Youth Justice Practitioner (qualified)

We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic Youth Justice Practitioner to join our supportive, multi-agency team working with children aged 10–17 to prevent offending and reoffending.

The Service

Portsmouth Youth Justice Service is a multi-disciplinary team that works both within Children’s Services and the Criminal Justice System. Our over-riding aim is to prevent offending and reoffending by children (10-17 years of age).

We work with children who are subject to Out of Court Resolutions and Court Orders (including custodial sentences) and their families, and the victims of youth crime.We do this through a process of engagement, assessment, planning, intervention, review and closure, using a restorative and inclusive approach throughout.

About the role

Our innovative team requires an enthusiastic and knowledgeable Qualified Youth Justice Practitioner, who would enjoy the challenge of working in this important service for Portsmouth’s children, to cover a fixed term position.You will be required to carry a complex caseload of children receiving support, supervision and intervention by the Youth Justice Service.

You will be expected to liaise with colleagues both within and outside the Service in order to gather the relevant information to complete high quality assessments and deliver high quality interventions to reduce likelihood of reoffending and risk of serious harm to others, whilst support the child's safety and wellbeing.

You will have overall responsibility for the co-ordination of interventions of children on your caseload, and ensuring your work is delivered within a timely, evidenced-based and restorative approach.

If successful in applying for this post you will be joining a lively and supportive team whose priority is in improving outcomes for Portsmouth’s children who have offended and may be at risk of doing so again.

The ideal candidate

The role requires a qualified and experienced professional (e.g. Social Work, Probation, Education, or Health) with strong expertise in Youth Justice and working with children aged 10–17.

Key expectations include:

• Have a professional qualification in a relevant discipline (e.g.Social Work or equivalent in Probation, Education, Health etc) with current registration (where professional registration is required).
• Assessment & intervention skills to support young people, especially those at risk or vulnerable.
• Knowledge of Restorative Justice and a child-centred approach.
• Ability to work confidently to deadlines, stay organised, and manage a busy caseload.
• Strong teamwork, adaptability, and communication skills, including working with multiple agencies and families.
• Being self-motivated, using initiative, and solving problems effectively.
• Capacity to advocate for children and contribute to planning and reviewing interventions.
• Competence in IT systems (e.g. Microsoft Office and databases) for maintaining records.

Please ensure that you read the full job profile attached for the details and expectations of this role, paying particular attention the section 'Who is the person' as you will need to refer to this when completing your Personal statement.

Hybrid working arrangements:Attendance requirements to the designated workplace will be a minimum of 2 days.

Contact Details for an Informal Discussion:If you have any questions, or would like an informal discussion about the role, please contact : Kim Helme - kim.helme@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Interview details:Interviews will be held 9th & 10th July 2026

About Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.

We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals. Learn more about our values and behaviours.

Application process

We anonymise applications during application & shortlisting to ensure only relevant information is considered.

As part of your application, we ask that you complete a personal statement, this statement is crucial and is where you must demonstrate how you meet the requirements of the job against each of the points described in the 'Who is the Person' points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience.

We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard. More information can be found at Equality, diversity and inclusion - Careers portal

We are committed to offering an interview to all those candidates that qualify under our corporate commitments and meet the minimum criteria, however, for roles that receive a large number of applications, we will select the candidates that best meet the minimum criteria.

You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it.

Please note: We are not able to offer sponsorship for this position.

Safeguarding

Portsmouth City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Every post is subject to PCC and Portsmouth Safeguarding Children Partnership safer recruitment procedures.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) at Standard/Enhanced level will be required prior to any offer of employment and this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Please read the relevant DBS privacy notice before submitting any information.

You will need to explain any gaps in your career history within the last 5 years - this is essential for all safeguarding roles.