Youth Justice Probation Officer

Job Introduction

About Us

Oxfordshire Youth Justice Service is a dynamic and forward-thinking multi-agency partnership committed to preventing and reducing youth crime in the County of Oxfordshire. We are passionate about improving outcomes for justice-involved children, families and victims of crime and are driven in our practice by the Child First framework and our values. 

We are proud of the service we provide in partnership for children and victims, and are fiercely motivated to address barriers and challenges in our systems including equity of access to services for vulnerable and minoritised communities and victims, disproportionate over-representation of Black and Mixed Heritage children in our justice system, and improving education outcomes for children with SEND along with other core priorities as outlined in our Youth Justice Annual Plan.

Oxfordshire Youth Justice Service sits alongside the Targeted Youth Work, SAFER (Risk outside the home) and Family Bridges (supporting families at risk of breakdown/edge of care) teams to form the Adolescence and Prevention Service. This service provides the County’s offer around adolescents with a key focus on prevention of entry and escalation into statutory systems and processes to ensure the best possible outcomes.

About the Role

This is a fixed-term role for 3 years. Candidates from within the Probation Service will be given the offer to take this as a 3-year secondment. 

The role of Probation Officer within Youth Justice Services focuses on the provision of expertise to the team around transition from youth to adult services and management of high-risk including MAPPA. The Youth Justice Probation Officer will hold a caseload of children subject to both community and custodial disposals/sentences, with a primary focus on children 17+ who are eligible for transition to the Probation Service – supporting access to adult services in line with best practice principles for transition.

Whilst there are times it is appropriate to request children visit an OCC office base for appointments; Oxfordshire YJS is a county-wide service and we mostly see children and victims in their own homes and community spaces they feel safe – this can involve a lot of travel across Oxfordshire as part of an average week. Many of our older adolescents are also in work or college so it is typical for appointments to be after they finish work/college at the end of the day – therefore, all case-managers are required to be flexible with their diary management.

About you

Candidates applying for this role will have a Professional Qualification in Probation and over 3 years of experience. Experience must be recent (within the last 2 years). We are looking for a candidate who is passionate about supporting our older adolescents as they transition between youth to adult services, which can be a time of increased vulnerability where they and their families/carers need consistent and expert support. Ideally, the candidate will have experience of working with the 18-25 cohort within Probation. Case-management within Youth Justice can be varied and requires a high degree of flexibility. We are looking for a Probation Officer who is resilient, pragmatic, highly organised and self-motivated, with skills in engaging with young people who may have had difficult experiences with authority and services, who require a person-centred and relational approach. 

Rewards and benefits

• Culture of flexible working
• Technology to support agile working where role permits
• Up to 33 days holiday pay plus bank holidays
• Option to 'buy' additional holiday
• Employee Assistance Programme including access to health and wellbeing support
• Membership of the Local Government contributory pension scheme, with an employer's contribution of up to 19.9%
• Enhanced family friendly policies
• Local and national discounts for shopping and travel
• Great learning and development opportunities to support your ongoing development

Our commitment to:
 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

Our commitment to:
Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Our commitment to:
Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Our commitment to:
Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

Follow us on Social Media

Stay up-to-date with the latest news and featured jobs from Oxfordshire County Council by following us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

If you encounter any issues with the application system, please contact us at: alison.brookman@oxfordshire.gov.uk