Ministry of Justice UK
202608: Youth Justice Worker - HMP Feltham A
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Youth Justice Worker – HMYOI/ HMP Feltham A
Job Overview
HMP/YOI Feltham, Bedfont Rd, Feltham TW13 4NP
Starting salary: £43,290 (for a 39 hour week inc 20% unsocial)
City/Town: Feltham
Region: London
Vacancy type: Merit
Role Description
All staff have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The post holder must undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organisation.
The Youth Custody Service is transforming its workforce, and we invite you to be part of this journey. The youth justice worker role is similar to that of a prison officer, but specifically focused on supporting children and young people in custody. This role is vital in reshaping how children and young people are cared for in custody.
In this role you will be responsible for ensuring the security and safety of children and young people while providing day-to-day support in a custodial setting. Comprehensive training and development will equip you with the knowledge to understand the diverse backgrounds and individual circumstances of those in youth custody, and how your responses in complex or dynamic situations can help these individuals build better futures. We are seeking individuals with a special ability to support and guide vulnerable children and young people.
You will need a DBS check.
Essential Skills
No formal qualifications are required to become a youth justice worker; personal qualities are what matter most. You should demonstrate:
- Strong communication and influencing skills
- Commitment to high standards of care and service
- Effective decision-making abilities
- Empathy and understanding
As a practitioner, you will work with children, young people, and their families or carers to help achieve meaningful and lasting changes in their lives. You will:
- Show a passion for supporting children, young people, and families
- be skilled in identifying and assessing the complex needs of the children and young people you work with
- collaborate with young people, their families, or carers to agree on interventions or referrals that support their needs
- handle interventions when necessary, including de-escalating situations, managing behavioural issues, and applying conflict resolution techniques
- approach your work with respectful curiosity, balancing challenge and support to help young people reach their potential and stay safe
- work closely with other professionals and organisations to collectively improve outcomes
Each child’s journey is unique, and you will need to exercise sound judgment, using evidence-based approaches to inform your practice. You will continuously evaluate the effectiveness of your actions and methods. Regular supervision with an experienced practitioner will help you reflect on and improve your practice. Following successful completion of your 12-month probationary period you will also be offered the opportunity to undertake a Level 4 Qualification focussed on working with children and young people in custody, the high standard of your work will be making a genuine difference to the lives of those you support.
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Eligibility
To be a youth justice worker you must:
· be at least 18 years old at the point you commence employment
· meet the Civil Service Nationality requirements (see nationality requirements section below)
· as this is a physically active job, you will need to pass a medical and fitness assessment as part of the application process
· meet the required eyesight standard in both eyes (both with and without corrective lenses)
· For safety reasons, everyone training to be a prison officer needs a suitable standard of hearing (without the use of hearing aids)
· Whilst tattoos are permitted, including those that are visible, they must not be deemed as offensive, discriminatory, violent or intimidating in any way. Facial tattoos are generally not acceptable, except where this is for cultural, religious, or medical reasons.
Pay
The initial training is 37 hours a week. After training, you can choose to work 37, 39 or 41 hours a week. Your annual salary will reflect your weekly hours.
• 37 hours a week = £40,840 a year
• 39 hours a week = £43,290 a year
• 41 hours a week = £45,379 a year
All salary figures quoted include any additional allowances that are applicable to the role/location.
Young Offender Institutions operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This means you will have to cover various shift patterns that will include evenings, some nights, weekends and public holidays (these days are added to your holiday allowance). The standard working week of a youth justice worker is based on a 39 hours per week shift pattern.
You may also have opportunities to work additional paid hours.
Benefits
- 25 days’ annual holiday (rising to 30 days after 10 years’ service)
- paid time off for public holidays and 1 extra privilege day
- Civil Service pension with employer contributions of 28.97%
- cycle to work scheme, travel loans and other benefits
Assessment Process
During the recruitment process you will be assessed on the behaviours, strengths and abilities you need to become an effective youth justice worker. These include:
- communicating and influencing
- managing a quality service
- making effective decisions
- caring
Your natural strengths are assessed to find out what motivates and energises you. We will also assess your numerical, written English and spoken English abilities.
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Training and Career Progression
Working within youth custody, you’ll have a clear progression pathway. Following successful completion of your 12-month probationary period, you will be offered the opportunity to undertake a Level 4 Qualification focussed on working with children and young people in custody. Full details regarding this course will be made available prior to the time of enrolment.
Once you have successfully completed your qualification you have the opportunity to progress to a band 4 Youth Justice Worker Specialist role.
Ongoing training and development for specialist skills such as child protection and safeguarding will be provided.
Apply
If you require any assistance, please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am-6pm) or e-mail MoJ-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com. Please quote the job reference 20610
Closing date: 29th October 2026
The jobholder must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh.
Additional Information
Please refer to additional job description attachment
Supporting document 1
Band-3-PO-Youth-Justice-Worker-JD2448-v4.0.pdf
The jobholder must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh.
Allowance Details
Please refer to additional job description attachment
Contact Information
If you require any assistance, please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am-6pm) or e-mail MoJ-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com. Please quote the job reference 20610
The jobholder must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh.
Closing date: 29th October 2026
Level of security checks required DBS Enhanced
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Business Unit Feltham A
Date published 13-Aug-2026
Working time Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working
Closing date 29-Oct-2026
Location Feltham
Civil Service Grade AO
Job ID 20610
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