Young Person's Practitioner

Company Description

At Catch22, we are proud of our reputation as a modern and progressive employer. Our 1,300 colleagues and 300 volunteers work at every stage of the social welfare cycle, supporting over 60,000 individuals, from cradle to career. Our work spans education, social justice and rehabilitation, children’s social care, family support, social action, and getting people into work.

Young People and Families (YP&F) Hub delivers a wide range of integrated support services designed to help resolve complex difficulties experienced by young people and their families/carers. The Hub works with those in trouble, providing early intervention to those who are in crisis, leaving care, missing from home, or with substance misuse or mental health problems. Services support people no matter what situation and have demonstrated a high success rate.

Merton Risk and Resilience Service is an integrated service focused on mitigating risk and promoting resilience in children and young people (C&YP). The service aims to reduce harm to children and young people (aged 18 and under) within the Child Exploitation and Missing service area, and C&YP (aged 24 and under) within the substance misuse service area.

Job Description

Permanent, full-time - up to £29,000 per annum. This role requires access to a car and a full driving licence.

The role of Young Person’s Practitioner (Risk and Resilience) is an excellent opportunity to make a direct and valued difference to the lives of children and young people (C&YP) who are at significant risk of child exploitation, substance misuse, or going missing from home.

Providing tailored support and guidance to children, young people, and families, this role will actively contribute to achieving high standards of care, quality, and positive outcomes – supporting service users to fulfil their potential through consistent and meaningful participation.

In addition, the role will work in partnership with a wide range of partner agencies and commissioners, providing continuous opportunities to build your network and knowledge within the Children’s Social Care Sector. It also supports you to build service‑area specialisms in Substance Misuse, Child Exploitation, Missing from Home, or Families work.

Job responsibilities include:

• Providing tailored one-to-one support, guidance and interventions.
• Assessing the needs of children and young people, determining appropriate support plans and pathways, and informing risk reduction plans.
• Ensuring that referrals, support, care, and risk management are of a high quality, with ease of transition.
• Developing sustainable joint service work with referring agencies, local authorities, children’s social care, and children & families services (CFS).
• Ensuring timely and appropriate data recording – including tracking, outcome monitoring, KPI monitoring, and assisting with the production of feedback reports.
• Providing consultation, information, training, and presentations to a wide range of stakeholders, from varied settings.

We are also interested in candidates who can demonstrate transferable experience in the following areas:

• Working with children and young people with a range of vulnerabilities.
• Building positive relationships with children and young people, and their families.
• Carrying out assessments, risk management, and care plans, and providing interventions.

Qualifications

• 5 GCSEs (grade C or above), or equivalent.
• Experience of working with children and young people with complex needs or vulnerabilities.
• Preferable: Working knowledge of supporting children and young people in one or more of the following areas: substance misuse, child exploitation, missing from home.

Additional Information

Salary: Up to £29,000 per annum (depending on knowledge and experience).

Hours of work: Full time, 37 hours per week.

Contract: Permanent.

*We have two positions available. The Risk and Resilience YP Service requires a ratio of male practitioners to ensure that we can offer accessible support to young people and, where required, give them the choice of who they wish to be supported by. For these reasons, one of the positions is open to male applicants only.

*This role requires access to a car and a full driving licence.

*Catch22 supports flexible working, and we are ambassadors of a positive work-life balance – any hours worked outside of regular contracted hours will be accrued as Toil, and wherever possible, taken at the member of staff’s convenience.

*This is a community-based role; we are open to discussing flexibility for remote working days where service delivery allows.

Benefits:

• Discounted shopping opportunities, with over 1,400 retailers – through our Rewards Hub.
• Access to a 24/7 GP helpline – including online video consultations, and electronic private prescriptions.
• Employee Assistance Programme – a free, confidential service that offers expert advice, information, and counselling, for all staff and their dependents (24/7, 365 days a year).
• Access to a network of trained Mental Health First Aiders, across the organisation.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• 28 days annual leave (+ 8 public holidays) – increasing to 33 days after five years.
• Matching employer pension contributions of 4%.

Catch22 is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff, volunteers and other third parties to share this commitment. Safer recruitment practice will be followed and pre‑employment background checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed. The post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

At Catch22 we value equality, diversity and inclusion. We are wholeheartedly committed to the principle of equality of opportunity, both as an employer and as a provider of services. Diversity and Inclusion is part of what we do every day, working to deliver our vision to build a strong society where everyone has good people around them, a purpose, and a good place to live.

Catch22 is committed to rigorous safeguarding and safer recruitment practices; ensuring that every individual within the organisation has been safely and appropriately checked.

We aim to review applications as quickly as possible. However, due to the volume of interest we receive, we may not be able to contact all applicants individually. If you have not heard from us within two weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been successful this time.

Please note, we will conduct an online search as part of our due diligence checks for successful candidate(s). This will involve a search of all publicly available information online and in social media.

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Additional opportunity

A paid out‑of‑hours service that facilitates the safe return home for children and young people who have been found in an exploitative situation inside and outside of London. This is an optional opportunity attached to the advertised role.