Youth Justice Officer

Staffordshire Youth Justice Service (SYJS) is looking to recruit to two Officer posts.

Our service works with children (10-18) that have been referred by Police/other agencies due to concern about potential involvement in criminal behaviour (Prevention), by the Police to be considered for Out of Court resolutions, been through the Court system and given a community order and those children that have been received custodial sentences.

We are an established team that is experienced in supporting children in various stages of the justice system. We welcome the opportunity to learn from new members of staff and the different experiences and knowledge they bring.

Both roles are full time (37 hours) permanent roles and are based in the South Hub at the Lichfield office. The South Hub covers the areas of Stafford, Cannock, South Staffs, Lichfield, Tamworth and Burton.

Main Responsibilities

You will:

• Support and manage children subject to out of court disposals, community-based sentences and those in a custodial setting
• Be expected to form positive working relationships with complex and often neurodiverse children
• Act as Court Officer, duty officer and appropriate adult in line with service requirements, providing cover at both local police stations and secure estates
• Complete, maintain and review appropriate records on SYJS recording systems
• Complete high quality and timely assessments (Asset Plus and PDAT) and write reports for Court ( Pre-Sentence reports including custodial option) and Referral Order Initial and Reviews
• Engage in regular supervision/discussion with the Operations Manager (South Hub)
• Contribute to the development of Child First and Trauma informed practice.

The Ideal Candidate

You will have:

• A relevant professional qualification: e.g. DipSw / CQSW or Dip PS, Degree in Youth Justice OR significant relevant experience within Youth Offending or Children’s Social Care.
• Experience of working with children and families with the ability to develop positive working relationships.
• Knowledge and understanding of legislation applicable to the Youth Justice sector
• Understanding of the effect of trauma in childhood and the impact on child development
• Proven track record of using assessment, planning and review process in meeting the needs of children and families and public protection
• Ability to write and maintain accurate records and analytical assessments.
• A flexible approach, seeing children when they are available, in a variety of settings including home visits. There is an expectation of evening and Saturday/Bank Holiday Court cover working (on rota basis).
• An opportunity to plan your diary to be as effective as possible, with a mix of working at the Lichfield office base, locations within the South Hub and home if appropriate.
• Ability to support children working with our service who often have had difficult experiences and require understanding and motivation to achieve their capabilities.

The role requires patience, understanding and resilience. It can be frustrating on occasions but rewarding. You will be an integral part of our team trying to improve the opportunities of children who often feel left behind and not listened to.

We are advertising this role with the job title of a Youth Justice Officer, however the job description and the actual job title of the role is YOS Officer.

Shortlisting will commence week beginning Monday 10th August 20226.

Interview dates provisionally Thursday 20th August and/or Friday 21st August 2026

About Staffordshire County Council

We are no ordinary county council:

Our Values:

The core of who we are as an organisation. Just like we all have personal values that shape our thoughts and behaviour, organisational values drive how we think and act collectively.

Our values were created and shaped by colleague feedback and national best practice and they sit at the heart of People Strategy:

We have a real sense of community spirit that brings our people together. This feeling of belonging means we are all connected to what we do and take pride in the difference we make every day for Staffordshire people. We are ambitious and our sights are set firmly on a better future.

We look forward and race ahead - that goes for your career too.

Our benefits:

We recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive working environment where employees can achieve their full potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance.

In addition to your salary, as a member of staff, you will have access to Our rewards and benefits - Careers at Staffordshire

Our recruitment process:

As an Authority we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Staffordshire County Council is an equal opportunities organisation and Disability Confident employer. We encourage applications from all background and communities

As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

As you’ll know safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children and young people/vulnerable adults is important to us and that’s why this position is subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service. If applicable you should disclose details of unspent and unfiltered spent reprimands, formal warnings, cautions and convictions in your application form.

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