Youth Engagement Officer

Job Description

The London Borough of Harrow is seeking a dedicated and enthusiastic Youth Engagement Officer to join the Youth Justice Service within Children’s Services. This rewarding role will play a key part in delivering early intervention and preventative support to young people across the borough, helping them make positive choices and access the services they need to thrive. Working in partnership with schools, community organisations, local businesses and support services, you will help strengthen engagement with young people and contribute to safer, stronger communities.

Reporting to the Youth Justice Service Manager, you will work as part of an outreach team delivering a new youth outreach programme within Harrow Town Centre. You will engage directly with young people through street-based outreach, one-to-one support and small group interventions, building positive relationships and identifying opportunities to provide guidance, advice and support. The role involves raising awareness of safeguarding issues, connecting young people to appropriate local services and supporting those who may be vulnerable to exploitation, abuse or involvement in risky behaviours. You will also work closely with schools, voluntary organisations, community groups and partner agencies to ensure young people receive joined-up support tailored to their individual needs.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is passionate about supporting young people and making a positive impact within the community. We are looking for a confident and approachable professional who can build trust, communicate effectively and work creatively in outreach settings. In return, you will join a dedicated team committed to improving outcomes for young people while promoting the Council’s values

The successful candidate will have:

• Experience of working with children, young people and vulnerable individuals in a community, outreach or similar setting.
• A good understanding of the challenges facing vulnerable young people, including exploitation, abuse, missing episodes and risk-taking behaviours.
• Experience of engaging and building positive relationships with young people from diverse backgrounds.
• Knowledge of safeguarding principles, policies and procedures.
• The ability to work independently and creatively in outreach environments.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience of providing one-to-one and small group support to young people.
• The ability to identify concerns and signpost young people to appropriate services and support.
• Experience of developing positive working relationships with schools, community organisations and partner agencies.

For more information, please refer to the Role Profile/ Selection Criteria

About us

Harrow Council is the 12th largest London borough and one of the most culturally diverse local authorities in the UK, making it a great place to live, work and visit with a range of cultures, religions and opinions that come together to produce high achieving schools and a close and friendly community. Located 10 miles from the city centre and just 13 minutes to Euston from Harrow & Wealdstone station there are great transport links via the Metropolitan Line, Watford DC Line and national rail service. It is easily accessible to the M1, M25 and A406.

Other information

Support for candidates visit:Harrow.gov.uk Our behavioural indicators roles below G11 and above G11 Here at Harrow Council, the vision is one of 'Working together to make a difference for Harrow' Please click here to view Harrow Council's benefits

Important Note

To deliver our commitment to equality of opportunity in service provision, all staff are expected to promote equality in the workplace and in the services the Council delivers. All sections of the population will have equal access to jobs at the London Borough of Harrow. No applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment because of age, disability, gender, reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy, or maternity unless a Genuine Occupational Qualification applies. As such, we value diversity and welcome applications from all backgrounds. For further information, please read our equality statement.

As a disability-confident employer, we are committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and accessible to everyone. This includes reasonably adjusting the recruitment process for those with disabilities or long-term health conditions. For further information, please contact us at resourcing@harrow.gov.uk

London Borough of Harrow is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Harrow operates stringent, safer recruitment procedures.

Due to the high number of applications received for some posts, we may close vacancies before the stated closing date if sufficient applications are received. Therefore, please apply as soon as possible.

Harrow redeployees will be given priority consideration.

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, any your data protection rights, can be found by visiting www.cifas.org.uk/fpn