Evolve Practitioner

Do you have experience providing 1:1 support to vulnerable children and young people to become the best they can be? The Evolve Adolescent Exploitation team is a friendly and supportive team that together holds significant expertise and experience in this specific field of work. You will join a team committed and passionate about providing services to young people and their families/carers aged 11-25 years affected by going missing, criminal exploitation, sexual exploitation, serious youth violence and gang affiliation. You will be part of a trauma informed team and work along trauma involved principles. Your work will be young people lead and you will understand where they are at and what they need from us as a service. Our services are not a statutory requirement and young people choose to work with us.

About the role

You will support the work of the Evolve Adolescent Exploitation and Missing Team by providing direct and dedicated support to young people who have been victims of sexual violence or exploitation and particularly those who are at risk due to their connection to gangs. You will hold a caseload of young people and deliver direct work with them, as well as undertaking Return Home Conversations (RHCs) and delivering targeted groupwork to young people in schools and youth settings. You will also be involved in delivering multi agency training and working closely with the police, probation, health, social care and all our partners.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing direct support to young people and their families, focusing on creating safety in relationships.
• Delivering trauma-informed, non-judgmental 1:1 support and group work.
• Collaborating with various agencies, including police and social care, to ensure comprehensive support.
• Engaging in training and development opportunities to enhance practitioner skills.

You will work in a modern, collaborative environment with a stable, friendly team and strong, visible leadership. You will be part of a small, specialist team where supervision is regular, caseloads are manageable and your time with vulnerable children and young adults is protected and purposeful. Our onboarding and induction are quick and efficient, ensuring you feel supported from day one.

Essential Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Experience of working directly with adolescents affected by CSE, Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE), Youth Violence, Gangs, Missing episodes, or County Lines, and supporting their families within a statutory or non‑statutory setting.
• Strong ability to engage and build trusting, positive relationships with vulnerable young people experiencing exploitation or contextual harm.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to bring compassion, creativity and clarity to all interactions and casework.
• Effective organisational and planning skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast‑paced environment.
• Experience providing intensive 1:1 support to young people with complex needs.
• A qualification at Level 4 or above in a related area for example Early Years, Youth Work, Social Care, Education, Psychology, Criminology, Sociology or Community Work.

If you meet the above criteria and you are passionate about promoting positive outcomes for children and young people, we encourage you to apply for this opportunity. We value your passion, your practice, and your purpose - Wandsworth is where your next chapter begins.

For an informal conversation about the role, please contact: Elisha Myton by emailing Elisha.Myton@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk

Closing Date: 12 April 2026. Shortlisting Date: w/c 13 April 2026. Interview Date: w/c 20 April 2026. We may close this vacancy early once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Please submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Richmond & Wandsworth Better Service Partnership are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, please let us know. We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Some posts may be exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to these posts will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). We offer a wide range of benefits designed to attract, develop, and reward our employees such as 40 days annual leave (including Bank Holidays), flexible working and a generous pension plan.