19609 - Youth Justice Worker Returners Scheme

Job summary

Job description

Address: Feltham, Werrington, Wetherby

Salary: £36,150 to £45,446

City / Town: Feltham, Werrington, Wetherby

Region: Feltham, Werrington, Wetherby

Vacancy Type: Merit

If you are a former youth justice worker with less than 5 years gap in service and completed foundation training and probation before leaving HMPPS, we would like you to consider re-joining us to support your former colleagues to keep prisons and the public safe.

We can offer you a simplified return with no need to repeat the online assessment centre or foundation training. You can be allocated straight to an available vacancy and then invited to the medical and fitness assessment, and pre-employment checks will be initiated. If there are no immediate vacancies where you would like to return, you will be placed on a merit list and be prioritised over candidates applying via the external route when vacancies arise.

You will need a DBS check.

You need to be back in post before your 5 year return date expires. You must therefore apply at least 6 months before this date to allow sufficient time to be allocated to a vacancy and for the completion of pre‑employment checks.

If you are not yet ready to return, join our Prison Service Alumni Network to receive regular updates so you can apply when the time is right for you.

Eligibility

You can apply to return as a youth justice worker if you:

• left HMPPS within the last 5 years
• previously worked as a youth justice worker at HMPPS at band 3 or 4
• completed your foundation training and full probation period as a youth justice worker

If you worked in another HMPPS role before becoming a youth justice worker, you need to have:

• completed your full probation period in that role and have worked as a youth justice worker for more than 12 months before leaving

The scheme is also open to former youth justice workers who are currently working within the MoJ (excluding HMPPS) or other government departments.

HMPPS reserves the right to refuse reappointment to former youth justice workers on grounds of previous poor attendance or performance.

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.

Application Process

You will be asked to provide up to two YOIs where you would be willing to return to the youth justice worker role.

When your eligibility for the scheme has been confirmed, you will be allocated straight to a vacancy as one becomes available and invited to the medical and fitness assessment. You will be required to undergo full pre-employment checks (which includes occupational health) prior to returning. If vacancies are not immediately available at the YOI(s) of your preference, you will be placed on a merit list and be priority consideration for vacancies as they arise.

You will return to full-time hours unless you request other hours when you apply. The availability of part-time and flexible minimum hours contracts or work-life balance arrangements depends on local staffing needs therefore cannot be guaranteed. Your request will need to be agreed with the YOI you will be returning to once you have been allocated and before being given a provisional offer.

Travel to Work

Some YOIs are situated in rural locations with limited public transport options; therefore, a driving licence and own transport is beneficial but is not an essential requirement of the role. Please note that shift start and finish times are fixed, and it is your responsibility to get to and from your place of work on time for the start of your shift. You need to carefully consider your transport options and travelling times before accepting the provisional offer.

Pay

Successful Band 3 applicants will be re-appointed on the Band 3, pay point 2 salary. Successful Band 4 applicants will be re-appointed on the Band 4 salary.

If returning full-time, you will be given a contract for 37 hours a week. Once in post you can choose to increase to 39 or 41 hours a week as a Band 3. You can only work 37 hours as a Band 4. Your annual salary will reflect your weekly hours.

Werrington and Wetherby – Band 3:

• 37 hours a week (pay point 2) = £36,150 a year
• 39 hours a week (pay point 2) = £38,430 a year
• 41 hours a week (pay point 2) = £40,710 a year

Feltham – Band 3:

• 37 hours a week (pay point 2) = £40,199 a year
• 39 hours a week (pay point 2) = £42,734 a year
• 41 hours a week (pay point 2) = £45,269 a year

Werrington and Wetherby – Band 4:

• 37 hours a week = £41,328 a year

Feltham – Band 4:

• 37 hours a week = £45,446 a year

All starting salary figures quoted are for 2026/27 and include the 20% unsocial hours allowance. Some prisons also receive a market supplement of £1,500, £2,000, £3,000 or £3,500 per year. You can find out more about this when your eligibility for the scheme has been confirmed.

Prisons 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.

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.

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

Read more about youth justice worker benefits.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of Civil Servants.

We recruit by merit