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Youth offending team officer

Alternative titles for this job include Youth offending service officer

Youth offending team officers work to prevent children and young people under 18 from offending and reoffending.

Average salary (a year)

£20,000 Starter

to

£38,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

40 to 42 a week

You could work

evenings / weekends flexibly

How to become a youth offending team officer

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • volunteering
  • applying directly

University

You could do a foundation degree, degree or postgraduate award in:

  • youth work
  • youth justice
  • social work
  • criminology

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • at least 1 A level for a foundation degree 
  • 2 to 3 A levels for a degree
  • a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course

More information

Volunteering and experience

You can start by volunteering to work with young people. For example, mentoring will give you an understanding of the issues they face.

You can also support young people in the criminal justice system by volunteering as an appropriate adult. Opportunities and training are organised locally.

Direct application

You may be able to apply directly for jobs if you have relevant experience and a qualification in:

  • youth work
  • probation
  • social work
  • policing

More information

Further information

You'll find more details about working with young people, training and volunteering through the Youth Justice Board.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • knowledge of psychology
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • the ability to work on your own
  • customer service skills
  • counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
  • being able to use a computer terminal or hand-held device may be beneficial for this job.

Restrictions and requirements

You'll need to:

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

Your day-to-day duties might include:

  • carrying out risk assessments and planning how to manage future risk of reoffending
  • preparing reports for the courts before sentencing
  • coming up with action plans to support young offenders and prevent them from reoffending
  • referring young offenders to agencies to support their welfare needs, like housing, or drug and alcohol misuse services
  • supervising young offenders on court orders and community sentences, and after their release from secure institutions
  • helping young offenders into education, work or training, and encouraging them to take part in constructive activities
  • visiting young people in secure institutions

Working environment

You could work in a court, at a client's home, in a prison, in the community, at a police station or in an office.

Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could progress to team leader or team manager.

With further training you could move into social work or educational welfare.

Training opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for a youth offending team officer right now.

The Find an apprenticeship service can help you with your search, send alerts when new apprenticeships become available and has advice on how to apply.

Courses In England

Access to Higher Education Diploma: Social Work (Social work access diploma)

  • Provider: Barking & Dagenham College
  • Start date: 04 September 2019
  • Location: Romford

Pre-Access - Health, Social Care and Social Work

  • Provider: WALTHAM FOREST COLLEGE
  • Start date: 17 September 2019
  • Location: WALTHAM FOREST
Find courses near you

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