Youth Workers – Adolescent Pathway

Youth Workers – Adolescent Pathway (12 Vacancies)

• Position: Youth Worker – Adolescent Pathway (Targeted Youth Support)

• Partner Agency: Supportive Bridge Staffing Agency

• Client: Bradford Children and Families Trust

• Service: Targeted Youth Support (Breaking the Cycle)

• Department: Early Help & Transformation

• Hours: Permanent, Full-time (37 hours per week – requiring flexible evening and weekend work)

• Location: Bradford District

• Closing Date: Sunday 19th July 2026

• Interviews: TBC

Introduction

At Supportive Bridge Staffing Agency, we specialize in matching passionate, relational changemakers with roles where they can truly shift the trajectory of young lives. We are proud to partner with Bradford Children and Families Trust to recruit 12 permanent Youth Workers for their pioneering Adolescent Pathway within the Targeted Youth Support service.

Operating under the celebrated "Breaking the Cycle" initiative, this service is at the forefront of early intervention. It moves away from traditional, crisis-driven responses to deliver relational, preventative support that meets young people where they are. If you are a resilient, trauma-informed practitioner who wants to be part of a major transformation in how we support adolescents, we want to hear from you.

About the Role

This is a dynamic, hands-on, and direct practice role. As part of a multidisciplinary team, you will deliver intensive, relationship-based youth work interventions to adolescents at risk of entering local authority care.

Your goal will be to stabilize volatile situations, reduce risk, and keep young people safely connected to their families, schools, and local communities. Because adolescents don't experience challenges only between 9-to-5, this role requires a high degree of flexibility, including evenings and weekends, to build trust and offer support when and where it is needed most.

What You’ll Do:

• Intensive Direct Work: Deliver high-quality, youth-work-led interventions directly to young people and their families.

• Build Trusted Relationships: Form consistent, authentic, and reliable bonds with young people who may initially be resistant to professional services.

• Risk & Relationship Management: Help adolescents identify, understand, and navigate complex risks, behaviors, peer dynamics, and personal relationships.

• Family-Led Planning: Collaborate on family-centered plans that de-escalate conflict and strengthen relationships at home to prevent unnecessary entry into care.

• Multi-Agency Integration: Work seamlessly alongside social workers, early help teams, education providers, and community partners under the Targeted Youth Support umbrella.

• Relational Practice: Ensure all work is deeply rooted in restorative, trauma-informed, and youth-centered principles.

What You Will Need to Succeed

We are looking for resilient, creative, and persistently positive practitioners who refuse to give up on young people.

• Experience: Proven experience working directly with adolescents exhibiting complex needs, challenging behaviors, or those facing systemic vulnerabilities.

• Engagement Skills: Exceptional ability to build relationships with hard-to-reach or disengaged youth, utilizing creative methods to spark engagement.

• Safeguarding Expertise: Strong safeguarding awareness with a practical understanding of contextual safeguarding, exploitation, and adolescent risk management.

• Practice Model: A firm grasp of trauma-informed and restorative practice principles.

• Personal Qualities: High resilience, adaptability, and the willingness to work flexible hours (including evenings and weekends) to meet the demands of the service.

What’s in it for You?

Bradford Children and Families Trust values the energy and dedication of its youth work staff. By joining this vital team, you will receive:

• Generous Annual Leave: 31 days of annual leave, rising to 34 days with continuous service (plus bank holidays).

• Financial Security: Competitive salary with a structured pay progression pathway and an excellent Local Government Pension Scheme.

• Work-Life Balance: Comprehensive, supportive carer and parental policies, alongside enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption leave.

• Wellbeing Support: Access to Occupational Health services, confidential counselling, and active staff support networks.

• Discounts & Perks: Access to Blue Light Card discounts, including cost-of-living support.

• Professional Development: Continuous training in trauma-informed care, restorative justice, and clear avenues for career progression.

Our Commitment to Safeguarding

Bradford Children and Families Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All preferred candidates will undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (including the Children’s barred list) and will be required to disclose relevant criminal history prior to interview.