Youth Justice Officer
West Sussex County CouncilRH12 1AB, South East
Overview
This is a local council role (full time) with West Sussex County Council based in RH12 1AB. The advertised salary is £33,673 to £36,581 per year. Applications close on 11 September 2026. GovJobs has indexed this vacancy from its official source — use the apply button to view the full advert and apply directly.
Job description
About the Job
Salary: £33,673 to £36,581 per annum
Contract Type: Permanent
Working Pattern: Full time, 37 hours per week
Location: County Hall North, Horsham with countywide travel
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our Youth Justice Service based in Horsham as a Youth Justice Officer.
As a Youth Justice Officer you will be passionate about making a difference to complex and vulnerable children at risk of prosecution, on bail / remand, or subject to Court Orders; ensuring children involved in the youth justice system receive the right intervention at the right time to achieve and sustain best outcomes.
You will bring a sound understanding of youth justice practice, strong assessment and decision-making skills, and the ability to manage a caseload independently and professionally. Building and maintaining effective relationships is key with a commitment to evidence-based practice. You will also be expected to maintain high professional standards, challenging practices and champion the values of equality, diversity, and inclusion in all areas of your work. You will be part of a supportive team environment, sharing best practices and guidance, with access to professional development opportunities to help you grow in your role and attain your career aspirations.
Our ideal candidate will have strong analysing skills and experience working with vulnerable children and young people. The skills to listen actively, leading with curiosity, and taking a holistic approach to your work are imperative. Being resilient, reflective, and adaptable in your practice is key, with a strong commitment to multi-agency collaboration and effective partnership working.
Please note the role requires flexible working out of office hours such as evenings and weekends to assist children and families to be able to achieve best outcomes. The role also requires you to be able to travel throughout the County including to locations that are not always easily accessible by public transport.
Experience & Skills
Just some of the skills and experience you will need include:
- Relevant professional qualification recognised by one of the YJS statutory partner agencies (Social Work, Probation, Education, Health, Police), e.g. Social Work Degree, Professional Qualification in Probation (PQiP), BA (Hons) Youth Work, Diploma in Counselling/Careers Guidance, PGCE, Registered Nurse qualification, Police Sergeant Level. (NB - Social Work qualified staff are required to be HCPC registered).
OR
- Youth Justice Effective Practice Certificate (YJEPC) and relevant training, and to have practised as a Youth Justice Support Officer or equivalent.
- Theoretical knowledge, practice and skills in terms of youth justice and child/ adolescent behaviour, e.g. attachment and developmental trauma, child development, restorative practice, good lives model, desistance theory, RNR.
- Good interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to explain information to others and use advisory, negotiation and persuasion skills to influence the actions of others.
- Good literacy, numeracy and sound IT skills, to write reports to a high standard.
- Able to effectively formulate collaborative plans for intervention and service provision; including the voice of children, families and victims.
- Good organisational skills and the ability to prioritise your workload to effectively respond to unanticipated problems.
- Able to act in an appropriate manner, with discretion, whilst hearing confidential, sensitive or disturbing information.
- Experience of multi-agency working to address the needs and risks of adolescents and their families.
For full list of keys skills, experience and qualifications please refer to the job description attached and reference these in your application.
West Sussex Youth Justice Service (YJS) is a high performing multi-agency statutory partnership which provides services before and after court to meet the statutory requirements of the youth justice system. Its primary aim is to prevent offending and reduce reoffending by children. The service works in partnership with a variety of agencies to ensure children are offered appropriate intervention to address their risks, meet their needs and build on their strengths. Further, the service seeks to repair the harm caused to victims and communities by addressing the root causes of offending and reoffending by children.
For more information about West Sussex County Council, please visit our WSCC About Us page.
Rewards & Benefits
As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do.
For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee, you can find this at our Rewards and Benefits page.
The reference number for this role is CAFHE06535
To apply, please follow the links below to upload your CV and complete our application form. In your application form please outline your motivations for applying and explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills) ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and a health check.
Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.
We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.
How this role compares
We hold 194 council vacancies in South East that publish a salary, and their median advertised starting figure is £34,660. This role sits close to the middle of the range.
There are 4,945 council roles open across the UK on GovJobs right now, 332 of them in South East.
You have 12 days left to apply. Council adverts we hold typically run for around 26 days, so this is a shorter window than usual.
West Sussex County Council has 13 other vacancies open on GovJobs, with a breakdown of what they pay and the kinds of roles they recruit for.
These figures are calculated from the vacancies GovJobs currently holds, not from official pay statistics. They are a guide to the market, not a valuation of this post.
How to apply
GovJobs does not take applications or send your details to the employer. Use the apply button to open the official Lg Jobs advert, then check the employer's instructions, attachments, person specification and closing time before applying.
This listing was last checked on 28 Aug 2026, 15:05. If the official advert has changed or closed, report it and we will review the listing.
Why this listing is on GovJobs
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The source for this role is Lg Jobs. Applications stay on the official employer or source website, not on GovJobs.