Youth Justice Audit & Review Manager

Job Title: Youth Justice Audit & Review Manager

Starting Salary: £48,226 progressing to £53,459 per annum Market Enhanced Payment

Hours: 37

Location: Countywide

Contract Type: Permanent

Directorate: Childrens Services

Are you passionate about promoting best practice, strengthening services, and achieving positive outcomes for children and victims?

We are looking for an Audit and Victim Practice Manager to join the Youth Justice Service. The successful applicant will be responsible for driving continuous improvement in Youth Justice practice, promoting best practice and ensuring positive outcomes for children and victims.

They will also hold operational responsibility for victim services within Youth Justice, including the supervision of victim workers and the development of victim-related practice, ensuring that the needs of victims are met in line with statutory guidance and best practice.

Key fundamentals of this role will see the postholder deliver:

• Develop and implement audit frameworks, ensuring practice aligns with national standards and inspection requirements.
• Support the wider management team to embed learning from audits into operational practice and service development, including the design and delivery of practice development sessions
• Supporting the delivery of the Youth Justice Quality Assurance Framework
• Leading on the development of victim-related practice across the YJS

Further details of this is as follows:

• Supporting the development and maintenance of audit and quality assurance processes, ensuring that AssetPlus assessments and the work with victims, and children and families meet external inspection requirements, and enable the Youth Justice Service to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of its arrangements to support children and victims.
• Working in partnership with wider YJ managers to coordinate delivery and maintain oversight of regular cycle of auditing across Youth Justice. Following which, maintain audit trackers and analyse findings to produce high-quality reports which summarise findings and make recommendations on how practice can be improved. This includes undertaking several audits a month alongside wider coordination.
• Working with Senior Leaders, sharing findings from quality assurance activity and agreeing actions plans to address any areas of development.
• Sharing learning from quality assurance activity with the workforce, both 1:1 and group sessions, through delivery of presentations and practice development sessions.
• Support the YJ Service Managers as needed with developing and reviewing policy and practice guidance in accordance with national legislation, guidance, and service requirements.
• Lead the strategic development and operational implementation of victim-related practice, ensuring alignment with national standards, legislative frameworks, and local priorities. This includes fostering multi-agency collaboration and embedding best practice to enhance outcomes for victims within the youth justice system.
• Oversee the continuous monitoring and evaluation of victim service delivery, using data-driven insights and victim feedback to identify areas for improvement and lead initiatives that respond to emerging needs and trends.

Essential:

• Hold Social Work qualification and SWE registration professionally qualified with substantial post-qualification experience in Youth Justice
• In-depth knowledge of legislation, statutory guidance, and best practice relevant to Youth Justice and victim services
• Experience in completing in-depth audits of children's records, analysis and high-quality report writing.
• Experience of managing staff and developing effective partnerships with key agencies (Police, Probation, Courts etc.).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft IT package
• Proven ability to coach and mentor staff, fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement.
• Ability to travel to office bases at short notice for duty and other essential operational requirements, including periods of increased scrutiny or service review.

Desirable:

• Experience of undertaking research and producing complex reports or documents
• Experience of interpreting and analysing the impact of legislation and policy on service delivery.
• Experience of Child View - Youth Justice Case management system
• Experience of a Youth Justice HMIP inspection.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This is a crucial role which provides an opportunity to demonstrate real impact and drive practice improvement, supporting children in achieving positive change whilst also keeping them and local communities safe.

Interview Date: 1st September