Job Description - Leeds



LEEDS CITY COUNCIL - Job Description

DIRECTORATE: CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

Service Area: Youth Justice Service

Job Title: Youth Justice Officer

Grade: SW(R)

Responsible To: YJS practice or operational manager

Responsible For: Trainees and students as appropriate

Conditions of Service: NJC Conditions apply

Core Values, Ambitions and Goals for Children’s Services Employees

As a Council our ambition is to be the best City Council in the UK

Our behaviours will be influenced by our values of:

• Working as a team for Leeds

• Being open, honest & trusted

• Working with communities

• Treating people fairly

• Spending money wisely

Children’s Services Directorate

Our Vision

We want Leeds to be a Child Friendly City and are committed to ensuring that children and young people:

• are safe from harm

• do well at school and are ready for work

• choose healthy lifestyles

• have fun growing up, and

• are active citizens who feel they have voice and influence

Our goals

We believe that every Children and Family Services employee can make a contribution to make our vision a reality and we encouraged everyone to work as part of the directorate team to shape children and family centred local services based on our priorities of:

• helping children to live in safe and supportive families

• ensuring that we protect the most vulnerable

• encouraging activity and healthy eating

• improving support where there are additional health needs

• promoting sexual health

• readiness for school

• improving behaviour, attendance and achievement

• reducing the numbers of young people who are not in employment, education or training

• providing opportunities for play, leisure, culture and sporting opportunities

• reducing youth crime and anti-social behaviour

• increasing participation, voice and influence

JOB PURPOSE:

To work with young people and their families to reduce their risk of offending or re-offending, in accordance with relevant legislation, National Standards for Youth Justice, YJS values and the Youth Justice Plan for Leeds.

Responsibilities:

To positively engage young people and their families in order to improve their outcomes, working in an inclusive, restorative and trauma informed manner, with high challenge and high support

To undertake thorough, effective and analytical assessments of young people, with particular regard to the risk of offending, level of harm posed to the public and risk to the young person’s own safety and wellbeing, in accordance with YJS risk management and safeguarding procedures. This will include completion of the appropriate specialist risk assessment tools and working closely with other agencies.

To work in an anti-oppressive manner, promoting equality and ensuring that diversity issues are addressed

To sequence, plan, develop, co-ordinate, deliver and review programmes of focused work to young people on a group and individual basis, including those subject to intensive supervision, demonstrating an understanding and application of the theories and methods of effective youth justice practice and evidence based practice research

To take account of the views and interests of victims and issues of public safety and public confidence

To work with the families of young people who offend to improve outcomes for the family

To prepare timely and analytical pre-sentence and other reports to a high quality

To encourage and enable young people’s participation in all aspects of service delivery, helping them make informed decisions and enabling them to clarify and express their needs and contribute to service planning

To take an active role in Court as required, including the participation of Court duty office rota, and other liaison services

To maintain effective, accurate and timely administrative systems and provide all information necessary for accountability, case management, statistical and monitoring purposes, taking full account of information sharing protocols

To actively contribute to a culture of innovation, restorative practice, new ideas and learning within the team and wider Service. This includes making proactive and positive use of management oversight and support, team meetings, Service briefings, training and written communication to reflect critically on practice and exploring different approaches to effective working and implementing change as appropriate

To work flexibly, including evening and weekend work as required, to meet the needs of young people

To undertake other duties appropriate to the post as required by the Service

To comply with the requirements of all Leeds Youth Justice Service, Leeds City Council and Departmental policies, procedures and staff instructions, including responsibilities under the Health and Safety policies and procedures.

Qualifications:

Professional Social Work qualification, or Probation Studies Diploma, or Diploma in Youth & Community Work or Foundation Degree in Youth Justice. If the post holder is eligible for registration with the HCPC they will be required to maintain this registration whilst in post.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS: The post is subject to a higher level check with the Disclosure and Barring Service.. In discharging its social services function under the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970, Leeds Children and Family Services is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions Order 1975) and any applicant is obliged to disclose ALL convictions and cautions, no matter how long ago they occurred and regardless of whether the offences were committed as an adult or a juvenile.

Please note that a criminal record will not necessarily be a bar to obtaining employment; this will depend on the circumstances and background to any offence.

PERSONAL SPECIFICATION ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS: It is essential that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities: Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate on the application form that they meet all the essential requirements.

Method of Assessment will be through one or more of the following Application Form, Test, Interview or Certificate.

Skills required

Ability to engage to and establish constructive relationships with young people and their families to work to bring about positive change in their behaviour.

Ability to work restoratively with young people and their families with high challenge and high support in order to improve their outcomes

Ability to analyse information from a wider variety of sources, use judgement and make defensible decisions, particularly regarding risk

Ability to engage and work constructively with the wider family unit

Excellent case management skills, engaging and involving all relevant parties

Ability to challenge discrimination, prejudice and oppressive behaviour and work in ways which promote equality of opportunity, participation and responsibility

Self-motivation, initiative, enthusiasm, creativity, responsiveness and an ability to work to deadlines.

Ability to develop and deliver effective, trauma informed individual and group work programmes.

Ability to prepare high quality and well informed, analytical pre-sentence reports and other reports within National Standards.

High standard of both oral and written presentation skills.

Ability to work in partnership and manage and share information appropriately, effectively, accurately and concisely between service users, carers, victims, colleagues and other agencies.

High levels of competence in the use of technology and excellent organisational skills

Knowledge required

Professional social work qualification, Diploma in Probation Studies, Youth and Community Work qualification or Foundation Degree in Youth Justice

Detailed understanding of Youth Justice legislation and practice guidance and court processes

An understanding of the evidence base regarding effective practice with young people who offend and of recent research in the field

Understanding of the principles of a child friendly and restorative city

Understanding of the victim’s perspective, restorative approaches and issues of public confidence

Understanding of trauma informed safeguarding practice

Experience required

Case management in a justice or social work setting

Working with young people in crisis

In safeguarding young people

Behavioural & Other Related Characteristics required

Committed to YJS values

Committed to continuous improvement.

Ability to understand and observe the Council’s Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety and Information Management policies.

Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities to ensure up to date knowledge, skills and continuous professional development.

Job Description Content Prepared / Reviewed by:

Rebecca Gilmour - Deputy Service Manager

Date: 4.9.19

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download