Youth Justice Practitioner in Gravesend, Kent

Connect2Kent recruit exclusively for Kent County Council. 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 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 and 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 collaborative, motivating and child-centred way to address the factors related to the young person's desisting from offending, the risk they pose to others or their welfare needs.
• Represent the service in Court and perform all tasks expected of a Court Officer, including preparing paperwork for the Youth Court, attending as the Youth Offending Service representative and presenting reports on behalf of colleagues, ensuring that processes and decisions are accurately recorded in accordance with departmental and legislative requirements.
• Develop individually tailored programmes of interventions for and supervise young people on Youth Justice orders ensuring that Restorative Justice principles are embedded throughout.
• Assess young people using a wide variety of tools for both risk and protective factors 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, addressing all possible sentencing options and acting 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 and promote equality in accordance with service policies and procedures.
• Monitor and record clients' progress against the agreed established intervention plan, ensuring that clients' and their parents or carers' views are sought to inform the continuous improvement of the service.
• Use the service's case management recording system to record all progress and have knowledge of different KCC databases and case management systems.
• Co-deliver group work in partnership with EHPS colleagues in the county, assisting in the organisation and resourcing of a weekly group work 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.
• 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 evenings, weekends and during school holiday periods; this will be co-ordinated by Early Help and Preventative Services Management as required.

Connect2Kent is an equal opportunities Employment Agency & Business. It positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates.