritisation and workload management

Collaborating with agencies

Analytical thinking

Adaptability

Ability to work some evenings/weekends

Education

Qualif in social work/policing/youth work/education/criminal justice

Job description

Job Introduction

We're recruiting a Youth Offending Team Officer to join our dedicated Youth Justice Service.

At Milton Keynes City Council, we're committed to making our city a better place to live. We work to create safer communities, reduce inequalities and support children, young people, families and victims to achieve positive outcomes.

Our Youth Justice Service works with children and young people who have entered, or are at risk of entering, the youth justice system. The service also works closely with victims of crime, ensuring their voices are heard and their needs are recognised throughout our work. This rewarding role combines direct work with young people and victim support, helping to reduce offending behaviour while supporting those affected by youth crime.

You'll work closely with families, schools, Children's Social Care, police, health services and other partners to deliver support that makes a real difference to the lives of young people, victims and communities.

This is a fixed-term position for 2 years.

Site-Based role

This is a Site-Based role, and you'll be expected to work from the designated workplace.

Interviews for this role will be held on 5th October 2026

At Milton Keynes City Council, we aim to make a difference every day. We're dedicated, respectful and collaborative. We act as one council, and we work hard to create cleaner, safer and healthier communities while tackling inequalities and supporting people to thrive.

Find out more about working with us here: www.mkcounciljobs.org.uk

Main Responsibility

• Complete assessments and clear, well-evidenced reports, including court reports and referral order reports, in line with legislation and national standards.
• Develop intervention plans that reduce offending and manage safety concerns to young people and the community, reviewing these plans regularly.
• Manage a varied caseload of young people, including those on statutory orders and those engaged in diversion or prevention services.
• Work in partnership with other agencies, sharing information and planning support that benefits young people, their families, victims and the wider community.
• Support victims of crime through direct and indirect interventions.
• Participate in duty systems, court attendance, and out-of-hours remand arrangements on a rota including some weekends and bank holidays.
• Contribute to service development or quality assurance activity as directed by the Youth Offending Team management team.

The Ideal Candidate

• A recognised qualification and experience in social work, policing, youth work, education, criminal justice or a related field, with strong assessment and planning skills.
• Someone who communicates clearly, listens well and can explain information in a way that is easy for young people, families and colleagues to understand.
• A colleague who can manage competing priorities, take ownership of their work and adapt to change while supporting others when needed.
• Someone who can work collaboratively with other agencies, building positive relationships that support children, young people and victims.
• A person who can analyse information, make sound decisions in complex situations and manage risk with confidence.
• Someone flexible in their approach, willing to work some evenings, weekends or bank holidays as part of scheduled duties.
• You may occasionally work in challenging situations, and we'll support you with training and guidance

Safer Recruitment

Safer Recruitment applies to this role. This means that, before any appointment is confirmed, we'll carry out a range of pre-employment checks to help ensure the safety and wellbeing of children, young people and vulnerable adults. These checks may include identity verification, where candidates will be required to provide original identification documents, including a full birth certificate, employment history and reference checks, qualification checks and an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, (unless you are currently registered with the DBS Update Service). check where required.

Full UK Driving Licence and access to a vehicle

To be successful in this role, you'll need a full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle. If we offer you the role, we'll ask you to provide evidence of your driving licence and vehicle insurance, including cover for business use. We're unable to confirm an appointment until these documents are received.

Package Description

In addition to your salary, we offer a range of benefits including:

• Great holiday benefits - most roles include 28 days annual leave every year on top of public (bank) holidays, increasing to 32 days after five years. In addition, there is a holiday purchase scheme allowing staff to purchase up to 5 additional days of leave each year.
• Excellent pension - everyone who works for us can join the national Local Government Pension Scheme, widely regarded as one of the best available.
• A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity support.
• Access to an award-winning employee benefits programme that includes a health cash plan, a low-cost bike purchase scheme as well as high street discounts and money off entertainment and travel.
• Salary sacrifice car scheme - eligible employees can lease an electric or low-emission vehicle at a reduced cost through salary sacrifice, subject to National Minimum Wage and other eligibility requirements.
• Blue Light Card - employees working within social care can qualify for an additional range of discounts from national retailers and local businesses.

Why join us?

Along with more on our Benefits, discover why Working at the City Council could be the right move for you here Working at the Council | Milton Keynes

Roles are either 'site based' or 'home based'.

Site based roles are mainly based at the workplace, with the option to work from home for up to two days a week, depending on service needs.

Home based roles are mainly based at home, with the expectation of attending the workplace up to one day a week.

The working arrangement for each role is set by the manager, based on service requirements.

About The Organisation

Milton Keynes City Council is a large, modern and financially stable employer with around 2,500 people working across our eight areas. Together we provide local residents and businesses with a wide range of important round-the‑clock services and aim to make our city a better place to live.

We work hard because of the demands placed on us, like protecting children from harm or preventing homelessness. However, working for the city is always rewarding and everyone has the opportunity to make a real difference.

We're very proud of our diversity and are committed to having a workforce that reflects the community we serve. Whatever your background, you will be welcome here if you share our values of being dedicated, respectful and collaborative.

We offer great training and support and because of the size and scale of the organisation there are always new opportunities to explore when it's time for a new role.

If you'd like to know more about how we do things and what matters to us, take a look at our short booklet What makes us Milton Keynes City Council, see attached.