Senior YJS Officer - Practice Lead

About the role

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Senior Youth Justice Officer - Practice Excellence Lead to join the Hillingdon Youth Justice Service (YJS).

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in shaping and developing high quality, evidence based practice that supports children and young people to achieve positive outcomes, reduce reoffending, and uphold our statutory responsibilities and National Standards.

You will champion best practice across the service, driving continuous improvement through coaching, quality assurance, reflective practice, and innovation. Working closely with colleagues, partners, and the local community, you will help deliver our vision.

"To be a fair, inclusive, child first youth justice service that empowers every young person to thrive, supports victims of crime, and repairs harm within safer, stronger communities."

Key responsibilities

• Provide professional leadership, coaching, and guidance to Youth Justice Officers, promoting reflective, evidence based practice.
• Support the implementation of trauma informed, child first, and restorative approaches in line with Youth Justice Board guidance.
• Lead quality assurance activities, including case audits, observations, and feedback, ensuring consistent high standards of practice.
• Oversee the Out of Court Disposal process, including coordination and facilitation of the Scrutiny Panel.
• Act as a point of expertise for safeguarding, risk management, desistance theory, and restorative practice.
• Lead on embedding learning from audits, inspections, and serious incidents into day to day practice.
• Coordinate and deliver workforce development sessions, including reflective practice, training, and peer learning groups.
• Use data, analytics, and stakeholder feedback to monitor performance, inform improvement plans, and drive innovation.
• Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion across all areas of service delivery.
• Work collaboratively with key partners - including police, courts, education, health, and voluntary agencies - to deliver holistic support to young people and their families.
• Participate in the Duty Senior rota, including occasional weekend or Bank Holiday cover.

About you

We're looking for a dynamic and committed professional who can inspire others and lead by example. You'll have:

• Substantial experience in Youth Justice or a closely related field.
• Strong understanding of youth justice legislation, safeguarding, and risk management frameworks.
• Excellent communication, coaching, and leadership skills.
• Proven ability to drive service improvement through reflective practice and quality assurance.
• Commitment to child first, trauma informed, and restorative practice principles.
• Ability to analyse performance data and use insights to influence practice and outcomes.

Why join Hillingdon?

At Hillingdon, you'll be part of a forward thinking Youth Justice Service that values professional growth, innovation, and collaboration. We offer:

• A supportive environment committed to continuous learning and development.
• Opportunities to shape service delivery and influence practice across the borough.
• A workplace that celebrates diversity and inclusion.

If you are passionate about leading excellence in youth justice practice and want to make a meaningful difference in the lives of young people, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply now to join us in delivering safer, fairer, and stronger communities in Hillingdon.

For an informal discussion about this role, please email Jas Kamboj - .

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

At the London Borough of Hillingdon, we are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. This commitment means that all employees, job applicants and others who work for us will be treated fairly. The aim is to have a workforce that represents all sections of society and Hillingdon residents. We welcome applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds. We remove discrimination and bias from our recruitment process and provide reasonable adjustments for applicants with disabilities. Join us in building a workplace where everyone feels respected, able to give their best and be themselves at work, while contributing meaningfully to our organisation's success.

Recruitment Information

Hillingdon Council operates a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities that meet the essential criteria for the role and wish to be considered under this scheme. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable groups and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Some posts are subject to The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2019 and will require a Disclosure and Barring Service check. In addition to verifying Right to Work in the UK and a new starter health questionnaire, the post is subject to the following pre employment screening:

• Enhanced DBS Check
• 5 years of Referencing

Priority will be given to those at risk of redundancy within Hillingdon Council. Current employees who are part of the redeployment pool must meet the essential criteria for shortlisting to be prioritised. It may be necessary due to a high volume of applications to close this role early. We therefore recommend you apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.