Areas of practice

Youth justice

Summary: Support children to reduce the risk of offending and promote positive development in their lives
Other names: Youth offending

What you'll do

Your responsibilities will vary depending on your role and position in the team.

Social workers in youth justice teams are expected to:

provide direct support to children involved in or at risk of offending
engage with children’s strengths and encourage them to make positive changes in their lives
develop interventions and provide access to education and employment support
assess and prioritise the safety and well-being of children and others
work with families to develop plans and interventions that promote positive outcomes
advocate for children and empower them to participate in decision-making
work with external partners to coordinate effective interventions and support
evaluate the progress and effectiveness of interventions
prepare reports and assess risk for courts, children’s panels and out-of-court disposals

The skills and knowledge you need will vary depending on your role and position in the team.

Social workers in youth justice teams are expected to have:

interpersonal skills to communicate with children clearly and compassionately
an understanding of child development theories and frameworks
an understanding of the youth justice system and relevant legislation and policies
skills in carrying out safety and well-being assessments specific to youth offending
knowledge of interventions that promote resilience and reduce the risk of offending
the ability to motivate children and promote active participation in interventions
experience of working with multi-agency partners such as the police and courts
knowledge of writing clear and evidence-based reports for courts
the ability to work effectively with children from diverse backgrounds and communities

It could also be useful to have a qualification from a specialised training programme in:

You could work with external partners and services including:

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