South Gloucestershire Council
Volunteer Panel Member - Youth Offending Team
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How You'll Make a Difference
As a Volunteer Panel Member, you will help make a positive difference in the lives of young people. When a young person aged 10-17 admits an offence, the court may impose a referral order. This is a community-based sentence which lasts between 3-12 months and aims to help the young person understand the impact of their actions and make positive changes for the future.
Chairing Referral Order Panel Meetings, you will work alongside the young person, their parents or carers and Youth Justice professionals to agree a tailored programme of work. You will support them to reflect on their actions, address the causes of their offending behaviour and identify opportunities that will help them avoid further involvement with the police or criminal justice system. This is a rewarding opportunity to support young people in making positive changes and contributing to safer communities.
What You Will Be Doing
As Chair of the Referral Order Panel, you will lead panel meetings and play a key role in supporting young people to make positive changes. Your responsibilities will include:
- Facilitating discussions about the offence and its impact in a constructive and supportive manner.
- Encourage young people to take responsibility for their actions and reflect on the consequences of their behaviour.
- Agree tailored programmes of work that address offending behaviour and support personal development.
- Promoting opportunities that help young people engage in positive activities, develop new skills and achieve their potential.
- Supporting young people to participate in restorative activities that seek to repair the harm caused by the offence, which may include community-based unpaid work or direct or indirect engagement with victims where appropriate.
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What We Need From You
We are looking for someone with excellent communication and active listening skills, who is patient, receptive to guidance and respectful of the perspectives and opinions of others.
- You will be motivated and able to build positive engagement with children and young people.
- You must have the ability to review and interpret written reports, identify areas where support may be beneficial and make informed recommendations for children and their families based on evidence provided by the court.
- It is essential that you are committed to both the initial training programme and any ongoing learning and development required to perform the role effectively.
What You Need To Know
- Panel meetings are usually held on Thursday evenings at community venues across South Gloucestershire. You are asked to commit to attending one panel meeting every fortnight and to remain in the role for a minimum of 18 months.
- Proposed mandatory training dates are Saturday 12th, 19th and 26th September and Saturday 3rd October 2026. At least one will be in-person.
- Please note that due to the nature of this role, it is a requirement of employment that an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is obtained.
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Interviews due to take place on 17th August 2026.
How a Career At South Gloucestershire Council Is Different
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety and welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. Ensuring all our staff are given right skills, knowledge and support to recognise and respond effectively to potential abuse or neglect.
What’s special here is the strength of the team ethos, the support and the training.
Our teams at South Gloucestershire Council are making a real difference to the lives of people who live, work and learn here.
- We're building and shaping communities which people are proud of.
- We're working with the most vulnerable in our community to help them achieve what they want in life.
- We're investing in our schools to ensure every child and young person in South Gloucestershire achieves their full potential.
We've achieved a great deal, but we need talented and dedicated people to ensure we continue to make a difference.
We’re making a difference, be part of it!
To view the full job description, please click this link: Volunteer Panel Member - Job Description
We reserve the right to close this volunteering opportunity before the published closing date should we receive enough applications.
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