Job Description (JD)
Band 4
Group Profile - Prison Officer Specialist (POS)
Job Description - POS : Specialist Youth Justice Worker
Document Ref.
OR-JES-2449-JD-B4 : POS : Specialist Youth Justice Worker v4.0
Document Type
Management
Version
4.0
Classification
Official
Date of Issue
27 January 2022
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Job Evaluation Assurance and Support Team
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence
OR-JES-2449-JD-B4 : POS : Specialist Youth Justice Worker v4.0
Job Description
Job Title
POS : Specialist Youth Justice Worker
Group Profile
Prison Officer Specialist
Organisation Level
Delivery 3-4
Band
4
Overview of the job
This is an operational job within the prison officer role profile but specific to a youth
secure accommodation establishment.
The Youth Custody Service (YCS) delivers a caring, rehabilitative culture that focusses
on the individual needs of young people (aged 18 and under). It uses its expert
understanding of the causes of offending behaviour in young people to support
them to turn their lives around and reduce the risk of reoffending, both by
developing intervention strategies within the secure estate, and by modelling
rehabilitative behaviours in every interaction.
The YCS seeks to ensure that young peoples’ time in custody is spent improving their
health, education and rehabilitation outcomes, as well as making the most of
opportunities to develop into healthy adults, able to make a positive contribution to
society upon release.
A well-trained workforce, motivated to work with young people in custody and able
to affect positive change through individual, encouraging relationships with young
people, is key to creating a culture where young people are supported, cared for and
motivated to engage, develop and change, in line with rehabilitative principles.
We value the specialist skills of those working in the youth estate, and their desire to
improve the lives of young people. We will invest in developing a high-performing
and inspiring workforce through ongoing professional development, and establishing
a distinct career path for those working to rehabilitate young people.
Summary
The Youth Justice Specialist Worker role is a rewarding and challenging position,
which combines the essential elements of caring for young people within custody,
ensuring security is retained within a safe and secure environment and reducing
their risk of reoffending. Youth justice Specialists will also facilitate the personal,
social and emotional development of the young people in their care, many of whom
are particularly vulnerable or have complex and challenging needs.
All Youth Justice Specialist Workers are expected to build constructive and
motivational relationships, ensuring:
• Young people feel safe and supported.
• Young people’s individual needs are met.
• Young people engage in learning and training to build a positive and
productive pathway into communities.
• Young people are better able to build positive and pro-social relationships
with peers and appropriate adults.
• Young people have access to high-quality services that address their
offending behaviour, remove barriers to learning and engagement and
provide appropriate support during custody and on return to the wider
community.
OR-JES-2449-JD-B4 : POS : Specialist Youth Justice Worker v4.0
The position demands specialist skills and you will be required to have relevant
qualifications/training or experience and an aptitude for working with young people.
Alongside the role, you will be required to undertake further training which could
include:
• Modules of the level four youth justice qualification which could include the
Youth Justice Effective Practice Certificate, or an equivalent.
• Specific courses in practice areas; for example, behavioural management,
mental health needs, substance misuse, CSRA (Cell Sharing Risk
Assessment) and ACCT (Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork).
• Learning through reflective practice.
Young people in custody face diverse and complex issues. To support them to turn
their lives around, the jobholder will be required to deliver a safe and decent regime,
including use of restraint techniques where necessary.
This is an operational job with no line management responsibilities.
Responsibilities,
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities
Activities and Duties
and duties:
Typical tasks associated with this Group Profile include:
• Supervise, manage and control prisoners decently, safely and securely
whilst carrying out all activities.
• Understand, apply and conform to national and local polices.
• Establish, develop and maintain professional relationships with prisoners
and staff.
• Maintain and update systems in line with local agreements.
• Prepare relevant documentation to managers for verification/quality
checking purposes.
• Attend and contribute to relevant meetings as required.
• Exercise the powers of a Constable.
• Conduct searches on prisoners, staff and visitors as required.
• Undertakes ‘first on scene’ incident response.
Specifically within youth custody service the job holder will:
• Help young people to settle, feel safe and calm with the ability to identify
and resolve issues and concerns and effectively manage interpersonal
conflict.
• Lead multi-disciplinary meetings, contribute detailed, well-informed
knowledge about individual young people and the causes of offending
behaviour.
• Create individualised goal-oriented plans which will help young people to
engage in constructive activities, to prepare for education, work, or training
upon release, and to desist from crime.
• As part of Custody Support Plans, work with young people on a regular basis
to progress their personalised support plan and to resolve any concerns or
challenges they may have.
• Understand that young people spend much of their sentence in the
community. Work with caseworkers and community service partners to
ensure effective sentence completion as described in sentence plans, and
support young people’s effective progression to education, training or
employment on release.
• Use engagement skills and understanding of the causes behind offending
behaviour to interact daily with young people to improve their positive
interpersonal skills and to reduce their offending behaviour.
• Work closely with other disciplines (e.g. education, health and psychology)
using knowledge of young people’s development to promote learning and
progression beyond custody.
