Advanced Practitioner - Youth Justice Service

Grade 9- £54267- £58461pa (plus 4k MS Payment)

Service: Specialist Safeguarding and Youth Justice
Directorate: People
Location: London Borough of Havering
Contract: Permanent
DBS Requirement: Enhanced Children's DBS

Help Transform Lives and Build Safer Communities

Are you an experienced Youth Justice professional looking for an opportunity to lead practice, support colleagues and make a lasting difference to children and young people?

The London Borough of Havering is seeking an outstanding Advanced Practitioner to join our Youth Justice Service. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced practitioner who is passionate about achieving positive outcomes for children, reducing offending, safeguarding vulnerable young people and strengthening families.

Working alongside the Team Manager, you will play a key role in driving high-quality practice across the service, providing professional leadership, mentoring colleagues and supporting the management of complex and high-risk cases.

About the Role

As an Advanced Practitioner, you will be responsible for supporting the delivery of a high-performing Youth Justice Service that safeguards children, young people, families and communities.

You will:

Provide expert practice leadership and consultation across the Youth Justice Service.
Support practitioners managing complex cases involving serious youth violence, exploitation, gangs, criminal behaviour, vulnerability and safeguarding concerns.
Deliver and oversee statutory interventions within youth justice, criminal justice and social care frameworks.
Ensure risk assessments, intervention plans and safeguarding plans are completed to a consistently high standard.
Promote child-first, trauma-informed and restorative approaches to practice.
Coach, mentor and develop practitioners to improve performance and outcomes.
Contribute to quality assurance, auditing and service improvement activities.
Support the Team Manager in delivering performance targets, national standards and Youth Justice Board requirements.
Build effective relationships with police, probation, education, health, social care and community partners.
Support the development of policies, procedures, practice guidance and workforce development initiatives.
Champion the participation and voice of children, young people and victims throughout assessment, planning and intervention.

About You

You will be a highly skilled practitioner with significant experience within Youth Justice, Children's Social Care or a related safeguarding service.

You will have:

A recognised professional qualification relevant to Youth Justice, Social Work, Probation, Youth Work or a related field.
Substantial experience working with children and young people who offend or are at risk of offending.
Strong understanding of Youth Justice legislation, safeguarding frameworks and national standards.
Experience of managing complex, high-risk and multi-agency cases.
Excellent assessment, risk management and intervention planning skills.
Experience of supporting, coaching and developing colleagues.
Strong partnership-working and relationship-building abilities.
Excellent communication, analytical and report-writing skills.
A commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes for children, families and victims.

What We Offer

At Havering, we are committed to creating an environment where our staff can thrive and develop.

We offer:

A supportive and collaborative management team.
Ongoing professional development and career progression opportunities.
Access to specialist training and development.
Flexible working arrangements where service needs allow.
Regular supervision and reflective practice support.
Generous annual leave entitlement.
Local Government Pension Scheme.
The opportunity to influence practice and improve outcomes for children and young people across the borough.

Why Join Havering?

Our Youth Justice Service is committed to delivering innovative, child-centred practice that helps children move away from offending and towards positive futures. This is an opportunity to join a service that values professional curiosity, restorative approaches and partnership working.

If you are passionate about safeguarding children, supporting families and leading excellent practice, we would love to hear from you.

Apply today and help shape brighter futures for Havering's children and young people.

Please view Job Profile here

For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Patricia.Garner@havering.gov.uk

The closing date for the receipt of applications is 20/9/26 however interest in this job may be high and we therefore reserve the right to close the vacancy early.

You will be notified if your application has been successful. Interview date to be confirmed.

Should you require any help or advice with your online application, please contact the Recruitment Helpdesk on 01708 432770

Additional Information

We want everyone to choose Havering. When you apply for a job with us, your application is considered on its merits regardless of your age, disability, ethnicity, faith, gender identity or sexual orientation. Our residents and service users come from all walks of life, and so do our employees. Find out what it means to Choose Havering.

The London Borough of Havering has important responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. If you are appointed to a job that involves working with these groups, you may be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Please attach your supporting statement, explaining in no more than x2 A4 sides why and how you meet the criteria for this role.

We practice anonymised recruitment. Please ensure that you remove all personal information from any documents that you upload.