Youth Justice Worker

**About Us**
West Sussex Youth Justice Service (YJS) is a high performing multi-agency statutory partnership which provides services before and after Court to meet the statutory requirements of the youth justice system. Its primary aim is to prevent offending and reduce reoffending by children.

For more information about West Sussex County Council, please visit our **WSCC About Us** page.

**About The Job** Salary**:£28,371 - £31,099
**Working Pattern**:Full time, 37 hours per week
**Contract Length**:Fixed term or Secondment for 12 months
**Location**: Parkside, Horsham and hybrid working from home

**Closing Date**: Sunday 8th January

You will be a professional who practices effectively, with high quality assessment and judgement skills. Be able to independently manage caseloads with confidence, utilising strong engagement skills and creative interventions. Be recognised as a source of reliable knowledge and advice and be accountable for your own professional development.

You will support and advocate for equality and diversity, respecting anyone working for or in contact with WSCC.

Relevant professional qualification recognised by one of the YJS statutory partner agencies (Social Work, Probation, Education, Health, Police), e.g. Social Work Degree, Professional Qualification in Probation (PQiP), BA (Hons) Youth Work, Diploma in Counselling/Careers Guidance, PGCE, Registered Nurse qualification, Police Sergeant Level. (NB - Social Work qualified staff are required to be HCPC registered).

**OR**
- Youth Justice Effective Practice Certificate (YJEPC) and relevant training, and to have practised as a Youth Justice Support Officer or equivalent.

**Experience and Skills** Key Skills**:

- Good interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to explain information to others and use negotiation and persuasion skills to influence the actions of others.
- Good literacy, numeracy and sound IT skills, to write reports to a high standard and present information clearly, concisely and accurately in ways that promote understanding.
- Able to research, assess, analyse and interpret information and data from varying sources, prioritise needs and identify strengths, to effectively formulate collaborative plans for intervention and service provision; including the voice of children, families and victims.
- Good organisational skills and the ability to prioritise your workload to effectively respond to unanticipated problems, whilst recognising the limit of your own accountability and responsibility and when to seek appropriate support, advice and supervision.
- Able to gain trust and respect, and work in partnership with parents, carers, colleagues and external agencies to deliver an effective service.
- Able to act in an appropriate manner, with discretion, whilst hearing confidential, sensitive or disturbing information.

**Qualifications and experience**:

- Relevant professional qualification recognised by one of the YJS statutory partner agencies (Social Work, Probation, Education, Health, Police), e.g. Social Work Degree, Professional Qualification in Probation (PQiP), BA (Hons) Youth Work, Diploma in Counselling/Careers Guidance, PGCE, Registered Nurse qualification, Police Sergeant Level. (NB - Social Work qualified staff are required to be HCPC registered).

**OR**
- Youth Justice Effective Practice Certificate (YJEPC) and relevant training, and to have practised as a Youth Justice Support Officer or equivalent.
- Theoretical knowledge, practice and skills in terms of youth justice and child/ adolescent behaviour, e.g. attachment and developmental trauma, child development, restorative practice, good lives model, desistance theory, RNR.
- Excellent assessment skills and experience of case management.
- Demonstrable experience of writing reports and presenting to a high standard in a Court/formal setting, being able to defend case and confidently challenge when appropriate.
- Extensive experience of multi-agency working to address the needs and risks of adolescents and their families.
- Training and development skills with the ability to successfully transfer bespoke knowledge and “up-skill” new colleagues to enhance and maximise their capabilities.

**Rewards and Benefits**
As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do.

In addition to working within a great team and a competitive salary you will have access to:

- **24-26 **days annual leave + bank holidays.
- A generous pension scheme.
- Training and development opportunities, including coaching and mentoring.
- A strong supportive management team.
- A range of discounts giving our staff access to hundreds of offers with the opportunity to save over £1,000 (Including: Argos, Samsung, Asos, B&Q and many more).