Ministry of Justice

Who are we?

The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (YJB) is the public body which advises Ministers, including the Secretary of State for Justice on the youth justice system.  Our ambition is to see a Child First youth justice system.  A system which looks to children’s’ strengths and supports children to become the best version of themselves. To this effect we engage with a wide variety of organisations, partners and parties with an interest in youth justice; we share good practice, champion improvement and issue grants.

Our Vision

Working to ensure a youth justice system that sees children as children, treats them fairly and helps them to build on their strengths so they can make a constructive contribution to society.  This will prevent offending and create safer communities with fewer victims.

Aims of the Youth Justice System

Prevention of offending by children and young people:

• To reduce the number of children in the youth justice system
• To reduce reoffending by children in the youth justice system
• To improve the safety and wellbeing of children in the youth justice system
• To improve outcomes of children in the youth justice system

Thinking of joining us?

Our recruitment is based on merit, we welcome applications from all who can commit to our vision and values, we offer considerable flexibility in how you work and expect commitment and flexibility in return.  We continue to strive for equity, diversity and inclusion in our culture and our staff group.  To this end we very much encourage applications from those people with protected characteristics. Our staff are public servants, eligible for the Civil Service pension scheme and we are accredited by the Civil Service Commission.  We welcome applications from those who do not currently work in the civil service or the public sector.

Role Purpose:-

Your role is key in making sure the YJB can fulfil its statutory duty to provide advice to ministers on the youth justice system and promote effective practice.  Your work will contribute toward our aims of:

• reducing the disproportionate number of ethnic minority children in the youth justice system,
• reducing re-offending,
• improving resettlement,
• advising on the reduction of serious violence,
• advising on improvements in the way the sector operates and
• working toward a Child First approach in the youth justice system.

Role Context:

You will work within our Operations directorate and will work collaboratively with others in the youth justice sector and in the YJB to deliver the Oversight framework which entails supporting youth justice partnerships (YOTs), analysing data and gathering intelligence to support the monitoring of performance and engaging appropriately to drive up performance.  You will oversee services within the North West region.  You may also be required to provide cover across the wider North directorate as and when required. 

Key activities and relationships

Using your initiative, influencing, engagement and problem-solving skills you will:

Take a pro-active approach in developing innovative solutions to resolve complex issues in youth justice.

Use your skills to influence and provide oversight on key operational issues

Hold a caseload of local Youth Justice Services, and undertake compliance monitoring of:

• Standards for Children in Justice
• Terms and conditions of the Youth Justice Core Grant
• Key Performance Indicator performance at service level

Monitor progress against:

• Youth Justice Plan delivery
• Standards for Children in Justice self-assessment action plans
• Post inspection improvement plans

Represent the Youth Justice Board at:

• Youth Justice Partnership Management Boards
• Scrutiny panels (for example Out of Court Disposal)
• Relevant key stakeholder partnership boards

Provide leadership and oversight on:

• Serious Incidents
• Improvement activity
• Developing Practice Forums
• Directorate Learning and Development

• Build outstanding working relationships with colleagues across the YJB including our regional Heads of Youth Justice Oversight, and our external partners in the youth justice system (YJS). In doing so you will enhance our evidence base and build on our understanding of the successes and issues faced by the YJS. You will make sure that the knowledge and understanding you have, and gain, about the YJS is shared appropriately with colleagues to enhance our insight and enable us to retain our position as the only organisation with an oversight of the whole YJS.
• Use your skills and strengths in successful stakeholder engagement, analysing and interpreting complex information from a variety of sources, identifying and sharing evidence-based effective practice, along with your understanding of the youth justice system in England and Wales.
• At all times, demonstrate support and respect for the YJBs commitment to equity, inclusivity and the diversity of the YJB and its partners.
• Be responsible for making sure you understand and adhere to your responsibilities in relation to health and safety and data protection.
• Work positively and collaboratively with colleagues in both England and YJB Cymru and will consider the impact of developments on policy, practice, and legislation specific to Wales.
• Work flexibly. All posts within the YJB operate flexibly to make sure the requirements of the business are met and as such you may be required to undertake other duties in your role or duties in other parts of the business at your grade to meet business priorities

Significant travel to external stakeholders and YJB offices across is expected as part of the role.

