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Job description

The Role of the Youth Justice Agency YJA The Youth Justice Agency YJA was launched as an Executive Agency, as recommended in the Criminal Justice Review 2000, on 1 April 2003. The YJA aims to make communities safer by helping children to stop offending. The Agency works with children aged 10 to17 years who have offended or are at serious risk of offending. The YJA provides a range of services, often delivered in partnership with others, to help children to address their offending behaviour, divert them from crime, assist their reintegration into the community and to meet the needs of victims of crime. The overall statement of purpose for the YJA is: Making communities safer by helping children to stop offending Organisational Structure and Staffing There are three Directorates in the YJA Youth Justice Services, Custodial Services and a Corporate Services Directorate. The YJA operates via a Headquarters, a Juvenile Justice Centre and five regional community teams across Northern Ireland. The Chief Executive is directly accountable to the Minister for the Agencys performance. He is supported in discharging the day to day responsibilities by a Management Board, which comprises: Director of Youth Justice Services Director of Custody Director of Corporate Services Two Independent Board Members .

Responsibilities

• To operate within the policies and guidelines of the YJA as directed by YJA Middle and Senior Management.
• To support young people (10-17) in (or on the fringes of) the Criminal Justice System to desist from offending and to improve their life chances.
• To oversee, supervise and manage Court Orders, Public Prosecution Service Plans and voluntary (Earlier Stage Diversion) arrangements.
• To deliver effective Social Work and Youth Work services to young people across the continuum of Earlier Stage Intervention through to supervision on release from custody.
• To facilitate Youth Engagement Clinics (in partnership with the Police Service for Northern Ireland and the Public Prosecution Service)
• to ensure that suitable young people are exited from the Criminal Justice System at the earliest opportunity and/or are fully cognisant of the range of appropriate diversionary disposals.
• To deliver Community Resolution Notice programmes to young people referred directly by the Police Service for Northern Ireland.
• To undertake a range of assessments including the Youth Justice Agency Assessment and others to inform the development of holistic and tailor made intervention plans.
• To work closely with victims in ensuring their views are heard and that they are fully engaged with the process if they wish to be.
• To ensure all intervention plans with young people are informed by both appropriate assessment(s) and by the out workings of the Youth Conference and to ensure said interventions are premised on planning,
• reviewing and evaluation of progress on a regular basis.
• To work in partnership with young people, families/carers, communities and professional bodies to support positive behaviour change and reduce offending.
• To establish multi agency and community networks and support in order to deliver interventions in partnership and to ensure the reintegration of young people in the criminal justice system.
• To source, risk assess and manage appropriate and meaningful Reparative Activity placements in order to deliver Service in the Community requirements
• To participate in and prepare reports for case conferences, reviews and any other meetings relevant to the young person.
• To maintain timely and accurate written and electronic records in accordance with YJA case recording policy.
• To participate in training and support of volunteers, Social Work and Youth Work students and sessional workers.
• To promote and deliver a range of restorative approaches (outside the Youth Conference) in order to support young people and to take into account the views of victims.
• To serve as an Officer of the Court: providing high quality oral and written reports and Bail Assessments to both the Court and PPS.
• To work closely with colleagues in the Juvenile Justice Centre to provide a seamless end to end service to young people in custody and to contribute to release planning.
• To participate in supervision, team meetings, training and staff development programmes.
• To transport passengers/youths to other destinations throughout Northern Ireland

Skills and Qualifications

Essential Skills

• Applications will only be accepted from candidates who meet the following eligibility criteria: At least a degree or postgraduate diploma in either Social work or Youth Work or be expected to obtain the qualification by August 2024
• And: Demonstrable experience of working with young people who display challenging behaviour.
• And: Demonstrable experience of undertaking assessments and interventions on young people.
• And: Current registration or be eligible for registration with the Northern Ireland Social Care Council. (Continuing employment will be dependent on the successful registration).
• And: Provide full education and employment history.
• And: Provide the names and addresses of two referees, one of which should be your current / most recent employer. (Referees should not be relatives or GP's.)

Further Information

NICS Application form only, Vacancy closing date Friday 26th April 2024 12 noon. Applications from young people (people under the age of 35), people with a disability and people from minority ethnic communities are particularly welcomed for this post. The Northern Ireland Civil Service is an Equal Opportunities Employer. All applications for employment are considered strictly on the basis of merit

Application Information

Visit the recruitment service website www.nicsrecruitment.org.uk (Please quote reference number: IRC301185)