OR-JES-2449-JD-B4 : POS : Specialist Youth Justice Worker v4.0
• Design and run activities, community/environmental projects, residential
activities, outdoor education and sporting activities.
• Facilitate interventions with young people; with appropriate training and
under professional supervision, ensuring every interaction with young
people takes into account their psychological, social and personal need.
• Make key decisions across all aspects of managing the welfare of young
people including health and safety, security, and safeguarding, reporting to
your line manager and make referrals to appropriate agencies, facilitated by
effective data sharing.
• Provide assessments of young people, on entry and throughout their stay in
an establishment including security risk assessments.
• Work alongside the case management function, inputting to assessments
and meetings, along with managing lower complexity cases.
• Implement delivery of self-harm and violence reduction strategies.
• Understand and carry out the policies and procedures regarding working
with looked-after children.
• Engage in supervision with other staff including peers, health and
psychology staff, to reflect on practice, discuss incidents and share effective
practice.
• In line with National and local ACCT policies and procedures.
• Gather relevant information prior to an interview with the person ‘at risk’.
This will lead to identifying issues or concerns. This may involve the job
holder:
• Taking notes and comprehensively record the contents of the
interview.
• Complete a summary of key issues identified throughout the
assessment interview and the next steps with the individual in
crisis.
• Identify triggers to self-harm and/or suicide.
• Work collaboratively with the case manager and where applicable
assist with the development of a personal care map.
• When required follow up case reviews as agreed with case
manager.
• Encourage responsible and respectful behaviour in young people.
• Maintain young people records by completing behaviour report entries and
data entry onto the young people database investigating and progressing
applications and complaints.
Job holders within this Group Profile will provide day to day supervision for Youth
Justice Workers and Operational Support Grades (OSG). They will supervise and
coordinate the delivery of the establishment’s regime and activities within
residential unit/areas to ensure all local/national policies are maintained. These are
operational and prisoner-facing roles with no line management responsibilities.
Additional activities that Youth Justice Specialist Workers will be expected to
perform include:
• Apply both mentoring and coaching skills to support the development of
staff and colleagues.
• Provide coaching to less experienced staff and conduct assessment of
practice for professional development awards.
• Be responsible for embedding rehabilitative culture change across
establishments, instilling positivity and resilience in young people and less
experienced colleagues. This will include working in a pro social manner
that tackles young people’s anti-social attitudes, thinking and behaviour in
order to effect and reinforce positive change to support rehabilitative
outcomes.
• Be proactive in development of self within the role, ensuring that regular
meetings are held with the line manager and that all training is completed
in full and on time.
OR-JES-2449-JD-B4 : POS : Specialist Youth Justice Worker v4.0
The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not
intended to be exhaustive. Duties may be administrative or operational and will be
commensurate of this grade, and that of the Band 3 Youth Justice Worker as and
when required. Significant adjustments may require re-examination under the Job
Evaluation Scheme and shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.
An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium
of English or (where specified in Wales) Welsh.
Behaviours
• Delivering at Pace
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service
Strengths
It is advised strengths are chosen locally, recommended 4-8.
Essential Experience
• Must be competent in custodial procedures, including dynamic risk
assessments.
Technical
• Successful completion of POELT and probation period.
Requirements
• Must have Custodial Care National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) 3.
• Must be trained in restraint techniques.
• Successful completion of modules one and two of Youth Justice Foundation
degree.
Ability
Minimum Eligibility
• All candidates are required to have passed YP SIMS.
• All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post
including DBS security clearance.
• All external candidates are subject to 12 months’ probation. Internal candidates are
subject to probation if they have not already served a probation period within
HMPPS.
All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a group or
organisation which HMPPS considers to be racist.
Hours of Work
37 hour working week (standard).
(Unsocial Hours)
Allowances
HMPPS Staff on closed pay structures only
Additional Conditioned Hours Pensionable (ACHP)
Staff moving from a closed 39 hour pay structure will be eligible for the two
protected pensionable additional committed hours (ACHP). They will work a 39 hour
week consisting of the standard 37 hour week and a further 2 additional hours
(ACHP) paid at plain time pensionable rate.
Unsocial Hours Working
This role requires working regular unsocial hours and a 17% payment will be paid in
addition to your basic pay to recognise this. Unsocial hours are those hours outside
0700 - 1900hrs Monday to Friday and include working evenings, nights, weekends
and Bank/Public holidays.
OR-JES-2449-JD-B4 : POS : Specialist Youth Justice Worker v4.0
Success Profile
Strengths
Behaviours
It is advised strengths
Ability
Experience
Technical
are chosen locally,
recommended 4-8
Delivering at Pace
Must be competent in custodial
Successful completion of POELT and
procedures, including dynamic
probation period.
risk assessments
Leadership
Must have Custodial Care National
Vocational Qualification (NVQ) 3.
Communicating and Influencing
Must be trained in restraint techniques.
Working Together
Successful completion of modules one
and two of Youth Justice Foundation
degree.
Managing a Quality Service
OR-JES-2449-JD-B4 : POS : Specialist Youth Justice Worker v4.0