Job Introduction
We have a great opportunity to join our Youth Justice and Support Service in a key role to help safeguard and support children at risk of, or involved in offending, and their parents, carers and others directly affected by their behaviour.
Our service has recently restructured to bring together a number of related teams including Contextual Safeguarding, Stay Safe and the Young People’s Drug and Alcohol team to better focus on key areas that directly impact upon young people’s lives and the wider community.
Your role will form part of an established and experienced team of YOT Officers who manage both voluntary and statutory cases. Our service ethos is on intervening at the earliest opportunity, allowing for a timely and person-centred assessment and intervention plan to be developed in partnership with young people and parents/carers and other key organisations, at reachable and teachable moments.
You’ll primarily work with young people and their families in the community and within custodial facilities to address identified risks and needs to support children and young people to achieve better outcomes and to keep communities safer.
This is a full-time role working 37 hours a week and is site based in our city centre office.
Safer recruitment checks, enhanced DBS check and a driving licence are required. This role is only open to applicants who have the right to work in the UK.
Shortlisting: 29 August
Interviews: 4 and 5 September
Main Responsibility
Key Duties:
• Ensure that the likelihood of offending and risk of harm to others is reduced by effective assessment, risk management, planning and delivering interventions in line with criminal justice, children’s and other relevant legislation and in accordance with National Standards, Government guidance and local policy.
• Ensure that all children who are offending or at risk of offending are safeguarded and their wellbeing is promoted effectively, in line with national legislation and policy, enabling them to live safely within their family wherever possible.
• Work in partnership with key agencies, ensuring collaboration and information sharing for the benefit of the child or young person, victims of crime and the community at large and provide a quality youth justice service to the criminal courts as required by legislation and national standards.
Experience, Qualifications and any Mandatory Requirements
- Recognised qualification and substantial experience working with young people and understands the complexities of Adolescence, Youth Justice, Legislation, Policy and Research gained in Social Work, Policing, Education, Youth Work, Youth Justice / Criminal Justice or Health relevant setting.
.Skills Required
- Sound knowledge of Criminal Justice Legislation and the Youth Justice System, including Out of Court Disposals (OOCD).
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills and good IT skills with the ability to complete and present holistic assessments to assess likelihood of offending, risk of harm to others and risks to children and young people’s safety and wellbeing. This includes the requirement to analyse, summarise and write / record relevant information clearly and concisely so that it is easily understood by service users and colleagues.
- Able to collect, analyse and make judgements in high risk/complex cases and to use these to develop, implement, monitor and enforce effective interventions that are child and family centred and treat all with respect and with empathy whilst balancing the needs of victims and the community. Ability to question, challenge, solve problems and complete complex tasks with limited day to day guidance.
- Able to make considered decisions, analyse and evaluate information in high-risk cases with limited management oversight.
- Able to manage own work, prioritise, plan and use time efficiently and to take responsibility for co-ordinating designated areas of the service including planned work of others, with the flexibility and ability to support other staff when need arises.
- Ability to work as part of a multi-agency / multi-disciplinary team working co-operatively in partnership with other professionals and agencies to meet the needs of the child / young person parents and / or victims.
- Must be a self- motivating, self - directed and resilient individual with the ability to display initiative but also to work under direction according to guidance policy and Standards for Children in the Youth Justice System.
- Take responsibility for quality and completion of own work within standards, with the flexibility to adapt to change and contribute significantly to, and lead service development in designated areas.
- Able to find imaginative and cost-effective solutions to meet service users needs. Flexible and willing approach to working hours.
- A strong commitment to person-centred, anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice.
The Ideal Candidate
- Hold a recognised qualification and substantial experience gained working with young people in Social Work, Policing, Education, Youth Work, Youth Justice / Criminal Justice or Health relevant setting.
- Experience of working with adolescents, and where possible, young people who have offended / are at risk of offending.
- Excellent communication skills and can build rapport and relationships with children, young people, their families and other professionals.
- Have a driving licence and a vehicle insured for business use.
- Someone who is flexible.
Package Description
We are really proud of the benefits we are able to offer our staff here at Milton Keynes City Council, including:-
- Local Government Pension Scheme, excellent pension scheme widely regarded as one of the best available.
- 28 days annual leave per year in addition to statutory and public holidays, rising to 32 days after 5 years.
- Holiday Purchase Scheme.
- Our Professional Development Centre provides access to courses such as in-house management development programmes endorsed by the Institute of Leadership, coaching and mentoring and access to our Smarter Learning portal
- Cycle to Work Scheme.
- Health Cashplan.
- MK Advantage benefits package – a range of savings on a wide range of retail, leisure and entertainment products and services such as Pizza Express, M&S, B&Q, John Lewis and Arriva Travel.
- Blue Light Card - Employees working within Social Care can qualify for a range of discounts from national retailers to local businesses in a wide range of categories including holidays, cars, days out, fashion, gifts, insurance, phones and much more!
- SmartGo – Aimed at encouraging low-carbon transport and healthy lifestyle with discounted travel e.g. Halfords, Arriva, Europcar, National Railcards and Stagecoach.
- Homebuy Scheme (for eligible roles).
- Smarter working which provides the opportunity to work from various locations including from home for a proportion of your role (subject to business needs).
- A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Paternity entitlements.
- Childcare Subsidy.
About The Organisation
Milton Keynes is a diverse, welcoming, and expanding place, built on smart ideas with even bigger plans for the future. We have world class attractions, beautiful open spaces, and a great standard of living.
Milton Keynes City Council is one of the largest employers in the region, making a difference every day for local people. We’re responsible for all local government services in MK including education, housing, highways, and social services - around 240 services in all.
Our values are to be dedicated, respectful, and collaborative. If this sounds like you, join us for a stimulating and fulfilling career measured on results, and a rewarding work-life balance.
