Youth Justice Officer in Sheffield

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.

City of Sheffield – Children, Young People and Families

Location: Hybrid (office, home, and community‑based)

Hours: Flexible working, including evenings and weekends as part of a rota (8am–8pm, Monday to Saturday)

Are you passionate about supporting children to achieve their potential? Do you want to champion strengths‑based, trauma‑informed, and restorative approaches that make a real difference for children and families in Sheffield? Sheffield City Council’s Children and Families Service is seeking a Youth Justice Officer who is committed to child‑centred practice, partnership working, and continuous learning.

What You’ll Do

• Champion Trauma‑Informed and Restorative Practice: Build trusting relationships with children and families, recognising the impact of trauma and adversity, and supporting positive change through restorative approaches.
• Co‑Produce Support Plans: Work collaboratively with children, their families, and partner agencies to develop and regularly review intervention plans that reflect each child’s strengths, needs, and aspirations.
• Promote Inclusion and Address Disproportionality: Actively address issues of disproportionality and support children with SEND, ensuring equality, diversity, and inclusion are at the heart of your work.
• Multi‑Agency Partnership: Work closely with a wide range of professionals and agencies to ensure children have access to the right support at the right time.
• Digital Skills and Adaptability: Use digital tools and case management systems confidently to communicate, record, and review progress, adapting to new technologies as they emerge.
• Reflective Practice and Professional Growth: Engage in regular supervision, reflective practice, and continuous professional development to ensure the highest standards of support for children.

What We’re Looking For

• Experience working with children and families in a professional setting, with a commitment to trauma‑informed and strengths‑based practice.
• Strong understanding of the criminal justice system, child development, and effective support strategies.
• Excellent communication, digital, and organisational skills.
• A positive, solution‑focused attitude and a genuine commitment to empowering children.
• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends as part of a rota.

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a supportive, reflective, and passionate team dedicated to making a real difference for children in Sheffield.
• Access ongoing training, development, and opportunities to grow your career.
• Benefit from flexible, hybrid working arrangements.
• Experience the reward of seeing children achieve their goals and contribute positively to their communities.

How to Apply

If you’re ready to inspire change and help children in Sheffield thrive, we’d love to hear from you. For an informal chat or more information about the role, please contact the Sheffield City Council Children and Families Service.

Sheffield City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We are investing in our workforce and are promoting opportunities to our under‑represented groups. We value equality, diversity and inclusion and are focused on increasing the diversity of our workforce, particularly the number of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Disabled and LGBTQ+ people, so that our teams reflect the communities in the city we serve. We are also supporting staff with unpaid caring responsibilities to work flexibly.

Under the Guaranteed Interview scheme, applicants who are disabled, care leavers, or armed forces veterans will be guaranteed an interview if they meet the essential criteria and indicate their eligibility on the application form. Sometimes, if lots of people apply, we might not be able to interview everyone who qualifies for the Guarantee. In these cases, we’ll interview the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job.

Full‑time employees work 37 hours for 52 weeks of the year and we offer a generous holiday entitlement. We are open to discussions about a wide range of flexible working opportunities which benefit you and the Council, including reduced hour contracts, working part time or as a job share.

If you are appointed to this role, your starting salary will be at the bottom of the grade. If you provide payslip evidence that your basic pay is greater than the bottom of the grade, we will consider starting you at the point of minimum advantage within the grade. Equality of pay is extremely important to us. All roles at Sheffield City Council are going through an evaluation process which may result in changes to some pay arrangements from 2026. Find out more on our Sheff news page.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all individuals, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for everyone and where appropriate to the role the successful applicant will be required to undertake relevant safeguarding checks.