Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Practitioner - SOLAH in Eastbourne

37 hours per week / £32,565 per annum / fixed-term until 31 March 2027 / working Monday - Thursday 9.00-1700, Friday 9.00-16.30.

At YMCA DownsLink Group, our mission is to help children and young people have a fair chance to be who they want to be. We do this by providing a safe home, building life skills and self-confidence, and supporting emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Our Values - we do what’s right, we work with heart, and we build real connections - guide and shape how we show up for children and young people we support and for each other.

YMCA What is Sexual Exploitation (WiSE) works to prevent and disrupt the sexual exploitation of children and young people aged 5-25 across East Sussex, Brighton and Hove, and Surrey. We are a specialist team of passionate, dedicated professionals who support each other to work in this challenging area. We deliver trauma informed, consent-based work with young people, schools, statutory services and Sussex Police.

The WiSE SOLAH ("safer online at home") project focuses on one-to-one interventions as well as group work, training for professionals and creation of resources to challenge the risk presented from the online space.

We are looking for someone who is passionate about safeguarding children and young people, working creatively around promoting healthy relationships, online safety whilst creating safe spaces for children and young people to be heard. You will provide early intervention support to children and young people 5-25 years who have been identified as being at risk of sexual or criminal exploitation. Working primarily across Rye, Eastbourne, Robertsbridge and Hastings, you will support children and young people to stay safe online and within their communities by providing consultation, guidance and professional support to those working directly with individuals at risk of exploitation.

As the role involves travel across East Sussex, you will ideally need access to a car and the ability to drive. Your work will include exploring key topics with young people such as risk, healthy and unhealthy relationships, sex and consent, negotiation and assertiveness, protective behaviours, personal boundaries, harmful sexual behaviours, gender identities, and concepts of masculinity.

Key responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of vulnerable young people and support them to stay safe and leave the influence of perpetrators.
• Work with other professionals to deliver tailored care packages and provide consultation.
• Maintain accurate case records and contribute to timely reports.
• Liaise with Children’s Services, Sussex Police and other agencies to disrupt abuse and support prosecutions.
• Deliver training and awareness-raising workshops to professionals and foster carers.
• Contribute to strategic development and deputise at relevant meetings.

This is a challenging role where children and young people do not always identify the level of risk they are exposed to or the abusive nature of the relationships they are in. The support of victims can be distressing and emotionally demanding for the workers, consequently 1-to-1 clinical supervision, weekly team meetings and regular line management supervision of cases and wellbeing.

If you are enthusiastic about this opportunity but don’t meet every single requirement, we still encourage you to apply. Your skills and experiences may be more transferable than you think, and you could be exactly the person we’re looking for.

Qualifications, experience and knowledge

• Qualification in Youth Work/Social Work or equivalent, or comparable experience working with vulnerable young people.
• Proven experience in safeguarding young children.
• Experience providing casework support to young people aged 10 to 25 years old.
• Group work experience with young people.
• Safeguarding children and young people at risk of serious harm.
• Delivering and risk assessing outreach work with young people.
• Knowledge of risks posed to vulnerable young people through sexual exploitation and harmful sexual behaviour.

If you would like any further information or an informal discussion about this secondment opportunity, please contact Emma.Kester@ymcadlg.org. Should you require any assistance with our application process, please email us at Recruitment@ymcadlg.org.

CLOSING DATE: Sunday 15 February 2026 at midnight.

Please note that we are unable to offer a work permit or visa sponsorship for this role; applicants must already have the right to live and work in the UK independently.

An inclusive workplace

We are committed to policies and practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion and to supporting our people to make sure our culture is consistent with this commitment.

Accessibility

If you require assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please do contact us. YMCA DLG requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. Successful applicants will undergo a thorough background screening process, conducted by an accredited third-party provider. This includes an Enhanced DBS check (with Children’s and Adults’ Barred Lists) as well as comprehensive reference and activity check.