Job: Engagement Worker – Missing from Home and Youth Justice

Title: Engagement Worker – Youth Justice and Missing from Home Service

Hours: 18

Salary: PSO3 £27,013.56 Pro rata

Reporting: Operational Manager

Contract: Fixed Term until 31.03.2027

We seek to recruit an enthusiastic and motivated Engagement Worker to work with children who are reported missing from home. Through offering a return home interview, you will provide an opportunity for the child to discuss the reasons they went missing from home, the vulnerabilities they may have been exposed to and what can be done to protect them from going missing again, with a view to reducing the frequency of incidents and safeguard them from harm. Accurate and timely recording and sharing of information with a multi- agency team is key to this.

We value agile working so you will be working from our central Oldham office, home, and out in the community.

Our training, partnership links and excellent management support will help you to develop the skills and knowledge you need to further progress your career.

If you have the required qualification, experience, knowledge and skills, then we look forward to receiving your application.

If you are interested, please feel free to contact Kelly Rennie on 0161 621400 or via email kellyrennie@positive-steps.org.uk

Closing Date: Friday 15th May 2026

Interviews: W/C 25th May 2026

JOB PURPOSE

• To support children working with the Youth Justice and Missing from Home service through the delivery of interventions to manage risk and safeguard children

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide delegated case management activity for children and families working with Youth Justice Service to promote desistance and protect the public from harm, delivering holistic support to address a wide range of needs
• Provide activities and interventions for children who are reported missing from home and their families, to improve their safety and wellbeing
• Providing interventions for children and their families working with Youth Justice and Missing from Home in line with relevant legislation, quality standards and best practice to safeguard the service
• Undertake accurate, timely recording using digital caseload management systems to meet contract requirements
• Maintain relationships with other professionals to improve outcomes for children
• Apply coproduction principles to ensure that the user’s voice is represented in service delivery
• Provide support to volunteers to effectively deliver services
• Apply the consistent application of all relevant policies and procedures including safeguarding, health & safety and equality & diversity to ensure a compliant service
• Undertake any other duties in order to meet service and organisational objectives following consultation with your manager

Experience

• Demonstrable experience of working with children in the field of youth justice/safeguarding services or a related field
• Demonstrable experience of developing productive and effective relationships with children
• Demonstrable experience of partnership working
• Demonstrable experience of communicating through verbal and written presentations
• Demonstrable experience in promoting diversity

Knowledge

• Awareness of Criminal Justice or Safeguarding Services
• Awareness of risk management, safeguarding legislation and guidance, implementation of Child Protection Procedures and the boundaries of professional relationships
• Awareness of adolescent development and the impact of trauma
• Understanding of Health & Safety legal requirements and best practice

Skills

• Developed skills in engaging, supporting and motivating children and families
• Primary communication and presentational skills
• Primary skills in creativity and original thinking with the ability to develop practical solutions to problems
• Primary inter-personal and team working skills
• Primary skills in Microsoft Office and database systems
• Primary skills in literacy and numeracy

Personal attributes

• Sound judgement and awareness of organisational and political sensitivities
• Sound professional and tactical judgement and the ability to establish priorities and principles
• Resilient and able to work independently as required
• Commitment to Positive Steps vision and values

Additional requirements

• Prepared to work flexibly to meet the needs of customers and organisation
• Able to travel throughout the region and at times the country
• Evening and weekend working required
• Enhanced DBS required