Youth Justice Practitioner

Description: Connect2Kent recruit exclusively for Kent County Council. We recruit for a range of Social Work position's both Locum and Permanent.

Kent County Council are Ofsted rated as 'Outstanding'. We are currently recruiting for a Youth Justice Practitioner Covering Gravesend and Surrounding areas. Previous experience is required working in Youth Justice.

Purpose of the Job:

As a member of a multi agency service, undertake assessment of and direct work with young people and their families so as to reduce the risk of them re-offending in accordance with the agreed intervention plans and in the context of managing their risk of harm to others and vulnerability issues.

Main duties and responsibilities:

Hold cases at either standard, enhanced or intensive Scaled Approach level in accordance with the Youth Justice Board Case Management Guidance document. This will include significant inter-agency liaison, multi-agency work, for young people and their families using an adolescent risk and whole family model of intervention

Work with young people and their families or carers in a way which is collaborative, motivating and child-centred to address the factors related to the young persons desisting fromoffending, the risk they pose to others or their welfare needs.

Represent the service in Court and perform all the tasks expected of a Court Officer. This includes preparing paperwork for the Youth Court, attending as the Youth Offending Service representative and present reports on behalf of colleagues, ensuring that processes and decisions are accurately recorded in accordance with departmental and legislative requirements. This will involve being attentive to the needs of young people and their families at all stages of the Court process.

Develop individually tailored programmes of interventions for and supervise young people on Youth Justice orders ensuring that Restorative Justice principles are embedded throughout. This will include significant face to face work with young people and their families, and the coordination of work alongside other agencies.

Assess young people using a wide variety of tools for both risk and protective factors in order to facilitate and inform all aspects of case management. Write reports for Court that incorporate all relevant information and assessments, including information from partner agencies, and that address all possible sentencing options and act as a Referral Order Panel Advisor.

Undertake safeguarding work in partnership with other agencies where required and ensure that the risk of harm to others is always effectively managed. Understand issues relating to diversity. Respect and promote diversity and equality in accordance with service policies and procedures.

Monitor and record client's progress against the agreed established intervention plan. Ensure that the client's and their parents or carers' views are sought to inform the continuous improvement of the service they receive and that offered to others. Use the service's case management recording system to record all progress and have knowledge and understanding of different KCC databases and case management systems, so that these are used to inform any assessments made or work done.

Co-deliver groupwork in partnership with EHPS colleagues in the county assisting in the organisation and resourcing of a weekly groupwork programme across sites delivering a service on 6 days per week.

Lead within the team on young people's participation and ensure that this informs the work of the team and act as Duty Officer as part of the team's rota system and be prepared to work evenings, weekends and Bank Holidays as required.

The postholder will be expected to work flexibly including evening, weekends and during school holiday periods; this will be co-ordinated by Early Help and Preventative Services Management as required.

Connect2Kent is a trading style of Commercial Services Kent LTD - A company wholly owned by Kent County Council. Connect2Kent is an equal opportunities Employment Agency & Business. It positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates