Youth Justice Social Worker

• Suffolk County Council
• Address: West Suffolk House, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3YU
  - Hybrid
• Salary: £34,434 - £40,777 per annum (pro rata if part time) plus £4,000 annual retention payment (pro rata for part time)
• Hours: 37 hours per week, Flexible working options available
• Contract: Permanent

We are focused on making a meaningful difference to communities across Suffolk. How? By listening to our people learning from what they say and creating a culture of mutual respect, where everyone works together to achieve great things. As a Youth Justice Social Worker
, you will be as passionate about collaboration and building brighter futures as we are. Join us to make a meaningful impact and take the next step in a truly rewarding career. You will be part of a highly skilled, regulated workforce, making a real difference every day, supporting children, families, victims, and communities, while promoting rights, resilience, and positive futures.

Reimagine the possibilities.

Your role and responsibilities

We are looking for passionate professionals to join our team and make a real difference through youth rehabilitation. In this role, you will:

• Deliver innovative rehabilitation and intervention programs
• Support young people and their families to prevent youth offending and promote positive change
• Engage with victims of youth offences
• Provide court support services, including weekends and bank holidays (once trained and as required)
• Contribute to community safety initiatives
• Work as part of a close-knit, motivated, and supportive team
• Collaborate with specialist services and multi-agency networks
• Build strong connections with challenging young people
• Demonstrate resilience, flexibility, and a belief in the power of rehabilitation
• Apply professional curiosity, assessment and analytical skills
• Commit to youth justice reform.

What you will need:

• A recognised Social Work qualification and Social Work England registration
• Excellent information-gathering and analytical skills
• A commitment to your own professional development
• If you do not already hold the Youth Justice Effective Practice Certificate (YJEPC) or the Professional Certificate in Effective Practice (including YJEPC Desistance Top-Up), you will be expected to work towards the YJEPC qualification as part of your employment. This qualification will be fully funded by Suffolk County Council
  .
• To hold a full and current driving licence and have access to personal transport or meet the mobility requirements of the role through other reasonable and suitable means.

The team

The Suffolk Youth Justice Service (SYJS) works with children and young people who are in, or at risk of entering, the Youth Justice System.

We also support parents, carers
, and victims of youth crime
, operating as a multi-agency partnership hosted by Suffolk County Council
.

Our core aim is to:

• Prevent offending by children and young people
• Protect the public from harm caused by youth offending
• Promote the safety, wellbeing, and future aspirations of the young people we work with.

SYJS operates 7 days a week
, including evenings until 9pm
, and conducts home visits to meet national standards and legislative requirements.

As part of the role, you will be expected to:

• Occasionally work evenings and weekends
  , for which you will be entitled to flexi time or Time Off in Lieu (TOIL).
• Participate in a Saturday rota
  , for which you will receive additional payment or TOIL
  , depending on your preference.

Additional Benefits

• up to 29 days annual leave plus bank holidays per annum, pro rata for part time
• an uplift of 3 additional annual leave days, pro rata for part time
• 3 protected CPD days per annum
• access to a relocation package of up to £8,000, a car leasing scheme and a welcome loan of £2,000 for all new social workers moving to Suffolk
• free on-site car parking in all council buildings
• flexible working options and our commitment to supporting health and wellbeing
• detailed induction programme, including mandatory Signs of Safety training
• staff networks which are open to staff, councillors and partners that share similar characteristics, life experiences, values and beliefs.

Empowering Everyone

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