Believe children and young people can change
You will help to create a secure and positive environment for children and young people.
You will manage day-to-day activities, including offering one-to-one support, escorting children around the site and supervising their association. You will help to build routines through education, social interactions and family relationships.
There will be times when you will have to manage conflict. Children and young people in custody can be difficult and challenging, but have enormous potential for change.
| 38% | of children and young people in custody come from a care environment |
| 1/3 | have mental health issues |
| 50% | of 15-17 year olds have numeracy and literacy levels of a 7-11 year old |
Will children and young people listen to you?
Daily life
There is no such thing as a typical day. Life can depend on where you work and the children and young people you are working with.
Shifts
You will usually follow a changing shift pattern of 39 hours a week. This can include some nights, weekends and public holidays (these days are added to your holiday allowance).
Shifts follow regular hours although the start and finish time may vary. An example shift pattern is shown below.
| Start | Finish | Total working hours | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shift (A) | 07:15 | 20:15 | 11.5 |
| Late (L) | 11:45 | 21:00 | 8.75 |
| Main (M) | 07:15 | 18:00 | 9.75 |
| Early (E) | 07:15 | 13:00 | 5.75 |
| Night (N) | 20:30 | 09:30 | 11 |
| Rest (R) | N/A | N/A | 0 |
See an example of a changing weekly shift pattern
| Week | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Total weekly hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | R | R | N | N | N | N | N | 55 |
| 2 | N | N | R | R | R | R | R | 22 |
| 3 | R | L | M | E | R | L | M | 38.75 |
| 4 | M | A | R | M | L | R | R | 38.75 |
| 5 | R | M | E | R | E | L | A | 39 |
| 6 | M | R | L | L | M | R | R | 36 |
| 7 | R | R | A | E | R | A | M | 36.5 |
| 8 | M | M | L | R | L | E | R | 36.75 |
| 9 | R | R | L | M | R | A | E | 35 |
| 10 | L | E | R | L | L | M | R | 38.25 |
| 11 | R | R | L | A | M | R | M | 36.75 |
| 12 | E | L | E | R | A | M | R | 37.75 |
| 13 | R | L | M | E | R | L | M | 38.75 |
| 14 | M | A | R | A | E | R | R | 36.5 |
| 15 | R | A | E | R | L | E | L | 36 |
| 16 | E | M | R | A | A | R | R | 37.5 |
"It’s about being positive"
Simon, HM YOI Feltham
Simon has worked with thousands of children and young people in custody. He now mentors and develops new youth justice workers.
Children and young people in custody come with complex needs and issues.
They have been through a lot and left to fend for themselves, often with no positive role model in their lives.
You can’t always change the external factors but you can change their mind-set.
All you need is one little thing. I remember a boy who was always fighting. He said he wanted to learn Spanish.
He started off reading and listening to books in his cell. From there he moved onto anti-aggression books and courses on advanced thinking.
We try to be positive and find ways to break away from their current behaviours.
We involve youth groups and local colleges to offer opportunities for things like music.
In many ways, working in youth custody is more collaborative than working in an adult prison.
Where you can work
15 to 18 year olds who have been remanded or sentenced to detention are held in specialist locations.
They follow a different routine to prisons holding adults and young offenders aged over 18.
You will create secure conditions but also focus on behaviour management and education, and supporting emotional, mental and physical needs.
- Specialist young offender institutes (YOIs)
Youth custody YOIs focus on helping 15 to 18 year old boys with education and learning vocational skills.
The 4 youth custody locations in England
Be part of the Youth Custody Service
The Youth Custody Service (YCS) is a specialist service within HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS).
We focus on the care and rehabilitation of children and young people aged 15 to 18 in custody.
Reduced numbers of young people and children are now kept in youth custody so the children and young people you are working with will be among the most challenging and vulnerable in our society.
We are changing the way we work
We’re at the start of our journey, and this is your chance to be a part of that change.
From March 2019, all staff must undertake specialist training to gain qualifications for working with young people and children. This is part of supporting the further professionalisation of our staff within our service.
We have increased staff levels, introduced new job descriptions to acknowledge the different challenges and approaches needed to support children and young people.
All Band 3 youth justice workers will be required to complete a level 4 child focused qualification. This must be achieved to progress to a Band 4 youth justice worker and to remain working in the youth justice estate.
As a youth justice worker, you will:
- support children and young people in custody to live positive and crime-free lives
- reduce the numbers of young people released from our care who reoffend
- create an environment that is educational, safe and decent
- improve safety and maximise opportunities for personal growth
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion
We welcome and encourage applications from everyone irrespective of background, identity, experience or circumstance, and particularly those underrepresented in our workforce. We strive for a workforce that is representative of our society and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice.
When people come to work for us we want them to feel safe and that they belong, are treated with empathy and respect, and have the support and solidarity of their colleagues and managers, so we can all deliver our services fairly and in response to individual needs. In joining us, you join an organisation which is committed to the values of humanity, openness, together and purpose.
Find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
