Youth Support and Development Worker

Hackney is one of the most dynamic and progressive local authorities in the UK. We are a resilient, vibrant, and creative borough in the heart of London, with strong, diverse communities and a powerful set of shared values.

Over the past twenty years, the Council has built up first-class services, outstanding public infrastructure, and a reputation for excellence, innovation, and ambition. We are leading the way on essential work such as our fight for equity in Hackney with a particular focus on becoming an actively anti-racist borough. But the work doesn’t stop there, we are proactive in our approach to bringing fairness to all aspects of life including gender, neurodiversity and across the poverty divide.

A fantastic opportunity has now opened for a Youth Support & Development Worker as a 2 year fixed-term role in our new Extra-Familial Harm Team.

In the context of the Family’s First Social Care Reforms Hackney has reviewed its current response to extra-familial harm. Learning from our own Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, National Panel’s It Was Hard to Escape and Croydon’s Thematic Review of Serious Youth Violence we have developed a new team dedicated to working intensively with children most at risk of harm outside the home. This specialist team comprises practitioners from a mix of disciplines, with significant experience of working with adolescents, including a firm understanding those on the periphery of crime who may cross over with Youth Justice Services.

Working as part of a new team aiming to provide outstanding services for children and families, you will be at the forefront of developing best practice where children are experiencing risk outside the home. Reporting to a Senior Social Worker (EFH) you will be part of a team committed to developing trauma-informed approaches and tackling the unequal treatment of children, whilst keeping children and the public safe by applying a rigorous focus on mitigating potential harms.

Working within a dedicated social work-led team that reports to the Service Manager for Youth Justice, you will work alongside youth justice colleagues in a multi-agency context. This supportive environment will enable you to deliver high-quality interventions with children and families. The role provides an opportunity for developing innovative and impactful practice that will actively contribute to organisational learning, recognising, promoting, and supporting best practice whilst retaining a clear focus upon positive outcomes for children and families.

We are ambitious for all our young people and expect staff to deliver thoughtful, focused interventions that help young people to develop their agency and critical thinking skills. Your understanding of youth work practice, communication skills, energy and professional approach will enable you to quickly establish positive rapport with young people, carers and other stakeholders. With experience in the delivery of tailored targeted interventions and group work, you will be committed to improving young people’s well-being and addressing concerns such as exploitation, educational engagement or sexually harmful behaviour. You will adhere to ‘Child First’ principles and model persistence, tenacity, creativity, flexibility and ability to respond quickly and model practice that adheres to our systemic, trauma-informed, anti-racist and restorative practice model (STAR-R).

Applicants should have a clear understanding of evidence based practice, youth work methodologies, adolescent safeguarding and effective practice in youth voice and participation and children’s rights. If you are an experienced youth work professional who enjoys working with adolescents and who is keen to deliver, support and develop exceptional practice in a supportive and creative environment, then we want to hear from you.

You must hold a professional or occupational qualification (e.g. youth work, teaching, social work, or health), and have evidence of continuing professional development.

An enhanced DBS check is required.

Our vision:

“We’re working to make Hackney a place for everyone, where all our residents, whatever their background, have a chance to lead healthy and successful lives; a place of which everyone can be proud, with excellent services and public spaces, thriving businesses, and strong communities; a place that celebrates diversity, and where everyone can feel valued, included, and involved.”

Our refreshed Children’s Action Plan includes 7 ambitious future focused priorities for our service:

– Proud to be Hackney

-Proud to keep children safe and listen to Children and Families

-Proud to work with partner agencies to keep children safe and to help children and families get the right support at the right time

-Proud to work with partners to improve safety for children during adolescence in all contexts

-Proud to be Anti Racist

-Proud to promote a learning culture focused on outcomes for children, where great practice can flourish

-Proud to support our workforce to do their very best for children in Hackney

Hackney is one of the most sought-after areas to live in London with good schools, parks and local amenities, as well as great transport links. We offer a great place to work in an environment which is stimulating, creative, fast-moving and supportive.

We value our staff and offer a competitive benefits package including hybrid working, a mobile phone and home computer, coaching and mentoring opportunities, a competitive salary, excellent pension scheme, generous annual leave entitlements (including Bank Holidays) and a strong Employee Assistance Programme including support around racialised trauma.

As a Council, our most outstanding asset is our staff, who are highly dedicated to serving our residents and committed to our goals as an organisation.

If you want to work in a place where you can represent our values so we achieve the best for our residents, please click on the apply button below.

We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Therefore, we do not accept supporting statements or CV’s.

To proceed with your application, you will need to create an account and submit your application.

As part of the application process, you will need to complete a number of competency based questions. These questions allow you to demonstrate your suitability for the role and provide examples of your skills, knowledge and experience outlined in the job description.

We understand the benefits of using AI in the workplace. However, if you are thinking of using this tool to submit your application, we ask you to think about what value it will add. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.

Closing date for applications: 21 May 2026 (22.59)

Interview date: W/c 8 June 2026

We are also working towards our vision, which is to be a place for everyone; where residents and staff can be proud; a place that celebrates diversity and where everyone can feel valued, included and involved. In order to achieve this, we look for people who are: Proud; Ambitious; Pioneering; Open; Proactive; Inclusive.

Hackney Council works to eradicate discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. We also recognise that people can be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will also work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class. We also welcome those interested in flexible working. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people, as this group is currently under represented in our workforce.

The Council has a dedicated employment support service (Hackney Works), which offers Hackney residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you are thinking about applying for a job, please contact the Hackney Works team to find out what support is available: hackneyworks@hackney.gov.uk