Youth Justice Practitioner

About the job Youth Justice Practitioner

Introduction and purpose of the job

The Youth Justice Service is a multi-agency, multi-professional team with statutory responsibilities for young people who are at risk of, or have offended. The service is part of a broader Children and Family Service delivering assessments and interventions to children, young people and their families across the borough.

The postholder will support the planning and delivery of evidenced based and outcome focussed interventions and programmes and ensure that children, young people, their families and carers are assessed and effective plans are put into place in accordance with statutory requirements and the National Standards for Youth Justice.

The service aims to prevent young people from becoming involved in crime, and for those who have already offended, reducing offending behaviours by working in partnership with a range of practitioners across Children and Family Services, police, other local authorities, probation, Youth Courts and mental health practitioners.

Youth Justice Practitioners will provide high quality reporting and services to young people and their families in the delivery of Youth Justice Interventions, court and custody processes.

Interventions are delivered in the family home or other community settings. The post holder will ensure the service is delivered in partnership with other youth provision and provides advice and consultation, as appropriate, to partner agencies working with young people who have offended. The post holder will be committed to a reduction in youth crime and improved community safety

Main duties and responsibility:

• To ensure Youth Justice work is of a high quality and is undertaken in accordance with national and best practice guidance for youth justice and with particular regard to ensuring effective systems are in place to manage risk and vulnerability.
• To undertake tasks and responsibilities within the team in line with Children and Family Services and national Youth Justice objectives
• To ensure that outcome focussed plans are in place and take accountability for your work within the Youth Justice Service
• To work as part of a team and contribute to the development and delivery of comprehensive, offence related programmes in line with current legislation and best practice guidance.
• To participate in professional development activities including appraisals and learning and training opportunities
• To maintain an up to date working knowledge of Youth Justice programmes and relevant legislation and statutory frameworks to contribute to the service meeting performance targets
• To support the Youth Justice Team Leader in ensuring that all requirements for bail assessments, reports to the court including pre-sentence reports, referral orders, breach processes and young people remanded to the community or custody are met.
• To work proactively to reduce the demand for custodial remands and ensure that all children with Looked After status have reviews and plans in accordance with statutory guidance.
• To support representation, and when appropriate chair relevant panels including breach compliance and referral order panels
• To share information about young people with other agencies, when appropriate, to manage risks to others, to safeguard them and promote their welfare.
• To support the service to build services that support integrated working.
• To represent the team in the Youth Court and at the Police Station and liaise with officials of the Court to assist in the youth justice process
• To support in the collation of information about children, young people and their families using the service in order to support the provision of aggregated information, statistics and other qualitative information as required
• To ensure that your work is recorded on relevant recording systems and your records are well organised, up to date and provide concise and accurate information about a childs circumstances and plans
• Work in partnership with the Police, Probation, Health, Courts, Education and other agencies in respect of young offenders
• Liaise with a range of professionals including other YOTs, our Integrated Gangs Unit, out of borough Courts and solicitors
• Effectively work with young people subject to pre-court interventions and Court Orders
• To support the development and planning of a variety of individual and group programmes in order to prevent young people becoming involved in crime and for those who have already offended
• Work with the Youth Justice Team Leaders to ensure integrated action plans match the diverse needs of the young people through effective recording, monitoring and evaluation
• To inform senior managers of all relevant issues affecting the safe and effective delivery of the service
• To communicate effectively with staff colleagues within the Youth Justice Service
• To support the Youth Justice Team Leaders to identify gaps and deficits and implement strategies to address these
• At all times to project the attitudes and…