Education & Youth Justice Liaison Officer

We are seeking a committed and passionate Education and Youth Justice Liaison Officer to join our Children and Young People’s Service. This role is vital in ensuring that all children engaged with the Youth Justice Service (YJS) have their education, training, and employment (EET) needs assessed and appropriately supported—whether in the community or in custody. This includes both under-16 education and post-16 provision.

The successful candidate will support children and their families to maintain EET placements, and collaborate with schools, training providers, and employers to create sustainable opportunities that help divert young people from re-offending.

Key Responsibilities:

• Liaise with internal and external agencies to secure suitable EET opportunities for children open to the YJS, improving their life chances and reducing re-offending risk.
• Track and record EET engagement for all YJS-involved children, including the preparation of quarterly KPI reports.
• Provide targeted support to NEET children to explore and access appropriate EET pathways.
• Facilitate effective information sharing between the YJS, education services, training providers, and secure establishments.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with a range of education and training providers, voluntary sector organisations, and local employers.
• Deliver training to YJS staff and the wider service to ensure up-to-date awareness of EET developments.
• Lead on designing accredited curriculum activities and coordinate the delivery of AQA qualifications.

Person Specification:

Qualifications:

• 5 GCSEs (including English and Maths) or NVQ Level 3 in a relevant field – essential
• A teaching qualification, Youth and Community qualification, Youth Justice Effective Practice Certificate (YJEPC), or a relevant degree – desirable

Experience:

• Proven experience working with socially excluded or at-risk young people
• Experience supporting or engaging with young people involved in the Youth Justice system

Knowledge & Skills:

• A good understanding of the Youth Justice system and relevant legislation
• Strong engagement skills with education/training providers and employers
• Excellent organisational abilities, capable of managing independent workloads and collaborating within a team
• High-level written and verbal communication skills

Competencies:

• Commitment to continuous service improvement
• Takes ownership and delivers outcomes reliably
• Acts as a positive role model for peers and young people
• Demonstrates flexibility and resilience in challenging situations

Additional Information:

This role may require occasional work outside standard office hours, including some evenings, weekends, or bank holidays.

At the London Borough of Hillingdon, we are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. This commitment means that all employees, job applicants and others who work for us will be treated fairly. The aim is for our workforce to be representative of all sections of society and Hillingdon residents so we welcome applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds.

We strive to ensure that our recruitment process is free from discrimination and bias, and we are dedicated to providing reasonable adjustments to applicants with disabilities.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable groups and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.