Youth Justice Practitioner

Job Introduction

About Us

Oxfordshire YJS is a county-wide service supporting justice-involved children aged between 10-18. We deliver the Local Authority's statutory responsibilities for youth justice under the Crime & Disorder Act (1998). Our team is co-located under a wider Adolescence & Prevention Service which includes the SAFER team (Safeguarding Adolescents from Exploitation & Risk), the Targeted Youth Support Service and Family Bridges. We work closely alongside partners across Social Care, Education, Health, Probation, Policing, Courts, custody and the voluntary and community sector to prevent offending and re-offending by children. The service has a highly committed and stable management team and an experienced and passionate staff team across various roles including Probation, Restorative Justice, Reparation, Volunteer Coordination, Police, case-management, a Performance Analyst and business support. We also have a large pool of dedicated volunteers who support the service in Appropriate Adult and Referral Order Panel roles. Alongside the national Turnaround programme, Oxfordshire YJS also has a project funded by the Thames Valley OPCC called 'Op Deter Youth', which provides timely intervention for children arrested for knife and weapon related offences. 

About the Role

This is a case-management role working directly with children and families. Case-managers in Oxfordshire YJS typically supervise a caseload of around 12-15 children alongside weekly Court, Bail and Office duties. The role involves comprehensive assessment and intervention planning using YJB-mandated tools, which requires skills in analytical-thinking, written communication and an understanding of the evidence-base underpinning current youth justice frameworks. Creative and individualised intervention with children is supported and monitored through regular, reflective supervision. Case-managers in Oxfordshire provide bail and remand services to Court alongside writing reports to assist sentencing. This role will be required to work with children across the range of out-of-court resolutions and statutory Court Orders, in the community and in custody. The work in the YJS involves high levels of complexity and our children can be both highly vulnerable and pose a high risk to the safety of others. 

Whilst this full-time role covers an 8.30 - 5pm working day, the service has to be responsive to the needs of our children and families and case-managers will often see children after school, work or college later in the day. The YJS has a statutory duty to service the Courts 6 days a week, which is managed on a rota basis, so occasional Saturday working is required. Oxfordshire YJS is a county-wide service and a full, valid driving license and willingness to travel is essential.

About you

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate a robust understanding of child safeguarding and risk/safety planning, as well as a sound knowledge of child and adolescent development. You will be passionate about supporting some of Oxfordshire's most vulnerable children to thrive and make positive changes in their lives; helping them develop a pro-social identity through responsive and creative intervention work. You will be dynamic, resilient, pro-active and a strong team player. You will be confident in working autonomously where needed to meet deadlines and manage your cases, whilst also bringing restorative values to working collaboratively as part of a wider Adolescence service in meeting shared goals for our children. You will have exceptional support from the management team, regular, reflective supervision and access to an extensive range of training and development opportunities. In return we expect case-managers to demonstrate personal responsibility and accountability for their practice and the highest standards to be upheld for our children and victims.
 

Rewards and benefits

• Culture of flexible working
• Technology to support agile working where role permits
• Upto 33 days holiday p.a plus bank holidays
• Option to 'buy' additional holiday
• Employee Assistance Programme including access to health and wellbeing support
• Membership of the Local Government contributory pension scheme, with an employer's contribution of upto 19.9%
• Enhanced family friendly policies
• Local and national discounts for shopping and travel
• Great learning and development opportunities to support your ongoing development

Our commitment to:
 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

Our commitment to:
Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Our commitment to:
Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Our commitment to:
Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

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If you encounter any issues with the application system, please contact us at: alison.brookman@oxfordshire.gov.uk