Main Responsibilities

• Act as a positive influence for the work and culture of the YJB by encouraging positive emotions and positive social exchanges in the workplace. Set high expectations and live up to them. Make sure you deliver on the commitments you make. Value the contribution of others and nurture positive relationships as well as skills and professional development.
• Build relationships with youth justice partners and proactively engage with youth justice stakeholders, maintaining a focus on practice and partnership performance. Contribute to performance improvement and sharing examples of youth justice practice which support the delivery of positive outcomes for children.
• Enable and facilitate briefings and forums for internal and external partners with the aim of promoting evidence-based good practice in the youth justice sector. Work in partnership with sector colleagues to ensure performance improvement is achieved and maintained.
• Seek innovative ways to identify, promote and facilitate the sharing of evidence based good practice, including undertaking performance related assessments and audits.
• Research, analyse and evaluate the effects of proposals, changes, innovations etc. and prepare written papers, submissions and reports for senior staff, ministers or other stakeholders.
• Contribute to the YJB’s oversight of the youth justice sector by collating, analysing and interpreting complex information, stakeholder engagement, writing reports and providing evidence-based feedback and intelligence.
• Contribute to the youth justice resource hub, developing and promoting evidence-based practice tools and materials such as self-assessments materials and toolkits, evaluation and oversight.
• Working collaboratively to support the delivery of YJB’s aims, statutory functions and strategic priorities.
• Support on understanding the Learning and Development needs of the Operations Directorate, and organising training to meet these needs.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Technical Skills, Behaviours, Strengths and Experience. 

The assessment process will be made up of two parts:

1. Application (see below)
2. Interview (see below)

Application 

Please provide

• Written examples demonstrating in no more than 250 words for each of the following essential civil service behaviours: Communicating & Influencing – (Lead Behaviour) (250 words) Seeing the Big Picture (250 words) Changing and Improving (250 words) and Working Together (250 words).
• A statement (no more than 500 words) of how you meet the ‘essential criteria: Technical, Experience and Ability’ as outlined in the job description.
• (Should a large number of applications be received, the initial sift may be conducted based on the lead behaviour: Communicating and Influencing & Essential Criteria)

Interview

For candidates who get to the interview stage it will be a blended interview covering, further elaboration on your application and the Civil Service behaviours, and strengths as described in the Success Profiles - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) (this is a very particular style of interview please make sure you make yourself aware of these in advance).

Reserve List

Those candidates who successfully demonstrate at interview, the behaviours, strengths, and essential criteria required by YJB for the role, but who are not selected as the successful candidate, may be added to a reserve list for 12 months. Candidates on a reserve list may be contacted and offered a role which is sufficiently similar, without further need for application, within the timeframe.

Essential Criteria

Technical:

• Knowledge/understanding of the Youth Justice System in England and Wales and its interaction with wider services

Experience:

• Experience of collating and accurately analysing complex information or data to make recommendations to improve practice.

Ability:

• Writing clear and succinct reports with clear recommendations for improvement
• competent in MS Office suite
• Strong communication skills
• Strong organisational skills

Behaviours: 

• Communicating and Influencing (Lead behaviour)
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Working Together

Benefits of working for the Youth Justice Board

• Opportunity to work in an organisation that seeks to make a positive difference to the lives of children at risk of entering and within the youth justice system
• Family friendly policies including flexible working opportunities. Many of our staff combine working from our offices in either London or Wales, or working from one of the Ministry of Justice Collaboration Centres/Satellite Offices throughout the country, with working from home; compressed hours, part-time working
• Civil Service Pension Scheme
• Annual leave of 25 days per annum plus public holidays
• As an accredited NDPB we can accept your continuous service from other Civil Service departments their agencies and ALBs/NDBPs.
• Special recognition bonus scheme
• Special leave for unplanned emergencies and for voluntary work
• Employee Assistance Programme offering confidential support and advice for personal and work issues and occupational health
• Health and well-being initiatives such as flu-vaccinations
• Free eye tests and eyecare vouchers for VDU workers
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Regular professional development
• Professional HR Case Management support for managers