Youth Offending Service Team Manager

Directorate: Children’s Services
Service: Youth Offending Service
Grade: PO6
Reports to: Senior Operations Manager (YOS)
Responsible for: Up to 8 staff members, including YOS Case Officers

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced Youth Offending Service Team Manager to provide strong operational and practice leadership within a Youth Offending Service.

You will be responsible for the day-to-day management of a team, ensuring high-quality practice, effective case management and compliance with relevant youth justice legislation, statutory guidance and National Standards.

The successful candidate will play an important role in improving outcomes for children and young people, while balancing safeguarding, public protection, risk management and the wider developmental needs of young people.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day operational and practice leadership to a team within the Youth Offending Service.

• Manage, allocate and monitor incoming work, ensuring assessments, reports and recording are completed within required timescales.

• Provide professional guidance and advice on youth justice and children’s social care matters.

• Provide supervision, quality assurance and performance management to staff.

• Audit assessments, reports and casework to ensure high standards of practice.

• Monitor compliance with professional requirements and National Standards.

• Lead and contribute to service development, policy implementation and continuous improvement.

• Support the development and delivery of the Youth Offending Service Plan.

• Chair internal planning, risk and practice meetings and represent the service at external meetings.

• Work collaboratively with police, probation, social care, education, health and other partner agencies.

• Analyse complex information and make balanced decisions around safeguarding, public protection and risk.

• Support staff development through training, supervision and professional development.

• Contribute to recruitment and retention of staff and address performance issues appropriately.

• Respond to service requirements, resolve problems and contribute to complaints management.

• Contribute to monitoring, evaluation and quality assurance processes.

• Design and deliver training and presentations to staff, magistrates and other stakeholders where required.

• Ensure accurate records, statistical returns and administrative requirements are completed in accordance with policy.

• Promote equality, diversity and anti-discriminatory practice throughout the service.

• Deputise for senior managers when required.

• Participate in evening and weekend working arrangements when required.

Essential Experience & Skills

The successful candidate should have:

• Substantial experience working within Youth Justice / Youth Offending Services.

• Strong knowledge of current youth justice legislation, safeguarding and effective practice.

• Experience of managing or supervising staff within a relevant setting.

• Strong understanding of operational management and service improvement.

• Experience of quality assuring assessments, reports and casework.

• Ability to analyse complex information and balance safeguarding, public protection and developmental needs.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Experience of working effectively with children, young people, families and professionals.

• Strong multi-agency partnership-working skills.

• Ability to chair meetings and develop positive professional relationships.

• Knowledge of relevant youth justice information and case management systems.

• Ability to work effectively under pressure and manage competing priorities.

• Commitment to equality, safeguarding and improving outcomes for young people.

Qualifications

The role requires an appropriate professional qualification, such as:

• Degree in Social Work with HCPC registration; or

• Degree in Community Justice with Level 5 Diploma in Probation Studies; or

• Degree-level education together with a Youth Justice Professional Certificate in Effective Practice.

The specification also requires three years' post-qualifying experience and extensive line management experience within a youth justice setting.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work outside normal office hours, including evenings and weekends.

• Enhanced DBS check required.

• Commitment to ongoing professional development.

• Ability to work collaboratively across a range of partner agencies.