Youth Justice Worker
Work with young people who have offended or are at risk of offending — delivering supervision, interventions, court reports, and resettlement support within Youth Offending Teams across England and Wales.
Low
Very high
Typically 1–3 years via a relevant degree (social work, criminology, youth work, psychology) plus related experience; most YOT workers enter via another qualifying profession first, then transfer to youth justice
No single mandatory qualification; YOTs recruit from social work, probation, youth work, psychology, and education backgrounds. A relevant degree is typically expected. YJB-endorsed Effective Practice training provided in post. Completion of the Level 3/4 qualification in Youth Justice may be supported by the employer.
What you do
Youth justice workers are employed in Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) — statutory multi-agency services run by local authorities that bring together police, probation, social work, health, and education professionals to address youth offending. Your role involves assessing young people referred to the service using the AssetPlus assessment framework, writing pre-sentence reports for courts, supervising young people serving community sentences (Youth Rehabilitation Orders), delivering structured interventions to address offending behaviour (cognitive skills programmes, substance misuse education, victim awareness work), supporting victims of youth crime through restorative justice, and managing young people on licence after custodial sentences (detention and training orders). You coordinate with families, schools, social care, CAMHS, and the police to address the multiple needs that drive offending. Youth justice workers come from a wide range of professional backgrounds — social work, probation, education, youth work, and psychology are all common routes into the service.
Why this career is resilient
Youth Offending Teams are statutory services — established under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and maintained by every local authority in England and Wales. They cannot be abolished by local budget decisions in the way discretionary services can. The youth justice system has contracted over the past decade as first-time entrant numbers fell, but this has not reduced the intensity or complexity of the remaining caseload — young people in the justice system have increasingly complex needs including SEND, mental health difficulties, care experience, and trauma. The multi-disciplinary nature of YOTs means youth justice workers develop a diverse, transferable skill set that is valued in social work, probation, and commissioned family services.
A typical day
Morning: carry out an AssetPlus assessment interview with a 16-year-old who has received a referral order following a first conviction for theft. Review school reports, previous social care involvement, and the police report. Write up the assessment and prepare the intervention plan for the referral order panel. Midday: attend a review meeting with a young person's school, social worker, and parents to discuss progress on a Youth Rehabilitation Order. Afternoon: deliver a one-to-one thinking skills session with a young person mid-way through a community sentence, complete session notes, and update the case record on the YOT case management system.
Routes in
Full-time college course
Study full-time at a further education college, usually for 1–2 years. You will need to fund yourself or apply for a student loan (available for Level 4+ courses).
Employer-funded training
Some employers — particularly the NHS, emergency services, and larger care providers — run their own funded training programmes. You apply for a job and train as you work.
Pay and costs
Earning potential: Youth justice worker (YOT): £26,000–£36,000 depending on local authority pay scales. Senior youth justice worker or YOT manager: £36,000–£48,000. Pay varies by local authority — broadly equivalent to social worker or probation officer grades in many areas.
Training costs: No mandatory qualification specific to youth justice. DBS enhanced disclosure required (employer arranges). Driving licence required for most roles. YJB-endorsed Effective Practice and mandatory annual training funded by employer in post.